Parents often reach out because something feels off, even if they can’t quite name it yet. Counselling may be helpful if your child or teenager is experiencing:

• Ongoing worry, anxiety or low mood

• Big emotions, meltdowns, or emotional shutdown

• Changes in behaviour, sleep or relationship to food

• School-related stress, avoidance or emotional distress

• Difficulties with friendships, confidence or self-esteem

• A child who struggles to talk about what’s going on

• A teenager who seems withdrawn, overwhelmed or under pressure

• A child or teenager with a diagnosed or suspected eating disorder

You don’t need to have all the answers before getting in touch. If you’re unsure whether counselling is the right next step, we can talk things through together and think about what would best support your child.

Young people often walk away from my therapy room with the following:

• Feeling heard, understood, and less alone with worries or big feelings

• Developing practical tools to manage anxiety, anger, low mood, or overwhelm

• Growing confidence in expressing thoughts and emotions safely

• Better understanding of what’s going on inside and why certain feelings or behaviours are showing up

• Improved emotional regulation, coping skills, and resilience

• Feeling calmer, more settled, and better able to cope day to day

• Stronger sense of self-worth and identity

• Support to navigate change, loss, friendships, family difficulties or school pressures.

I am child lead, which means I follow your childs lead with what they’d like to explore and how they would like to express this, e.g. purely talking or utilising play and creative techniques.

I adapt my approach depending on your child’s biological and developmental age, specific needs and preferences.

With younger children, it’s likely that play therapy is required as a means of communication. Particularly with primary age children, play is their means of communication, processing and how they make sense of the world.

There is an abundance of research that shows that when done therapeutically, play leads to processing, regulation and growth.

With older children, it’s likely sessions involve more talking therapy, with creative approaches offered when helpful.

As a parent myself, I don’t underestimate the trust you are putting in me to work with your child.

As such, I take a family approach to therapy and understand the importance of parental involvement.

Before I start sessions with your child, I have a full hour consultation with the parent(s) or guardians. This is to help you get to know me more as well as to provide me with more information and context for your child’s current needs.

Due to confidentiality, it is of course up to your child how much they share with you, but I do welcome check ins and any questions parents have on progress. I then consult with your child to provide an answer they feel comfortable with.

After every 6 sessions we have a review of the counselling process. This is to ensure the process is helpful for your child and to determine if they want to continue with sessions.

Parents/Guardians are invited into the therapy room towards the end of every 6th session to take part in this review, and to give your child the opportunity to feed anything back to you. Again, your child will be in charge of how much, if anything is shared with you.

However, if anything comes up during sessions that concerns me, I will discuss it with you immediately after the session.

Sessions are held in my beautifully renovated caravan which is fully kitted out with a variety of games, toys, creative materials and sand tray equipment.

The caravan is situated in Copmanthorpe, York. There is ample parking on site as well as being well serviced by local bus routes.

My fees are £70 with concessions available on request.

My availability is Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday.