Since 2011, I have been working as a School Counsellor in primary schools in Brighton & Hove. I worked for 4 years with YMCA Dialogue's 'Families Plus Service' offering therapeutic support to children, younger people and families. I see children and younger people (age 4 to 25) for counselling with the Brighton & Hove Community Wellbeing Service (NHS). I see adults, couples, children and younger people in private practice at New Road Psychotherapy Centre. I have worked extensively with children in foster care and transitioning into adoptive placements.
Areas of special interest
- Early trauma and PTSD.
- Anxiety in children and younger people.
- Attachment disorders.
Working therapeutically with children
Children's natural way of expressing themselves, and processing life's challenges is through play, drawing or painting, or imaginative story telling. Being able to express difficult feelings alongside an attuned adult brings relief so that difficult feelings lose their negative power, allowing the child to assimilate and resolve conflicting emotions. This kind of counselling can introduce the child to a vocabulary for expressing feelings in a more direct and mature way.
I offer an initial assessment with parents/carers to discuss their child's presenting issues and to explore family history. I offer on-going support and consultation with parents during the course of their child's therapy and we can discuss practical strategies for use at home.
Further training
Cruse Bereavement Counselling; Survivors' Network (counselling survivors of sexual abuse); Place2Be training (counselling children in Primary schools); YMCA Dialogue training 'working therapeutically with families'