Counselling for Children & Young People
For slightly older children and young people aged 8 - 18, who are developmentally ready to talk and think about their troubling feelings and thoughts, F&T may offer counselling. Through establishing a trusting relationship, we help them better understand and care for themselves, using a variety of enjoyable playful/creative activities as appropriate to each individual and age.
The primary aim of all our counselling work with children and young people is to increase their emotional resilience and regulation, to help them become more self-accepting and self-controlling, and ultimately to improve their views of themselves and the important people in their lives. identity, values, interests and questions related to who they are in the world and how they relate to others.
Our Approach
All of our counsellors at F&T are extremely skilled in assessing which specific type of intervention best suit the needs of each individual. Over a period of weeks, we work with the children and young people, providing a safe and confidential space. We may use: play, creative art and craft, role play, games and other approaches to help them understand what they are struggling with, and what is needed. We involve parents/carers of younger children in this process.
Being a young person can be a phase full of the complex task of developing identity and finding their place in the world and how they relate to others. It can be a very difficult emotional path to navigate for many young people, even more so when family difficulties impact negatively on this challenging process of ‘flying the nest’. We help this journey, by providing a deeply caring, accepting and therapeutic relationship, which can have a significant positive impact on helping navigate this path safely. We also signpost to other helpful services and resources.
How can counselling help?
In which they become more resilient, more able to express, understand, accept and manage their feelings to meet their needs and respond differently to whatever the original difficulties were. This enables them to feel happier, more confident and more their true selves, as well as a better understand how they can meet the needs of important others in their lives. We help parents/carers, where appropriate, to support and cope with the issues they are facing.
Young people are empowered to become more independent, more able to accept the perspectives of others, whilst increasing their self-esteem and improving their overall mental health and well-being. We can make this transitionary phase from child to adult, which can be incredibly distressing for young people and families, easier, safer and more positive, by strengthening relationships and easing the way forward.
