About me
About me
I am a highly specialist psychoanalytic Child and Adolescent Psychotherapist working with children, adolescents and young adults (aged 0-25), their families and carers as well as with the networks that support them (teachers, social workers, health visitors, doctors, nursery staff and youth workers).
I have been working in various capacities with children, adolescents and their families for over 30 years. This has included working in children’s centres, schools, sports clubs, music and arts centres, as well as specialist inpatient units for young people with eating disorders. For the last 12 years, I have been working as child and adolescent psychotherapist in specialist CAMHS and adolescent teams.
I work compassionately and understand that each child, young person and their family or carers have different needs. I therefore tailor my approach to develop a unique treatment plan for each young person and family..
Depending on need, I may see a child or young person individually, or with their parents/ carers or other family members. I also see parents or carers without the young person being present.
Who might be helped?
I work with and am able to treat a wide range of difficulties faced by children and young people. For example:
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Behaviour difficulties
- Bullying
- Hyperactivity
- Low self esteem
- Self-harm
- Post traumatic symptoms
- Emotional difficulties associated with ADHD, ASD and other neurodiversity.
- In work with under-fives, I might help parents and infants to overcome difficulties around sleeping, aggressive outbursts and tantrums.
- In work with older children, I see those who are experiencing problems with peer relationships, are lacking in confidence, anxious, experiencing low mood or who are demonstrating very challenging or dysregulated behaviour.
- In work with adolescents and young adults, I treat young people who have eating disorders, who self-harm, who are depressed or anxious or who suffer from insecurity and a lack of confidence.
- One of my specialisms is working with care experienced children who have gone through significant trauma, separation and are struggling to settle into their new families.
- I have also worked extensively with parents who are struggling to understand or be with their child’s challenging behaviours (particularly when they reach adolescents).
Ways of being seen
- Individual once weekly psychotherapy - where the child is seen individually (this can be short or long term). To help gain understanding of emotions, relationships, entrenched behaviours and to contain anxieties.
- Parent-Infant work (under 5’s) - parent and infant seen together to improve emotional bonding, interaction patterns, and early relational difficulties.
- Parent/ carer work - Parents are seen without their child. To help gain a better understanding of their child, their behaviours and ways of relating to them.
- Family work - The family are seen all together and focuses on the relational patterns and dynamics shared among family members that are sometimes acted out without the family’s knowledge.
- Short-Term Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy (STPP) - A manualised approach of up to 28 sessions designed for adolescents with depression
- Consultation to networks - Work with teachers, social workers, health visitors, doctors, nursery staff and youth workers etc. to understand the child's behaviour and improve the surrounding support system.
How long do I work for?
I work with children, young people and their parents or carers for short-term (from a one-off consultation to an agreed number of set sessions ) or, when needed, long term interventions where I offer ongoing weekly sessions over several years.
What is psychoanalytic child and adolescent psychotherapy?
Psychoanalytic psychotherapy is an evidence-based, specialised treatment for individuals up to age 25, focusing on understanding the unconscious, emotional, and psychological difficulties underlying behaviour. It uses play, drawing, and talking to help young people process complex emotions, reducing distress and improving developmental, social, and relational functioning.
The approach and what to expect
The approach of Child and Adolescent Psychotherapists seeks to look beneath the surface of difficult emotions, behaviours and relationships to help children, adolescents and their families to understand themselves and their problems. They are trained to carefully observe what a child or young person might be communicating non-verbally through their behaviour and play.
Confused, frightened, hurt, angry or painful feelings can gradually be put into words rather than actions. As a result, the child can begin to express their emotions in less disturbed ways and start to return to the normal process of child development. They are likely to feel less anxious, more able to learn and better equipped to sustain friendships
I would normally begin with some meetings to gain a better understanding of the child/ young person and family, to hear their concerns and to see if they respond well to this form of treatment. Depending on age this normally lasts between two to six meetings.
In individual sessions, younger children tend not to talk directly about difficult things but usually communicate through play using the toys provided. Older children may also play or draw whilst teenagers and young adults tend to talk about their thoughts and feelings. I see infants and parents together to think about their patterns of interaction. The work I do with parents/ carers may focus on helping them make sense of their child’s behaviour as well as exploring different possibilities in parenting styles. It may also help them think about how their own issues might interfere with their ability to parent. Often it is helpful for parents to get support from another clinician whilst their child or young person is being seen.
Training, qualifications & experience
I am a Doctor of child and Adolescent Psychotherapy (DChPsychPsych) and am registered through the ACP (Association of Child Psychotherapists)
I have been working in various capacities with children, adolescents and their families for over 30 years. This has included working in children’s centres, schools, sports clubs, music and arts centres, as well as specialist inpatient units for young people with eating disorders. For the last 12 years, I have been working as child and adolescent psychotherapist in specialist CAMHS and adolescent teams.
I completed my Doctoral training at the Tavistock and Portman, a world-renowned mental health clinic and training centre. I published my doctoral research thesis, where I explored experiences of hope and hopelessness in therapeutic relationships.
During all of my time of working as a child and adolescent psychotherapist, I have worked in NHS CAMHS teams (child and adolescent mental health services), working with children who are care experienced, have gone through significant trauma and present with complex and challenging behaviour. As well as this I worked for over 9 years in specialist adolescent and young adult services.
I also work as a lecturer, academic tutor and supervisor on various courses including the doctoral child and adolescent training course at the Tavistock and Portman.
Member organisations
The ACP is the registering body for NHS trained Child and Adolescent Psychotherapists. ACP members undergo a minimum 6 year training; two years at Masters level then 4 years full-time clinical in the NHS qualifying in a Doctorate Level course. Full members are able to work with neonates, mothers & babies, parents & toddlers, primary school age children & adolescents. Accredited by the Professional Standards Authority.
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
Therapies offered
Fees
£120.00 per session
Additional information
For longer term treatments the fee can be thought about together.
