Louise Parfett

Hello and Welcome, I am a qualified and registered Child, Adolescent & Family Psychotherapist offering Psychotherapy, both short and long term to all ages. I am also a qualified EMDR therapist.

You may be considering seeking help and guidance through psychotherapy or counselling. Talking about your situation and feelings confidentially in therapy can help you work through difficulties and cope better, so that you can feel happier and begin to see a new perspective and a way forwards.

Within therapy I work with clients to facilitate insight, growth and lasting change that can be integrated into your way of life. I work in an integrative, attachment informed and psychodynamic way offering both long and short-term therapy online and in person. 

I have been working for over 30 years in varied roles within Education and Care, Mental Health, the NHS and in Business.

I have experience in working with a range of difficulties including anxiety and depression, loss, complex trauma, physical, sexual and emotional abuse, relationship and attachment difficulties, neglect and with serious mental health difficulties.

I work in person or online with:

Adolescents/Teenagers/Young Adults

Young people today may face more pressures than ever before and many go through challenging and stressful times at school, university, at home and at work.

Relationships may be challenging with peers, family and colleagues and also with oneself. Feelings of anxiety and depression may be experienced. Personal identity, confidence, self esteem and relationship issues are often at the forefront of challenges faced during this time in life. It is also a time of huge potential for personal growth, development and change.

Over time, through our therapeutic relationship and the work we do together, clients may experience the positive impact of increased self-awareness, emotional regulation and gain a deeper understanding, new perspective, insight and way forwards towards healthier behaviours, healthier relationships and improved future well-being.

Initially, it can be helpful to have a few sessions together to get a sense of the main issues which have brought you to consider therapy. We can then think about what might help best and work through different issues so that you can start to feel better.

EMDR may be recommended and used to help with traumatic memories of past events that still cause distress.

Parents and Carers

I offer consultations and work with parents/carers and when experiencing varying difficulties. Some parents may have concerns about their child/teenager and are looking for parental support and guidance. As part of parent consultations I aim to offer insight and support in what may be going on at a deeper level as a one off or 'as and when needed' appointments, to help you support yourself, family and child/teenager better through life’s difficulties.

Initial appointments are for 1.5 hours, and 50 mins thereafter. These are an opportunity to discuss at length your child/ teenager, what might be happening at home and the impact on you and your family. These appointments offer an opportunity to gain deeper insight into those difficulties and allow us to think together about the most helpful ways forward.

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Younger Children

I use play as a vehicle for the therapy for young children as this is how children naturally process their lives, experiences and feelings. Building a trusting relationship may take a little time before deeper work can be done to help children process and make sense of their life, feelings and difficulties. This can help a child move forward in all areas of development and build better future relationships.

I am trained in child development, alongside my psychotherapy work that includes a child developmental model. I also have extensive experience in working with children/ teenagers who may have additional needs and areas of developmental delay during my work as a SENCO. In my psychotherapy work, I aim to help develop and improve the personal, social and emotional aspects of a child or teenagers life.

I have an inclusive practice and view of the world, believing every individual's mental health matters and have respect for the individuality and diversity of each client and their families views and beliefs.

I usually work in a number of stages with younger children:

1. Initial consultation

This provides an opportunity to get to know each other, where you can discuss your concerns about your child fully and ask questions. I will take down a developmental history and also ask some questions about you/ your child/teenager and family life to help me understand the context of difficulties better and the therapeutic work needed. I understand that entrusting me to work with your young child may be a big step.

2. Therapeutic assessment

Weekly, or sometimes twice weekly (if there is a crisis or acute difficulty), therapy sessions commence, where I will formulate a fuller assessment of difficulties and needs. After 3-6 sessions, I usually then meet with parents again, sometimes also with the child/ teenager present, to discuss my assessment and to chat about the therapy and support within the family that may be needed. With older teenagers this may be discussed within the 1:1 sessions directly without parents.

3. Therapy plan

We then agree a therapy plan. This may be short term: perhaps a further 8-12 sessions to focus on a particular issue or we might work in a more open ended or long term way, to get them back on their natural path of healthy emotional development. This will depend on individually assessed needs.

Young people will usually be moving through developmental stages at a rapid pace. Their ability to change and adapt can be considerable. Short-term therapy to identify what has been causing the problems and developing solutions that work for them, may be all that they need.

To maximise the impact of the therapy whilst working with your child individually, or alongside parents, I might suggest seeing you as parents separately to discuss routines, strategies and relational support that might help within the family.

4. Reviews

It is helpful to review progress together regularly (at least once a school term) and discuss your child and family, their therapy and make any necessary adjustments.

Please reach out by sending me an email, we can then arrange a time for a brief phone conversation to see if I  think I may be able to help and if you think we could work together. This is when we can also arrange the first appointment. 

 Therapy appointments/sessions are usually weekly at the same day and time and are for 50mins.

Parent Consultations £120- As required. The first appointment will last up to 1.5 hours (£150)

Therapy Intensives - please enquire about a Full or Half day. These can be helpful for teenagers during holidays/ people with limited time who would like to intensively work on particular difficulties. Intensives may also be useful over a short period of time (i.e. 1-3 weeks) and may include EMDR. 

Therapeutic Coaching - programme of 6 sessions - please enquire

Please feel free to get in touch with me for more information by email louisep147@gmail.com