About me
About Me
I’m Holly, an Integrative Child and Adolescent Counsellor and Therapeutic Wellbeing Practitioner, supporting children, teenagers and young adults aged 4–25.
You may be a parent concerned about your child or teenager, or a young adult looking for support for yourself. I offer a warm, accepting space where you or your child can explore what is happening and feel listened to without judgement.
How I Can Help
I support children, teenagers and young adults experiencing difficulties including anxiety, emotional overwhelm, low mood, low self-esteem, school or education difficulties, relationships, identity, neurodivergence, trauma and periods of change.
With children and teenagers, I can help them understand and express emotions that may be difficult to put into words, while developing practical ways to manage difficult feelings. Where appropriate, I can also work alongside parents, carers, schools and other professionals.
For young adults, counselling offers a confidential space to explore what is happening in your life, understand yourself and your experiences more fully, and find ways forward that feel right for you.
My Approach
I work integratively, adapting counselling to the individual rather than expecting one approach to suit everyone.
Talking is only one way of working. Depending on age and individual needs, sessions may include therapeutic play, creativity, sensory activities, mindfulness, practical emotional regulation strategies or nature-based therapy.
Outdoor therapy is available for children, teenagers and young adults and may include nature-based activities, spending time outdoors or walk-and-talk sessions.
My practice is neurodiversity-affirming and trauma-informed, and I aim to work collaboratively in ways that feel comfortable, respectful and meaningful to each person.
Face-to-face sessions are offered in St Leonards-on-Sea, with online counselling also available for older teenagers and young adults.
Training, qualifications & experience
Experience
I have over 24 years' experience supporting children, young people and adults across educational, therapeutic and community settings in the UK and internationally.
A significant part of my experience has been working within schools, including both state and independent settings. I have provided one-to-one counselling and wellbeing support, groups and drop-in services, and have helped establish wellbeing services within two independent schools.
I have also worked with ISEND Teaching and Learning Provision within East Sussex, supporting children and young people who were unable to access traditional education because of emotional, mental health or physical health needs. My role involved providing adapted educational support, including home visits, and working with young people and families where school had become difficult or impossible to access.
This gave me valuable experience of supporting young people experiencing Emotionally Based School Avoidance (EBSA), school-related anxiety and the wider emotional impact that prolonged absence from education can have.
My experience also extends to working with adults, including supporting difficulties around eating, body image and the relationship between food, emotions and wellbeing. This broader experience informs my work with older teenagers and young adults as they navigate the transition into adulthood.
Across these different settings, I have developed a strong understanding of the pressures that can affect children and young people at different stages of life. I also understand the importance of working collaboratively with parents, carers, schools and other professionals where appropriate, while keeping the individual client's needs at the centre.
Qualifications & Professional Training
My core professional training includes:
- Diploma in Counselling Teenagers – Institute for Arts in Therapy and Education
- Level 6 Diploma in Wellbeing Practice for Children, Adolescents and their Families - Institute for Arts in Therapy and Education.
I have also undertaken specialist training in areas particularly relevant to my work with children and young people, including: trauma, neurodiversity, emotional regulation, bereavement, mindfulness, therapeutic play, creative approaches and nature-based practice. Some examples of such are:
- Children's Accelerated Trauma Technique (CATT),
- Neurodiversity specialist training through PESI,
- Training with Child Bereavement UK,
- Walk and Talk Eco-Therapy training
- Rhythm to Recovery. Using drumming and music to build emotional wellbeing
I am a Registered Member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (MBACP) and work in accordance with the BACP Ethical Framework. I undertake regular clinical supervision and continuing professional development.
