Child & Adolescent Counselling & Psychotherapy

The Team:

Our practitioners below have specific additional training linked to working with clients aged under 18.  Some focus predominantly with the adolescent age group (approx. 10-19 years old)  while other are trained to work with younger clients from about the age of 3 years old (often using play based appraoches).

What is Play Therapy for Children?

Play therapy uses the instinct and expression of play as a way to build an effective working alliance and meet children with a developmentally appropriate therapeutic  approach .  Through carefully chosen toys, games, creative materials, and storytelling, a qualified play therapist helps children communicate what’s going on inside.

This can help with:
  • Emotional expression and regulation – learning to identify, understand, and manage “big” feelings
  • Confidence and resilience – building inner strength to cope with life’s challenges
  • Better behaviour and relationships – healthier ways of relating to others and themselves
Practical Information:

Ages we work with: Often used with younger children from 3 years old  up to the latency phase of around 10-12 but can also be used with adolescents, and even up to late teens.

Session length: Typically around 50 minutes.

How to get started: Self-refer by contacting us directly.  Schools, GPs, or other professionals can also make referrals with parental consent.

What happens in a session?
  • Gentle settling-in and routine – The therapist creates a predictable, safe structure so your child knows what to expect. Trust builds slowly.
  • Play-based expression – Sometimes the practitioner may use a non directive approach where  the child leads the way.  They might use dolls, puppets or small figures to act out scenarios.  They might draw, paint, or work with sand.  They might tell stories or create imaginary worlds. The therapist follows their lead, gently guiding when needed.  Alternatively a more directive approach where the therapist may take a more active role guiding the child and suggesting activities may be sued
  • Closing and transition – Each session ends with a calm wind-down, helping your child transition back to the rest of their day.
  • The therapist is trained to understand the symbolic language of play, to notice patterns, and to help your child process emotions they can’t yet name.

Adolescent/Teenage Counselling & Psychotherapy:

Adolescent therapy is a collaborative process where young people learn to understand their emotions, develop coping strategies, and build the skills they need to navigate difficulties or  to help with emotional distress.  Adolescence  is a phase of rapid change for a young person, across many domains and a bio/psycho/social approach is key.

The practitioner will aim to create a non-judgmental environment where adolescents can express themselves freely. Whether the teenager prefers talking, creative expression, or a more structured approach, therapy can be adapted to what works for them.  Sessions typically last 50 to 60 minutes.

A note on confidentiality:

Confidentiality matters enormously to teenagers and our practitioners will maintain strict privacy regarding sessions unless the teenage gives consent.  There are important limits and if a young person is deemed at serious risk of harm to themselves or others, we have professional and legal obligations under Children’s First Legislation to act on those concerns. This is explained clearly from the outset, so everyone knows where they stand.

For young people under 18, parental or guardian written consent is typically a necessity.  We usually start with an initial session involving parents before the young person begins their individual work. This helps us understand the presenting issues  from multiple perspectives and ensures everyone is on the same page about what therapy will involve.

For any information on these services please make contact here and we can discuss practitioner options that may be suitable for the young person in question.