“If a community values its children, it must cherish their parents.”
John Bowlby, A Secure Base: Parent-Child Attachment and Healthy Human Development (1988)
Connecting you with us
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Therapy - what happens?
The idea of therapy can be really daunting for a lot of people, so lets demystify it a little.
In your first appointment your therapist will take the time to get to know you and what brings you to therapy , and there is a short form they’ll fill out as you talk to get an idea of who you are and what your family background is. This can feel a little formal, but it’s a good way for the therapist to start to build a picture of what’s going on and different ways they may be able to help you.
Therapy sessions happen every week on the same day and at the same time to create a trusting, consistent relationship and for you to get the most out of the time together. The sessions are client-led, so you get to explore what you want with the therapist. Therapy can be a challenge at times, and your therapist will work with you to help lower those defences that have tried to keep you safe; a big part of therapy is recognising the patterns that hold us back, but feel so difficult to break.
We do not time-limit therapy, but we will review every six weeks or so to make sure you’re getting the most from it. Therapy may naturally come to an end, or you or the therapist may feel it’s time to bring things to a close. We believe fully in client autonomy and will be guided by you.
We take safeguarding very seriously, and as a private practice our threshold for disclosure is very high. Because of this we can offer you a highly confidential space that you can use to say anything that’s on your mind. In simple terms, we will enact our safeguarding procedure if we believe the client to be at immediate and / or significant risk, or if we believe they will carry out an act of terrorism. For our full safeguarding policy, please click here.
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Assessment - how can we help?
Here’s our assessment structure:
1. Your assessor will tell you some important things about us as an organisation and our therapists, such as our qualifications, insurance, DBS checks, and governing body. We’ll explain a bit more about how we work therapeutically.
2. If you’re a parent accompanying a child to the assessment, we’ll ask you to say a little about what’s been going on and why you’re here. If you’re over 18 and attending by yourself, we’ll discuss what brings you to the centre.
3. If you’re a parent accompanying a child, we’ll ask you to step out of the room so we can have a chat with them about how they feel and explain in their own words the situation.
4. We’ll go through some terms and conditions with you, such as fees, the importance of weekly attendance, and what availability we have that may suit you. That’s also a great time for you to ask any final questions you may have, these are also always welcome by email or phone call.
5. We will match you with a suitable therapist and email you with an offer and a start date, along with some paperwork to be completed before sessions begin.
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Parental Sessions
Being a parent is a challenge at the best of times; being a parent to a child going through mental health difficulties can leave you feeling powerless and overwhelmed on top of everything else. Our sessions are created to support parents, families and carers to navigate the difficulties they face and build new ways of relating to and understanding your child. Our therapists understand that depression, self-harm, eating disorders and suicide create an overwhelming sense of fear in parents, and we want to help you understand these behaviours and how to talk to and listen to your child.
In our sessions we will think about current dynamics, family backgrounds, and what feels like it is and isn’t working. We’ll get to know you as individuals, as parents, and as members of your wider family. We’ll signpost you to other services where necessary.