About me
Counselling for Parents of Struggling Teens & Young Adults facing Anxiety, Depression, Trauma & Eating Difficulties.
Watching your child struggle can feel heart-breaking, frightening and deeply isolating. You may be carrying constant worry, feeling emotionally exhausted, questioning whether you're doing enough, or simply feeling unsure how best to help while trying to manage everything else in your life.
I offer a calm, supportive space where you can talk openly, feel understood and begin to feel less alone in what you're carrying.
I'm Zena, a BACP-registered integrative psychotherapeutic counsellor with extensive experience across NHS Counselling for Depression services, trauma and mental health work, secondary school counselling, crisis intervention and bereavement support.
I support parents whose teenagers or young adults are experiencing anxiety, depression, emotional overwhelm, low self-esteem, eating difficulties, self-harm, school or college difficulties, and wider emotional distress.
When a child is struggling, the impact is often felt across the whole family. Parents frequently tell me they feel helpless, anxious, stretched to their limits, and unsure how best to respond. Therapy provides a space where your own thoughts, feelings and wellbeing can be given the attention they deserve.
Training, qualifications & experience
A significant part of my experience comes from working within busy secondary schools, supporting young people experiencing anxiety, depression, self-harm, eating difficulties, school refusal, trauma, identity struggles, neurodivergence and the pressures of academic, social and online life. This has given me a depth of understanding what young people may be experiencing internally and how confusing, distressing and overwhelming this can feel for the parents who care about them.
Before becoming a therapist, I spent 20 years working as a solicitor while also navigating family life, relationships and parenting. As a parent of young adults myself, I understand both the emotional weight parents carry and the difficulty of knowing how best to help when your child is struggling. I understand how easy it can be to put your own needs aside while focusing all your energy on everyone else.
Member organisations
BACP is one of the UK’s leading professional bodies for counselling and psychotherapy with around 60,000 members. The Association has several different categories of membership, including Student Member, Individual Member, Registered Member MBACP, Registered Accredited Member MBACP (Accred) and Senior Registered Accredited Member MBACP (Snr Acccred). Registered and accredited members are listed on the BACP Register, which shows that they have demonstrated BACP’s recommended standards for training, proficiency and ethical practice. The BACP Register was the first register of psychological therapists to be accredited by the Professional Standards Authority (PSA). Accredited and senior accredited membership are voluntary categories for members who choose to undertake a rigorous application and assessment process to demonstrate additional standards around practice, training and supervision. Individual members will have completed an appropriate counselling or psychotherapy course and started to practise, but they won’t appear on the BACP Register until they've demonstrated that they meet the standards for registration. Student members are still in the process of completing their training. All members are bound by the BACP Ethical Framework and a Professional Conduct Procedure.
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
Fees
£55.00 per session
Concessions offered for
Additional information
I tailor therapy to the individual rather than applying a one-size-fits-all approach.
My work is informed by person-centred, relational, psychodynamic and trauma-informed approaches. I am also trained in Person-Centred Experiential Counselling for Depression (PCE-CfD), a NICE-recommended and NHS-approved therapeutic model for working with depression and persistent low mood.
My approach focuses on helping clients develop greater emotional awareness, self-understanding, resilience and self-compassion, while finding practical ways to manage life's challenges and build lasting emotional wellbeing.
In-person counselling and psychotherapy, £70.00 per session
Online counselling and psychotherapy via secure video platform, £55.00 per session
Telephone counselling, £55.00 per session
I understand that cost can feel like a barrier. Please don’t let this stop you from reaching out. I’m happy to discuss fees that work for your situation.
My first session
I offer a free 20-minute introductory telephone or online consultation. This gives us an opportunity to discuss what is bringing you to therapy, for you to ask any questions you may have, and for us to explore whether we feel like the right fit for working together.
Taking the step to reach out takes courage. I’m here alongside you.
If you decide to proceed, our first session will focus on understanding you. Your goals for therapy and what you hope to gain from counselling. There is no pressure to share more than feels comfortable. We will work at a pace that feels right for you. I look forward to hearing from you.
