What are the difficulties you may be able to help my child with?
It is normal for children and young people to experience a range of emotions, such as worries, anxieties, fears and sadness. These feelings are a normal part of childhood. It is also normal for children and young people to show a range of challenging behaviour at different stages in their lives. For example tantrums can be common in toddlers, whilst teenagers may show defiant behaviour.
However, sometimes it can feel like worries, emotions or difficult behaviour are taking over your child’s life. Perhaps they are very distressed when saying goodbye to you at the school gate; or misbehaviour is happening more than you would like; or your child is experiencing panic at exam time; or perhaps your child is more tearful and sad than other kids of their age.
If these feelings or behaviours start to get in the way of every day life and you are concerned, I can assess the difficulties and advise you how we can resolve them. Often seeking help early has better outcomes (such as a faster improvement rate).
How long are the appointments?
Appointments are up to 50 minutes.
What will the first appointment be like?
In order for me to understand the difficulties that your child is having, and howI can help you, I will start with an assessment appointment, generally without your child, dependent on your child's age. We will discuss: what your concerns are; for how long you have been concerned; what you have tried so far and, crucially, how you would like things to be different. I will also ask you about your child’s physical, social, emotional and cognitive development. It can often be helpful to know about what you were like as a child, but this is not always essential and if you have any concerns about this we can discuss them together. Sometimes two appointments are needed to gather all this information.
This information will help me to develop an understanding of why these difficulties might have come about, and from here we will be able to jointly develop a plan for how to proceed, and how to work together to address your concerns. I aim to work very transparently and collaboratively so will always let you know if I do not think I can help, or if there are other services which may be more appropriate.
Some people find that one or two appointments are all they need and no further appointments need to be booked. However, if further appointments are indicated, I will explain what these appointments will focus on and how you can support the work we will do. You will be under no obligation to commit to further appointments.
I am concerned about talking about the difficulties in front of my child, do I have to bring them to the appointment?
This is a very natural concern and if you are worried about this I would suggest that we talk about this on the phone before hand so that we can work out what is best for you. We can meet without your child initially to cover the main areas of concern, and at this appointment we can discuss how you can talk with your child about coming to an appointment.
The Brackenbury Natural Health Clinic is a very welcoming environment, and I will work hard to put you and your child/children at ease during all appointments. It can be daunting for children to attend any type of appointment and I am very aware of this. You are always welcome to call me to discuss any concerns that you may have about this. My clinical and therapeutic approach is very child centred and children often really enjoy coming to appointments!
Can I pay for appointments through private Health Insurance cover?
I am registered with a number of private heath insurers. Please contact your health insurance company to check that they cover what you are requesting, and get a "pre authorisation code". You are welcome to contact me if you have any questions.
How many appointments will we/my child need?
This is a good question. It can be hard to know exactly how many appointments will be needed before you see significant improvements. Some people may feel they have received enough help after just one or two appointments, whilst many difficulties will need at least 4-6 appointments, sometimes 10-12+, to see improvements. I will always be reviewing the progress made by you/your child and will regularly talk with you about how the work is going.
Appointments may involve direct work with your child, or with you and your child together. Alternatively appointments may involve working with you alone, without your child, in order to support you to develop strategies and techniques to address the difficult behaviours and emotions at home.
What therapeutic models do you use?
As a Clinical Psychologist I use a range of psychological theories, scientific knowledge and therapeutic skill to assess, understand, support and treat the social, emotional and cognitive development of infants, children and young people.
For anxieties and low mood I often use Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT). This supports children and their parents to understand how thoughts, feelings and behaviour all influence each other, and why your feelings about a situation are not necessarily about the situation itself, but primarily about how you appraise the situation. CBT helps children to identify these thought patterns and learn to adjust them so that the difficult feelings improve.
I also find Narrative Therapy a particularly effective and supportive model when working with children and young people. The model can support children and young people to understand the impact that their difficulties have on their everyday life, whilst also understanding that they are not defined by, or to be blamed for, the difficulties they are experiencing. The model draws on peoples' strengths and resources to create a narrative in which the the difficulties are less dominant. CBT and Narrative Therapy often work well when used together.
Is the clinic child friendly?
The Brackenbury Natural Health Clinic welcomes children. It is a calm and friendly clinic, there are toys and books in the welcoming waiting room and there will be toys in the room that we meet in. There is also space for buggies in the room we meet in.
