Life throws us challenges all the time and it can feel intense, leaving us anxious, overwhelmed and feeling like a failure for not coping well with the ever-increasing demands on our time. We soldier on and try to brush it under the carpet but unfortunately, this only leads to more suffering, emotional pain and quite often a burnout. Plus, I am a believer that if we are not in a good place, this directly affects those around us and also our children’s well-being. We all carry our childhood baggage which shows up in our adult life and in the way we parent. You are not alone!
I believe we all have the resources within us to get through anything life throws at us but sometimes we need help accessing them. Often, we are stuck in the stories we tell ourselves and can’t find a way out. My role will be to find out the root emotion so we are dealing with the main issue and help you find solutions and facilitate change. Therapy requires strength and courage, and commitment. It takes a lot of guts to look inside ourselves and figure out what’s going on, and even more to let someone else share that journey with us. Usually, the first step is the hardest.
This is for you if:
You feel anxious, stressed, overwhelmed and/or exhausted
You find parenting challenging at times, feel like you are not coping well with life’s everyday demands
Your child is struggling with anxiety, stress, low self-esteem, extreme behaviour, school anxiety and/or avoidance
Your child has special educational needs and you and your child need help and support so you can best manage it and the way it affects the whole family
How does therapy work:
All my sessions are client-led where you or your child are an active partner in the therapy process. During the first few sessions I will find out what brings you to therapy and what you are hoping to get out of it. When working with children I don’t tend to ask much during the first two sessions but use non-directive approach so they feel comfortable with me.
The child therapy sessions include counselling through therapeutic and creative play, the Ollie and his Superpowers model and mindfulness based CBT techniques, child-led and tailored to the child’s individual needs. I use sand therapy, art and creative materials, soft toys, Lego, play doh and more to help the child communicate their story, express their feelings and make sense of the things that are going on for them.
I also offer parent coaching sessions where I provide in-depth feedback on how your child is getting on as well as coping tips and strategies and how to best manage difficult behavior.
When working with adults, I will encourage you to explore your thoughts, feelings, actions and circumstances so you can gain greater understanding and self-awareness, and acceptance towards what you are experiencing.
Often I get asked how many sessions are needed which is hard to say as it is very individual but it is important to commit to a minimum of 6 sessions as anything less than that is unlikely to create long-lasting change.
Sessions can take place either online or in my home in Egham.
Cost:
£65 per session (50 min long).
The cost also includes support between the sessions via email or phone (in working hours) and a brief feedback to parents.