Member organisations
BACP is one of the UK’s leading professional bodies for counselling and psychotherapy with around 60,000 members. The Association has several different categories of membership, including Student Member, Individual Member, Registered Member MBACP, Registered Accredited Member MBACP (Accred) and Senior Registered Accredited Member MBACP (Snr Acccred). Registered and accredited members are listed on the BACP Register, which shows that they have demonstrated BACP’s recommended standards for training, proficiency and ethical practice. The BACP Register was the first register of psychological therapists to be accredited by the Professional Standards Authority (PSA). Accredited and senior accredited membership are voluntary categories for members who choose to undertake a rigorous application and assessment process to demonstrate additional standards around practice, training and supervision. Individual members will have completed an appropriate counselling or psychotherapy course and started to practise, but they won’t appear on the BACP Register until they've demonstrated that they meet the standards for registration. Student members are still in the process of completing their training. All members are bound by the BACP Ethical Framework and a Professional Conduct Procedure.
Accredited register membership
The Accredited Register Scheme was set up in 2013 by the Department of Health (DoH) as a way to recognise organisations that hold voluntary registers which meet certain standards. These standards are set by the Professional Standards Authority (PSA).
This therapist has indicated that they belong to an Accredited Register.
Areas of counselling I deal with
Other areas of counselling I deal with
Other areas of counselling I deal with
I have particular experience supporting young people experiencing Emotionally Based School Avoidance (EBSA), school-related anxiety and the emotional impact of difficult experiences within education.
I also have experience supporting young people who are exploring questions around their identity, including young people questioning their gender or exploring their sexuality. I offer a space where they can talk openly about who they are, how they are feeling and any uncertainty or pressures they may be experiencing, without judgement or expectation.
Alongside my work with children and young people, I have also supported adults experiencing eating disorders, difficulties with body image and food-related concerns, including food addiction. This experience has given me a broader understanding of the complex relationship between emotions, self-image, behaviour and wellbeing.
I also support young people through periods of change and transition, including changes in family circumstances, friendships, school or education, and other experiences that may affect their sense of identity and wellbeing.
Therapies offered
Photos & videos
Fees
£60.00 per session
Additional information
Your First Step
Finding the right counsellor is important, so I offer a free 20-minute discovery call for prospective clients and parents/carers.
It’s an informal opportunity to tell me a little about what is happening, ask any questions and get a sense of whether I might be the right person to support you or your young person. There is no obligation to book counselling afterwards.
Booking your call
You can book a free discovery call through my online booking system by choosing a day and time that works for you. Alternatively, you are very welcome to email me to arrange a suitable time.
The call takes place via Zoom.
What happens next?
If you decide you would like to continue, I’ll guide you through the next steps.
For children and teenagers, this usually includes a referral form and an initial parent/carer consultation so that I can understand the wider picture before meeting your young person.
Young adults aged 18–25 can contact me and begin counselling independently; no parent or carer involvement is required.
Initial sessions give us time to get to know one another, explore what support is needed and make sure that working together feels right.
If we decide to continue, we will usually begin with an initial block of six weekly 50-minute sessions and review how things are going together.
Further information
Working with Parents & Carers
Parents and carers can be an important part of supporting a child or teenager’s wellbeing. Before counselling begins, I usually offer a parent/carer consultation so that I can understand the wider picture, including relevant history and any concerns you may have.
Once counselling begins, parents and carers are not routinely part of sessions. Children and young people need a space where they can build trust, express themselves and develop a sense of ownership over their counselling.
I maintain appropriate communication with parents and carers and, where helpful, we can discuss ways to support your young person outside of sessions. For younger children, a parent or carer may be involved initially while they settle, and additional involvement may sometimes be appropriate depending on the young person’s needs or level of risk.
Confidentiality
Confidentiality is an important part of the therapeutic relationship and helps children, teenagers and young adults feel able to talk openly.
For clients aged 18 and over, counselling is confidential and parents or carers are not involved unless you would like them to be or there is a safeguarding or legal reason for information to be shared.
For children and teenagers, I explain confidentiality in an age-appropriate way and discuss with parents/carers how communication will work before counselling begins.
If I have significant concerns about a client’s safety or the safety of someone else, information may need to be shared in line with my professional and legal responsibilities. Wherever possible, I will discuss this with the client first.
