Counselling for young people
Being a young person involves a lot of change. There can be pressure from school, university, exams, work, friendships, family, social media and expectations about the future, while trying to work out who you are and where you fit in.
Sometimes things that once felt manageable can start to feel overwhelming. Counselling can provide a space to step back, make sense of what's happening and explore what you need.
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.
Who is this for?
I work with young people (11+) experiencing a range of difficulties, including:
Anxiety and excessive worry
Depression and low mood
Low self-esteem and confidence
Relationship and friendship difficulties
School, university, exam and academic pressure
Phobias
Neurodiversity and experiences of feeling different
Identity and questions about who you are
Changes or uncertainty about the future
Difficult thoughts or feelings that are hard to manage
Whatever brings you here, we can take the time to understand what's happening and think together about what might help.
My approach is grounded in person-centred counselling, which means we'll work at your pace and build a trusting therapeutic relationship. You don't need to know exactly what you want to talk about, and there is no expectation that you'll have everything figured out before we begin.
I'll listen without judgement and work alongside you to explore what's happening, rather than telling you what you should do.
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.
Where appropriate, I may also draw on CBT techniques to help you understand the relationship between your thoughts, feelings and behaviours, and develop practical strategies for managing things that feel difficult.