Dr Hugh Milburn

 About me 
 
I am a highly experienced Consultant Clinical Psychologist and Child & Family Psychotherapist with over thirty years experience working with Children, Adolescence (CAMHS), Families and Adult mental well being. My clinical services are based in Hastings and provide on-line in Brighton. I provide psychological clinical services to help with psychological distress such as anxiety, low mood, poor self-esteem, and relationship problems. I have specialist experience in working with children and adolescence. I offer a friendly, flexible and holistic approach, providing a range of therapeutic interventions tailored to the individual's or families' needs.
 

Approach

 I use an integrative approach incorporating evidenced-based psychological models including psychodynamic, systemic psychotherapy and play therapy. I have also trained as a Systemic Family Therapist, which means as well as seeing individuals, I can see families and couples. 
 
The foundation of my therapeutic approach relies on establishing a trusting and secure relationship within the therapeutic encounter, creating a safe space for exploration and personal change.

 About Therapy for Adults When do people come to therapy?

People come to therapy for a variety or reasons, including unhappiness in their work, family life or intimate relationships, troubles with their children or problematic behaviour patterns that interfere with personal happiness. Therapy can be useful for people who are coping with many different types of problems, whether grieving a loss, going through a divorce or struggling with a difficult boss.

How do I work with clients?

Every individual is unique and faces unique challenges. My first and foremost goal with clients is to listen and learn to understand them. Together, we may explore emotions and behaviours and the factors that drive them. We may learn about what creates unhappiness or low self-esteem, why personal relationships aren’t more satisfying, or what causes difficulties with work, relationships or family.

After several meetings we will discuss your current situation, talk about what we can accomplish together and think about what therapeutic approach would be best for you.

How does psychotherapy work?

Psychotherapy can help you gain a deeper understanding of yourself, your relationships and the things that matter most to you. It starts from learning to listen to your feelings and  thoughts in new ways. Over time, therapy helps you to understand patterns of behaviour that may interfere with reaching your goals, examine how these patterns may have developed, and develop ways of making effective choices – the ones that feel right for you and that lead to greater satisfaction and fulfilment.

In therapy, we can often begin to notice patterns of behaviour that repeat themselves and get in the way of personal progress. Often, relationships we’ve had in the past can have a profound and enduring influence on our current perceptions, feelings, and behaviour. Sometimes it can be very helpful to examine and begin to understand the root causes for certain behaviours — what are the factors that contribute to how we currently think and feel about ourselves and others? Similarly, it is equally important to focus on learning new coping mechanisms and developing effective reflective capacities for meeting current-day challenges.

 About Therapy for Children and Teens How do I know if my child needs therapy?

Children and adolescents can benefit from therapy for different reasons– whether, for example, they are going through a significant transition, have experienced a loss or other stress, or are struggling with a chronic illness or show signs of depression or anxiety. Often children can’t express directly how worried or sad they might be feeling. You might notice changes in their mood or behaviour, such as increased irritability, withdrawal from friends, family or decreased participation in activities, signs of in attention or distractibility in school, or disturbances in eating or sleeping. Teens may withdraw or turn to alcohol or drugs. Often, changes in a child are subtle — they may just feel out of sorts or not themselves. Talking to a therapist can help a child recognize and better understand their feelings, and gain some ways of coping in handling their stress.

What should I expect when I consult with a child therapist?

The role of the child therapist is to evaluate the child, understand the roots of the presenting difficulties, and formulate recommendations for intervention. When I first evaluate a child, I will ask for your help in learning as much as I can about your child’s development, including g a detailed history and current events in your child’s life. With careful listening and gathering detailed information, I will begin to try to understand the root causes of your child’s difficulties. For me, the collaboration with parents is the most essential element in a success of a child’s treatment. Often, I may recommend on-going therapy and parent guidance. Sometimes, this might be done in collaboration with other professionals involved with the child, such as the paediatrician, and teachers. At times, further evaluation, such as neuropsychological testing, might be recommended as well.

What is play therapy?

For young children, play is a natural medium to explore their conflicts fears and worries, their wishes and hopes. In the context of a comfortable setting and an empathic and warm therapist, the child may use familiar items such as dolls, blocks, and art tools and play figures to develop play themes that get enriched over time. As the therapist, I consider that my job is to play close attention to the themes and patterns that emerge and gradually help the child better understand and cope with feelings of worry, hurt or anger.

What is the parents’ role in the child’s treatment?

When I see young children, I like to meet with their parents on a regular basis in collaboration. It is a time to put our heads together in the service of helping the child work through difficulties, better manage feelings and impulses, and learn more effective ways of coping with stress. Parents know their child best and provide valuable insight, while the therapist can help shed light on the child’s distress or difficult to manage behaviours.

What about therapy with teens?

Teens benefit tremendously from building a relationship with a therapist that is emotionally supportive, compassionate and confidential. When I start working with a teen, I generally let them know that what we talk about is private, although there are some limits — for example, if they or someone they know is in immediate danger. Often, working with teens involves helping them learn to communicate more effectively with their family. For teens, finding “the right fit”– a therapist they feel comfortable with, which doesn’t judge or criticize — is the most essential ingredient to whether therapy is successful.