Dee Emerson

Hi, I'm Dee, I'm a fully qualified and experienced counsellor who specialises in working with children and young people. I am based in Stonehouse, Gloucestershire.

I imagine you are reading this because you, or your child or young person may be finding things difficult right now. 

I recognise how hard it can be for children to understand and explain what is going on for them, and how they often express this struggle through their behaviour. I understand how challenging this can be for those around them.

I also recognise how challenging adolescence can be for those experiencing it, and those supporting a young person through it. Relationships, friendships, the pressure of school work and exams, the difficulty of being in a changing body, and the pressure to work out who you are and where you fit in the world, can be overwhelming.

Sometimes, no matter how well children or young people get on with their parents, they may find it difficult to talk to them. This is where I can help.

I have a Foundation Degree in Therapeutic Counselling and Psychotherapy, a First Class Honours Degree in Applied Social Sciences, and have completed an Advanced Specialist Training Course, accredited by the National Counselling Society, in Counselling Children and Young People.

I have over six years of experience in counselling children and young people through my work with TIC+ and currently hold the position of School Counsellor in a girls grammar school.

I am passionate about promoting positive mental health and emotional wellbeing in the children and young people I work with. Within my practice I use creative methods to gently explore and help the child or young person express what may be going on for them, and together identify what is preventing them from moving forward. My practice provides a non-judgemental space in which a child or young person can feel accepted, valued and truly heard.

My Approach 

As every child and young person is unique, I work integratively and draw upon a range of therapeutic approaches to suit individual needs.

In my thinking, my approach is often Psychodynamic in that I consider not only the conscious communication but also what is being communicated unconsciously and what is not said.

My approach is Person Centred in that I place the counselling relationship at the heart of the work we do and am client led in the direction the work takes.

My approach is Systemic in how I think about the child or young person in the context of their family.

My approach is Creative in the way I employ age appropriate, play-based activities to help the child or young person explore their difficulties and express themselves.

If you would like to find out more about my approach and what it might be like to work together, then please contact me by email.

My practice is located in a private garden room in Stonehouse, Gloucestershire. It offers a contained, calm and confidential environment in which to work.

I offer a free 20 minute phone call to conduct a brief assessment of the child or young persons issues/reasons for seeking counselling, and to answer any questions.

If the child or young person is aged 16 or under, this will be completed with their parent/carer/guardian. The child or young person can be present if they so wish.

If the young person is aged 17 or over, the phone call will be conducted with them.

After this, an appointment for a full assessment session can be made. This appointment will last for 50 minutes and be charged at my usual rate of £50 per session.

A parent/carer/guardian will need to attend the assessment session for a child or young person aged 16 or under. A young person aged 17 or over can choose to bring a family member or trusted friend, or attend their assessment session on their own.

This first session provides an opportunity for the child or young person to experience what counselling is like and decide whether it is something they feel able to commit to. During this session we will establish aims and expectations for counselling, and determine whether we are the right fit to work together.

After this, if everyone is in agreement that counselling could be of benefit, further sessions will be arranged, and a contract to work together will be signed.