How Counselling can help children and young people
Counselling provides an opportunity for children and young people to explore thoughts, feelings and behaviours that may be getting in the way of them enjoying their lives and doing all the things they want to do. It provides an empathic and non-judgemental relationship with an adult whose role is to support them whilst they learn about themselves and find a way forward with their issue.
Counselling can....
Empower
-
through learning about themselves
-
build self-esteem & confidence
-
be comfortable with who they are in the world
Calm
-
provide time to explore a variety of coping strategies, practice them & find what works for them
Teach
-
techniques, strategies and ways of approaching challenges with confidence and courage.
How I work
I am an integrative practitioner, which is a 'posh' way of saying that I pick and mix the counselling models I use to meet clients' needs depending upon their age, understanding and the issue they are dealing with.
The main counselling model I take into my work is that of Person Centred Therapy, based on the work of Carl Rogers (1902-1987). He believed that in order to help children and adults resolve emotional distress or psychological difficulties, the counsellor needed to provide a relationship based on warmth, understanding and acceptance. Through a positive therapeutic relationship, the child or young person could explore their difficulties and find their own answers from within themselves, supported by their therapist.
However, I also find that other techniques and models can enhance working with children and young people. The other therapeutic models I use include:
-
Creative counselling using art, clay sand and other mediums
-
Cognitive Behaviour Therapy: research indicates that this approach is particularly helpful when working with anxiety and low-mood.
-
Solution Focused Brief Therapy: particularly useful with some young people who need a more future-focused approach to help them realise their strengths and use these to move forward with their current difficulties.
​
