YOUNG PEOPLE
Counselling or therapy for children and young people can be different from for adults in many ways and this can depends very much on the age and development of the young person.
Methods of therapy may incorporate play and art as well as talking about the issues that the young person is facing. An example of this may be playing a game whilst talking about some difficulties with friendship groups at school or drawing a picture to describe how the young person feels at home during their parents’ divorce. This helps the young person to feel better able to express themselves when they might be struggling to verbally express this. These methods increase insight into the mind of the young person.
Older children and teenagers may prefer to talk rather than play or art therapy or they might like a combination of both. The objective of the counselling, no matter which method is used, is to help the young person to feel better able to manage their feelings and emotions.
What should I be looking for in a counsellor or therapist for my child?
There are no specific regulations in place to stipulate what training or what level of training a counsellor should have in order to practice. We recommend
that you check with the counsellor or therapist that they are experienced and suitably qualified in order to work with children.
Your chosen practitioner should have at least a diploma in counselling or therapy (or equivalent) and they should have relevant insurance in place. You can also check that they belong to a relevant professional organisation such as the BACP or the UKCP – this means that they are bound by the ethical code of those organisations.
At Embracing Change our counsellors are qualified to Masters Level in Counselling with additional Postgraduate qualifications; we have full liability insurance and are registered with the British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy.
Initially I will invite you and your child to meet with me at my clinic in Leominster in order to gain more information about the difficulties your child has been experiencing. Usually we will spend 15 minutes together and then I will complete the remainder of the session with the young person alone so that we can discuss their hopes for counselling and they will be able to decide if they would like to continue with me.
Where possible, I will book future sessions with your child and ask them to confirm the date and time is suitable for you both – this will help your child to feel empowered in their own therapy.
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