Psychotherapeutic Interventions for Young People

60 mins

“I believe the children are our future, teach them well and let them lead the way”.

Whitney Houston

As adults we recognise the many challenges we can face in navigating life’s difficulties and the need to access support for this when necessary. As parents we see the impact that adverse life events can have on our children, and understand the importance of accessing appropriate support for our young ones to explore these experiences in a safe environment with an objective, impartial, and trusted adult.

I offer talking therapies for young people, based on games, therapeutic activities, arts and crafts, mindfulness practices and the use of psycho-education to help young people understand their emotions, connecting to where they are felt in the body and how to express these emotions in a healthy way. I offer psychotherapeutic interventions for young people in order to empower them to manage their emotional health and well-being. I take a creative approach to my practice; using art-based approaches, such as using modelling clay, collages and other craft based activities as part of the therapeutic process to help engage young people using a medium they feel more comfortable with. For example, making clay ‘emotion monsters’ to externalise feelings of anxiety or anger. I also use therapeutic games, such as Jenga and other board games to develop their emotional literacy and using metaphors, such as a ‘first aid kit’ to identify coping strategies young people can use to help them manage their mental health more effectively.

My experience supporting others with their mental health has highlighted how important it is to raise awareness. I consider psycho-education and emotional literacy to be vital in raising awareness of young people’s inner resources to maintain their well-being and learn to regulate their emotions, in order to reduce the need to access specialist services. I strongly believe early intervention is essential for psychological well-being and building resiliency.

I have excellent interpersonal skills; my dynamic approach means I am able to communicate with adults and young people successfully by altering my language, tone, and pace of speech to fit the situation and to ensure mutual understanding. I can engage young people in the process of making improvements to their emotional health and well-being; and can confidently negotiate with young people, parents and other professionals regarding suggested support; e.g. when sharing concerns regarding self-harm and suicidal ideation with parents in order to safeguard a young person. I previously held the role of Deputy Safeguarding Officer whilst working for a charity in the UK so am appropriately skilled in this area.

Children don’t come with an instruction manual and whilst as parents we can deeply love and care for our children, we don’t always have the skills or resources to know how to support them when they are experiencing challenging thoughts, feelings and behaviours. Through talking therapy aimed at meeting a young person where they are at, children and young people are able to learn how to feel their feelings instead of supressing them, express their emotions safely, and communicate their wants and needs in a harmonious way to support themselves and their relationships with family and friends.

As a former Psychology Teacher, Mentoring Manager of a youth centre, and as a School Therapist I have a wealth of experience in supporting young people through the challenges they may be going through in their young life which are affecting their mental and emotional well-being. I am able to provide a safe and nurturing space for a young person to feel seen and heard in their experience, by building rapport, validating their emotions and assisting them in developing strategies and practices to regulate their emotions and nervous system; to bring positive changes to their mental, emotional and spiritual well-being, and their relationship to themselves, others and the world around them. I have experience of working with anxiety, panic attacks, low mood/depression, OCD, self harm, eating disorders, autistic spectrum disorders, gender identity questioning, family difficulties, bullying/friendship issues, past and present traumas/abuse, substance misuse, and learning to express anger in a healthy way.

I believe children have a wealth of untapped potential inside of them, which with nurturing support can be unmasked from under the layers of complex emotions and difficult situations they may be experiencing, which are preventing them from accessing their full capacities and capabilities that they came here to share with the world, and that we can learn so much from our children when they are given the right environment to thrive and explore the world safely, with appropriate guidance and support. Let’s let the children lead the way!

You are invited to attend a free 30 minute telephone consultation to explore the possibility of working with your son or daughter, to ask any questions you have, and to answer a some questions to assess the suitability of your child for 1-1 sessions.

Sessions will take place at my base in Rogil, lasting 1 hour, and parents are welcome to stay on site in an outdoor (covered) area, or perhaps visit a nearby beach or local cafe whilst waiting for your son or daughter.

Energy exchange: €60 for a 1 hour session.

Open to other exchange in services, products or produce, etc – contact to discuss.
Reduced rate available for block bookings paid in advance – contact to discuss.