Latest articles on counselling and therapy

Developmental coordination disorder (DCD), also known as dyspraxia is thought to affect anywhere between five to 10% of the population in the UK. Whilst most commonly spoken about in relation to children (often alongside dyslexia), both adults and children can be affected by dyspraxia in a number of different ways.

Dyspraxia affects individuals motor coordination and can affect their general coordination. Varying between each person who experiences it, some find that the extent to which...

How often do you pay attention to the terms and conditions before ticking accept when you sign up to a new website or download a new app? The chances are, you glance through at best, or more likely, scroll past to that little checkbox at the very end. If that’s how many of us act online as ‘responsible adults’, how often do children and teens pay attention to what they're really signing up for?

As part of YoungMinds and The Children’s Society’s inquiry into net safety, they discovered...

Whether we like it or not, kids are going online sooner than we may think. With an ever changing digital landscape, it’s imperative that we make sure children and teens are equipped with the tools and know the right behaviours and expectations to keep them safe online.

Helping young people learn how to spot the warning signs that something may be wrong, and making sure they know where to turn if they feel uncomfortable or encounter something that upsets them is vital in helping them to...

Do you sometimes, as a parent, worry about your child? Is he/she ok? Have you noticed that your child has become more withdrawn? Do you know their friends? As parents in the last decade or so, we have more concerns about our child’s wellbeing than ever before. They are exposed to so many different platforms of social media, such as Snapchat, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube etc. There is a greater need for young people to be well liked, popular or be socially accepted. Young people turn to...

I sometimes think that every person who pursues a career in psychotherapy must have had a parent with a narcissistic personality. How else could our sixth sense have become so well tuned, our intuition so finely honed? The child of a narcissistic parent has to develop an extra awareness, an extra alertness to the slightest nuances of the parent's mood. He can "see" changes almost before they happen. In this way he learns to remain safe. Imagine the difficulties such a child must encounter...

We’ve all been there: that awful moment in a supermarket, the cinema, or a restaurant where no matter what we try, our child won’t stop screaming or crying as loud as they can. They can’t be reasoned with, and waiting it out can seem impossibly long, embarrassing, or just plain exhausting. Everybody worries about their child learning to control their emotions.

Helping kids learn how to deal with negative emotions doesn’t mean we are trying to stop them from feeling or expressing those...

Studies looking into the impact of school uniforms on mental health have shown, for the most part, that they are indeed beneficial. A study commissioned by the Schoolwear Association involved a number of student focus groups and was conducted with the intention of finding out their perceptions of wearing a uniform.

Feedback from the participants (aged 13-17) found that having a uniform meant they didn’t have to worry about what to wear each day and didn’t worry about being bullied by...

Routines can help us identify and tackle the little (or big) things that are causing friction or anxiety each morning before we head off to work or school, or in the evening when preparing for the next day. For example, getting ready the night before can take some of the stress out of your morning, allowing for a simpler routine focused on getting out the door and making it on time.

A regular routine can be reassuring, as family members know what to expect. It can also help build...

With A-level students due to collect their results on the 16th and GCSE results out on the 23rd, the next few weeks can be an anxious, stress-filled time for both teenagers and their families. Following the highly stressful weeks and months of mock exams, homework, and preparation, these in-between weeks can be an anxious time filled with nerves and what-ifs for not only the teens themselves but their parents and loved ones.

Taking this time to prepare before the big day can help not...