What is Therapy?
Therapy is a process whereby a client and therapist mutually agree to work through the client’s challenges. This may be done through reflection, discussion, and or techniques and strategies applied.
It is a journey of acknowledging and realizing one’s potential through their belief system so as to live their best life. But more than that it is also about acknowledging and accepting one’s emotions, behaviours, faults and limitations and then reworking them to create new ways of being and behaving. The therapy room is the clients’ safe space to explore their limitations and also a chance and opportunity to be heard by a non-biased and non-judgmental professional, trained to facilitate new experiences.
Why should my child have therapy?
Nobody can ever force anyone to have therapy and nor should they.
The best time for therapy is when the need comes from within the person. When something is amiss and your feelings don’t sit right, usually we know. We know when something is wrong and heeding that knowing can make all the difference to our growth and learning opportunities in the future.
It can make all the difference to our happiness levels, affecting our relationships at home or school and also for the future.
When I ask the question to my clients’ in their first session, “What is important to you?”, I can safely say that 99.9% answer the same way – family, friends, being loved and belonging
Given this information, it can be easily said that these are key areas to work on in therapy so that we can feel better aligned and at peace with ourselves and others – at least for most of the time.
The following questions are also helpful to ask your child when assessing if they need therapy or not:
- What would happen if you did change?
- What would happen if you did not change?
- What would not happen if you changed?
- What would not happen if you did not change?
How do I find the right therapist?
Although this seems like a daunting task when there are so many types of therapists and therapies out there, this is not as difficult as you may feel.
You can ask your child, do you need a counsellor – a space to just talk about your feelings about the past or present? This can allow deep healing from within, and they may also feel like their concerns have been acknowledged and someone has heard them.
Or are they ready to move on from the past? In this case, someone like myself may be perfect for your child as I can provide them with strategies that allow this change to happen. They have to be in this space and be ready to make changes by believing and committing themselves – that is all. Once they make a start, new things start to happen by themselves. You have to do something about it is all.
In NLP, there is a saying, “If you keep doing the same thing – you will keep getting the same result”.
This can be for either negative or positive behaviours.
You can explain to your child that they need to decide what they want after they have had a consultation with me first. There is no pressure simply by having a consultation, rather, by allowing your child to decide for themselves, you will maintain their autonomy and the results will be quicker and better.
Yes I want therapy for my child – what happens next?
- Have a read on this website about the types of therapies I provide and see if you are interested. Alternatively, you can give me a call to discuss your child’s challenges and I will be happy to help.
- Have a look at the About Me page and see if you feel comfortable with me, show your child too, so they know who to expect.
- Book in for an obligation-free consultation. A face-to-face consultation is £50 and usually takes 45 minutes – we get to meet and decide whether to continue and start building a therapeutic relationship straight away.
- If your child decides to have sessions with me – I will be very pleased to work with your child if I can. All you have to do is sign a therapy consent form for your child to say that whilst I am doing my bit they will also do theirs towards their self development!
- Make a payment for either the first session or for all 6 for a discount for your commitment.
- Have weekly one-hour sessions – usually the same time and day at the clinic.
Getting out of your own space, away from your screen, and having some valuable ‘ME TIME’ can make your child feel better instantly – they will be physically and mentally more committed to their change process having the certainty that there is someone who can provide them with the support they need.
We will keep reassessing progress as we go along and also how many more sessions they may need.
How many sessions will my child need?
Most children have between 6–10 sessions and we can keep reassessing as we go along.
Some people have less, but they must attend at least 4 to see some good positive changes – it is difficult to say until your child starts their therapy journey.
hope I have helped you in your decision process and wish you all the best whatever you decide.
What my clients say
I didn’t realize I could have new responses to old problems!
Re-framing my problems as challenges has changed my life!
I feel in control of myself and my behaviours now.
Here are some of the most common questions asked by clients:
General questions
Yes – absolutely! We already have far too much screen time and I prefer to build a therapeutic relationship with all of my clients whatever age.
Yes – parking is available and it is free
The last appointment is at 5.00-6.00pm.
In the clinic, I work from Monday to Wednesday
It is always best to reschedule appointments 48 hrs in advance as someone else can have your space that way.
Yes there is a £30 charge for missed appointments without notice – Missing appointments also affects your success levels!
Not at all – all the techniques I use are safe – please feel free to ask as many questions as you like in the consultation.
Yes of course you can – but I always remind people that therapy is a process and you should be kind and patient with yourself – just as I will be with you:)
That depends on your challenges and your commitment to change. The more you practice the techniques we discuss, the faster your progress will be! The more you believe in the program, the better the results will be! Generally speaking, people start to feel better even after the consultation because they know that something positive is happening now….
Cash or transfers please – details will be sent to you on booking your first session.
Yes it is – There is a £20 discount for paying for 6 sessions in advance. It also reduces the faff of payments every time we have a session..
Therapy for children questions
No not really – only if you insist!
It often depends what the challenge is- but usually 6-7 years old
Your child will be fine 🙂 Please try not to worry. You can wait in the reception area and enjoy some well deserved ‘me’ time if you like. there are also cafeterias nearby.
All sessions are one hour long but sometimes they may need to be less if there are concentration issues or your child is quite young
If your child is still very anxious about the therapy after meeting me – then I may not be the right therapist for your child. Although, I hardly ever have children unwilling to have therapy after the consultation as this is a nice opportunity for us to meet and decide this. Try not to worry. If parents are relaxed, children feel better no matter how anxious they seem.
Yes of course you can – but I always remind people that therapy is a process and you should be kind and patient with yourself and your child – just as I will be with your child:)
That depends on the challenges and their commitment to change. The more your child practices the techniques we discuss, the faster the progress will be! Try to keep your child optimistic and motivated towards the program
Absolutely not – nobody wins here I’m afraid! It is best to wait until they are ready and are willing to take ownership of the therapy and their own behaviour!
Yes – I simply can not work without it!
I try to make the sessions as fun as possible so that children engage and learn new skills quickly
This depends on your child’s age and the content of what they discuss with me in the session. If there is a safeguarding issue, i.e. your child is at any risk of harm, then yes, this will be shared with other professionals
