Counselling for Young People Aged 11–18 in West London
I currently work as a Therapeutic Lead within a specialist education provision, where I manage a team of therapists and mental health professionals working with young people with complex presentations. I have specialist experience and training in working with young people aged 11–18, and have spent 15 years working with children and young people, including as a school counsellor in a number of mainstream secondary schools and through my work with a youth counselling charity.
Working with young people has taught me to be curious about what might be going on underneath the behaviour we see, rather than making assumptions based on what is happening on the surface. I bring this experience to my work, but most importantly, I’m interested in the young person sitting in the room with me. Every young person is different, and I’m interested in finding the best way to connect with them, understand their world and build a relationship where they feel able to be themselves. My aim is to create a space where they can talk honestly about what’s going on, explore things at their own pace and feel genuinely listened to and understood.
If you're a young person looking for counselling
Starting counselling can feel strange, particularly if you've never done it before. You don't need to know what you're going to say or have everything worked out beforehand.
We might talk, make connections, think about things differently, or use creative approaches if that feels helpful. You get to decide what you want to bring to the sessions. My approach is non-directive, which means I'm not there to tell you what to do or give you a list of things you should change. I'll listen to what you want to talk about and we'll work from there.
If you're a parent or guardian
Taking the first step into counselling on behalf of a young person can feel daunting, and it can be difficult to know how much involvement you should have. You're welcome to contact me initially to talk about whether counselling might be appropriate for your young person.
Confidentiality and safeguarding
Confidentiality is an important part of counselling. At the beginning of our work, I will talk with the young person and their parent or guardian about confidentiality and its limits, so everyone understands how this works.
I won't routinely share what a young person tells me with their parent or guardian. However, there may be circumstances where I need to share information because I have concerns about their safety or the safety of someone else. Where possible, I would talk this through with the young person first.
I’m a registered member of the British Association for Counselling & Psychotherapy (BACP) and work within the BACP Ethical Framework for the Counselling Professions. I have an enhanced DBS check.
