Children, Young People and Families
Individuals under the age of 18 fall into the Children & Young People category but we understand that maturity, independence, and capacity will vary enormously within this group, and many people over the age of 18 will also benefit from services with a family-oriented approach. Equally, individuals 16+ can receive therapy via our adult services. Adult consultations are bookable online. The option you choose may be dependent on the level of support needed by the individual. You are welcome to talk this through with a member of the team to help you decide which approach is best.
What we offer: Our current children and young people therapists are trained in Art Therapy, Creative Arts Therapy, Clinical Psychology, Child and Adolescent Psychotherapy, and Family Therapy. Their profiles are linked below.
Children and Young People's Therapy: Therapy provides a private and safe space for children and young people to share their difficulties and explore their internal and external worlds. Talking to a trusted person can help them to feel unburdened. Play, drama and art can also offer creative tools as a language for a child / young person to express themselves.
Parent Therapy: If a child is having individual therapy, it is often helpful for the parent(s) to have some input alongside this. Parent work can be arranged in conjunction with children's sessions. Usually, a different therapist would work with the parents.
Family Therapy: Sometimes we recommend that the family have sessions together rather than individual therapy. It can often be helpful to talk through difficulties together and understand problems from the different perspectives of each family member. Working on communication and empathy between each other can aid a deeper understanding within families and help to work out ways forward with difficulties.
What we do not offer: We cannot offer diagnoses or diagnostic testing such as ADHD or ASD testing.
When you first contact us, we will offer a telephone consultation of up to 30 minutes to establish where the difficulties lie and if the capabilities and availability within our service meet your requirements. If it is clear at this stage that we are not the right service for you, we will do our best to signpost you to more appropriate services.
Important considerations during the assessment stage include:
Affordability: Therapy can represent a significant financial commitment. In the case of therapy for children and young people, additional sessions with the parents may be helpful. Where a child or young person is involved with other services such as mental health services or social care, communication or meetings with other professionals may be necessary. These interactions and any required report writing are likely to incur additional costs. We will want to establish who will be paying for these services and if they are realistically affordable.
- The cost of an initial telephone consultation of up to 30 minutes is £35.
- The cost of a full 50-minute assessment is £75.
- Ongoing sessions range from £70 to £90 depending on the qualifications and experience of the practitioner. Where 2 therapists are required for family work, the costs range from £140 to £180.
Communication and Consent: In the case of therapy for children and young people, we will usually want to speak with the parents, either with the child/young person or separately. We might also need to speak with other professionals involved in their care. This would need to be agreed by all parties.