Teenage & Adolescent Counselling
A safe space to be yourself
Being a teenager can be complicated. There can be pressure from school, exams, friendships, family, social media and expectations about the future, while at the same time trying to work out who you are and where you fit in.
Counselling offers a space where you can slow things down, make sense of what's happening and talk openly with someone who is there to listen.
My aim is for young people to feel relaxed, safe, accepted and not judged. You don't need to arrive knowing exactly what you want to talk about, and you don't have to have everything figured out.
What can counselling help with?
I work with young people experiencing a range of difficulties, including:
Anxiety and excessive worry
Depression and low mood
Low self-esteem and confidence
Relationship and friendship difficulties
School, exam and academic pressure
Phobias
Experiences relating to neurodiversity
Identity and life changes
Other challenges that may be making life feel difficult
Sometimes there isn't one obvious reason for seeking counselling. You might simply know that things don't feel right or that you're finding things harder than you used to.
That's okay too.
What is counselling with me like?
My approach is grounded in person-centred counselling, which means we'll work at your pace and build a trusting therapeutic relationship.
I don't expect a young person to sit down in the first session and immediately start talking about everything that's bothering them. We'll begin by talking about how they feel about coming to counselling and what they would like from the experience.
For some young people, talking comes naturally. For others, it can take a little more time to feel comfortable opening up.
Sometimes we might use games or other creative activities to help things feel more relaxed. We can chat while we're doing something together, rather than making the conversation feel like an interview.
As trust develops, we can gradually explore the things that are difficult and think together about what might help.
Practical tools when they’re helpful
Where appropriate, I may also introduce CBT techniques to help with anxiety, low mood and unhelpful patterns of thinking. These can provide practical strategies that young people can use both within and outside of our sessions.
Your voice matters
I believe young people deserve to have a space where their thoughts and feelings are taken seriously.
My role isn't to tell you what you should think or do. Instead, I'll work alongside you to help you understand yourself, explore what's happening and find ways forward that feel right for you.
This can be particularly important during adolescence, when young people can sometimes feel that decisions are being made for them.
Counselling can be a space where your voice matters and you have some control over how we work together.
Confidentiality
Counselling is a confidential space, and I will explain what confidentiality means at the beginning of our work together in a way that is appropriate to the young person's age and understanding.
What a young person talks about in counselling will normally remain private. I won't routinely share the details of their sessions with parents or other people without their agreement.
There are some limits to confidentiality. For example, if I become concerned that a young person or someone else may be at risk of serious harm, or if I am legally required to share information, I may need to involve someone else.
If I do have a safeguarding concern, I will aim to talk about this with the young person first, explain what I'm concerned about and involve them in deciding what happens next wherever it is safe and appropriate to do so. There may be exceptional circumstances where information needs to be shared without their agreement in order to protect them or someone else.
I will also discuss my work with a clinical supervisor as part of my professional practice. Any information shared in supervision is treated confidentially and in accordance with my professional responsibilities.
My aim is to be open and honest about confidentiality from the beginning, so that young people know what to expect and can feel safe in our work together.
Where do sessions take place?
I offer face-to-face teenage counselling in Warfield, as well as online sessions where appropriate.
Sessions last up to 50 minutes and cost £65.
Take the first step
If you're a young person wondering whether counselling could help, or a parent thinking about support for your teenager, you don't need to have all the answers before getting in touch.
I offer a free introductory video call where we can talk about what's been happening, answer any questions you have and give you the opportunity to see whether you feel comfortable working with me.
There's no pressure or obligation to continue. It's simply an opportunity for us to have a conversation and decide whether counselling feels like the right next step.