K. Lea Schmitt-Eschle

Sometimes life can be difficult. Not only we as parents but also our children and young people can go through phases where not everything is going to plan. And sometimes those challenging situations can become especially difficult for our children. They might react by becoming angry, anxious, withdrawn, a bit more challenging or develop difficulties at school. Sometimes they also struggle to find good friends, put themselves at risk or their physical health becomes affected. Often this happens because they have not found a way to understand, express and process their feelings. Considering counselling for your child might be daunting, but in these situations it is really useful to support our children to make sense of what is happening for them. The affordable counselling and therapeutic support I offer can help with the children's and young people's problems at hand and it is also effective if the difficulties your child encounters have become more serious.

In my counselling sessions I offer children and young people with a variety of difficulties an opportunity to express themselves through creative arts media such as clay, paint, role play, puppetry, sand tray work as well as reflective dialogue. I provide an integrative approach combining aspects of play therapy, psychotherapeutically informed support, newest neuroscientific research and young people's counselling.

By exploring the themes that matter to them in a playful, methaphoric way we find ways to understand and work through feelings, address worries and anxieties and gently find a way to cope better with what is happening for your child or teen. Working through the themes with the help of toys or art materials often makes it easier to connect with the issues at hand because it does not make it necessary to speak directly about their concerns at first. The aim is for them to to feel heard and understood and thus to slowly be enabled to work through their difficulties. This is how they learn to make sense of their motivations and circumstances and begin to develop more effective coping strategies. This can also help address more serious mental health problems like self harm. eating disorders, anxiety, depression obsessive or oppositional defiant behavior.

I meet every child and in their own world and aim to accompany them through this journey. I offer a safe, confidential and non-judgemental space in my home clinic in Brentwood within easy reach from Brentwood station where I have a fully equipped play room/therapy room available. I have experience in long term and short term counselling and am able to adapt the length of our work to the needs of your child.

My dedication to this work is reflected in the extensive training I have taken over the years: My qualifications include an MA in Child Psychiatry and Social Psychology (FRG), a Postgraduate Certificate in Integrative Child Psychotherapy Studies, a Diploma in Child Counselling and a Diploma in the Application of Art in Therapy and Education. My training has provided me with a deep understanding of the psychology and neurobiology of child mental health and I am trained in the assessment, diagnosis, management and therapeutic intervention in the work with children.

It is likely that you are looking for support at a difficult time. Please do not hesitate to get in touch if you think I could be of any help. I offer a first assessment for 20 £. We can then arrange an initial session to see how that feels for you and your child and decide on a way forward.

£45 per session.

I am able to provide counselling sessions in English and German.