Counselling for Children & Young People
For older children and young people aged 8 - 18, who may be developmentally ready to process their troubling feelings and thoughts. 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.
It can be a very difficult emotional path to navigate for many young people. Extra pressures such as family difficulties, can impact negatively on this challenging process of ‘flying the nest’. We help this journey, by providing a deeply caring, accepting and therapeutic relationship. Which in turn will have a significant positive impact on helping navigate this path safely. We will also signpost to other helpful services and resources where appropriate.
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?
We work with the chid/young person to become more resilient and more able to express themselves. We support them to understand, accept and manage their feelings. We work with them to help them explore their own needs and how it feels for them when these needs are not met. Supporting them to work through their original difficulty and their automatic responses to uncomfortable issues. This enables them to feel happier, more confident and more their true selves. Whilst also having a better understanding of 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 and 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.
