Sarah Burley

Are you worried about your child or teenager?
Are you noticing self-harm, school avoidance, overwhelming anxiety, ADHD or autism struggles or struggles around bedtime, friendships, exam anxiety or family life? Perhaps your young person can’t quite explain what’s wrong — only that everything feels too much. Or perhaps they are suffering with overwhelming intrusive thoughts or phobias. 

Many parents tell me they feel exhausted, helpless, or unsure how to support their child while trying to keep everything else going. You may be watching your young person survive day to day, rather than truly thrive, and wondering how to help them feel safe, confident, and hopeful again.

As a specialist child and young person psychotherapist and counsellor, I offer a calm, confidential, and compassionate space where children and young people can explore their thoughts and feelings at their own pace. I work gently and collaboratively, helping them make sense of what they are experiencing, develop emotional resilience, and find healthier ways to cope — while also supporting parents to feel reassured and informed throughout the process.

Together, we can try to figure it out and can work through what’s happening, try to find a way together that makes things feel lighter, and hopefully easier to cope. Perhaps we will create more space for self-compassion, some clarity, or even space for joy.

As well as many other areas, I have experience working with anxiety, low mood, self-harm, emotional regulation, school-related difficulties, neurodivergence and family transitions, and I adapt my approach to meet each young person’s individual needs.

How we can work together

We can sit and talk in the standard fashion that we might see on TV, or we can explore with creative materials - we might decorate a mask, or create a wall of thoughts. We might make a creative family tree or maybe we will just play some Uno or a game of chess whilst we figure out what’s happening for you. 

Sitting still is optional - we can play catch if the thought of sitting still for yet another hour of the day is unbearable.

Maybe the fidget toys and squishy balls are a helpful distraction whilst we talk, or maybe the sand tray or tub of Orbeeze create some sensory peace.

Or if all of that sounds too much and you just want a warm and welcoming space where you feel heard and not judged - I’m here for that too.

For parents and carers

As a parent/carer, maybe you are feeling you have tried everything and are not sure where to turn, you just want them to feel ok, to be having fun and enjoying life, or maybe just to see them want to leave the house would be enough.

For young people

As a young person maybe there is an adult in your life or a friend, or a teacher or someone who thinks, ‘it will all be much easier if you just do x,y and z’, however, as well meaning as they intend to be, perhaps it doesn’t work for you, you might feel nothing works for you, maybe it feels like no-one can help, maybe you feel stuck, maybe someone wants to help ‘fix’ you? I’m not here to ‘fix’ you, but I’ll be alongside you, working out what you want, what you need and how we can move forward or sideways or whichever way it is you need to move.

For adults

If you are an adult that finds face to face talking too overwhelming, and would quite like to play a game of Uno or use creative materials whilst talking through what brings you to therapy, I’m here for that too.

My approach

As a primarily ‘person-centred’ neurodivergent-friendly therapist, that means therapy is centred around you as an individual, we will work at your pace, I won’t be forcing you to reach places you aren’t ready for, but if you need a nudge, I’ll happily do so.

This is your space, your time, your story and if you are ready (or even if you are unsure and a bit hesitant), let’s give it a go, see how it feels, try something different and maybe, you might start to feel something different.

After an initial telephone conversation to discuss any concerns, parents/carers are welcome to join the young person for the first session or if they prefer to attend alone, that is fine too. The space will then be confidential for the young person, to help create a safe space for them. 

About me

With many years experience of working with young people from the very young to those in their 20’s, all age groups and all issues they are facing are welcome. I have a lot of experience and a special interest in neurodiversity and have spent a lot of time researching connections between school absence and autism. Having worked supporting young adults at Hills Road College in Cambridge, several years in my role as school counsellor in a secondary school, and working with young children in early years and primary, I have a wealth of experience with children and young people and the challenges they face at all ages. From running exam anxiety workshops to coaching junior hockey to being beaten at chess by 10 year olds, supporting children and young people is something I am passionate about.

Coming soon - online therapy using Minecraft - bringing therapy to those who find therapy hard to reach - enquire if this is something of interest to you.

Initial Session

Feeling comfortable with your therapist or feeling comfortable leaving your child is something that I recognise as hugely important when choosing a therapist. After the initial contact, we will work together to arrange the first session that both child/young person and perhaps parent/carer are happy with.

Sessions are £80.00 and last for 50 minutes. There are limited lower cost sessions available, please contact me if this is an option you would like to discuss.

Contact directly - sarah_counselling@myyahoo.com

Sessions are 50 minutes.

Free initial telephone consultation.

I also offer limited spaces for those with restricted budgets, please feel free to speak to me about availability of these.

Public liability and Professional Indemnity Insurance

Regular Supervision in line with BACP guidelines and adhere to their Ethical Framework for good practice.