What’s Counselling about?
Sometimes we all have challenges that are are difficult to overcome on our own. Think of a jigsaw puzzle when all the pieces are difficult to match together. Talking about a problem is like sorting out all the pieces so we can begin to build a picture that makes more sense to us.
Sometimes it’s difficult to talk to parents, friends or teachers about things that are making us anxious. A counsellor is someone who you can talk to in a different way, someone who will listen to you very carefully, who will not judge you or tell you what to do.
Counselling is about helping you to work things out for yourself, make better decisions and choices, and help you look at things differently – most importantly, it can help you feel better about yourself.
What kind of things do children and young people talk about in counselling?
- Parents separating
- Sexual abuse
- Bullying
- Feeling angry
- Depressed
- Anxiety
- Exams
- Self harm
- Drug and alcohol issues
- Bereavement
- Low self esteem
What techniques are used in counselling?
I use a range of different techniques to be fully equipped to effectively counsel and support children and young people through any challenges they may face.
Play Therapy lets children sort through complicated feelings and “use play to communicate at their own level and at their own pace, without feeling interrogated or judged.”
Mindfulness equips them with the skills to help address the kinds of worries we all experience as part of the growing up process, and to have the tools to cope with those stresses and strains of childhood and adolescence without being swept away by them.
CBT – Cognitive Behaviour Therapy is a type of talking therapy which focuses on how thoughts, beliefs and attitudes affect your feelings and behaviour, and teaches coping skills for dealing with a range of issues and challenges.