Thank you for taking the time to read through the FAQ section.
Please do feel free to contact me if you have any further questions that have not been answered.
It is normal for children and young people to experience a range of emotions, such as worries, anxieties, fears and sadness. These feelings are a normal part of childhood. It is also normal for children and young people to show a range of challenging behaviour at different stages in their lives. For example tantrums can be common in toddlers, whilst teenagers may show defiant behaviour.
However, sometimes it can feel like worries, emotions or difficult behaviour are taking over your child’s life. Perhaps they are very distressed when saying goodbye to you at the school gate; or misbehaviour is happening more than you would like; or your child is experiencing panic at exam time; or perhaps your child is more tearful and sad than other kids of their age.
If these feelings or behaviours start to get in the way of every day life and you are concerned, I can assess the difficulties and advise you how we can resolve them. Often seeking help early has better outcomes (such as a faster improvement rate).
How long are the appointments?
Appointments are up to 50 minutes.
What will the first appointment be like?
In order for me to understand the difficulties that your child is having, and howI can help you, I will start with an assessment appointment, generally without your child, dependent on your child's age. We will discuss: what your concerns are; for how long you have been concerned; what you have tried so far and, crucially, how you would like things to be different. I will also ask you about your child’s physical, social, emotional and cognitive development. It can often be helpful to know about what you were like as a child, but this is not always essential and if you have any concerns about this we can discuss them together. Sometimes two appointments are needed to gather all this information.
This information will help me to develop an understanding of why these difficulties might have come about, and from here we will be able to jointly develop a plan for how to proceed, and how to work together to address your concerns. I aim to work very transparently and collaboratively so will always let you know if I do not think I can help, or if there are other services which may be more appropriate.
Some people find that one or two appointments are all they need and no further appointments need to be booked. However, if further appointments are indicated, I will explain what these appointments will focus on and how you can support the work we will do. You will be under no obligation to commit to further appointments.
I am concerned about talking about the difficulties in front of my child, do I have to bring them to the appointment?
This is a very natural concern and if you are worried about this I would suggest that we talk about this on the phone before hand so that we can work out what is best for you. We can meet without your child initially to cover the main areas of concern, and at this appointment we can discuss how you can talk with your child about coming to an appointment.
The Brackenbury Natural Health Clinic is a very welcoming environment, and I will work hard to put you and your child/children at ease during all appointments. It can be daunting for children to attend any type of appointment and I am very aware of this. You are always welcome to call me to discuss any concerns that you may have about this. My clinical and therapeutic approach is very child centred and children often really enjoy coming to appointments!
Can I pay for appointments through private Health Insurance cover?
I am registered with a number of private heath insurers. Please contact your health insurance company to check that they cover what you are requesting, and get a "pre authorisation code". You are welcome to contact me if you have any questions.
How many appointments will we/my child need?
This is a good question. It can be hard to know exactly how many appointments will be needed before you see significant improvements. Some people may feel they have received enough help after just one or two appointments, whilst many difficulties will need at least 4-6 appointments, sometimes 10-12+, to see improvements. I will always be reviewing the progress made by you/your child and will regularly talk with you about how the work is going.
Appointments may involve direct work with your child, or with you and your child together. Alternatively appointments may involve working with you alone, without your child, in order to support you to develop strategies and techniques to address the difficult behaviours and emotions at home.
What therapeutic models do you use?
As a Clinical Psychologist I use a range of psychological theories, scientific knowledge and therapeutic skill to assess, understand, support and treat the social, emotional and cognitive development of infants, children and young people.
For anxieties and low mood I often use Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT). This supports children and their parents to understand how thoughts, feelings and behaviour all influence each other, and why your feelings about a situation are not necessarily about the situation itself, but primarily about how you appraise the situation. CBT helps children to identify these thought patterns and learn to adjust them so that the difficult feelings improve.
I also find Narrative Therapy a particularly effective and supportive model when working with children and young people. The model can support children and young people to understand the impact that their difficulties have on their everyday life, whilst also understanding that they are not defined by, or to be blamed for, the difficulties they are experiencing. The model draws on peoples' strengths and resources to create a narrative in which the the difficulties are less dominant. CBT and Narrative Therapy often work well when used together.
Is the clinic child friendly?
The Brackenbury Natural Health Clinic welcomes children. It is a calm and friendly clinic, there are toys and books in the welcoming waiting room and there will be toys in the room that we meet in. There is also space for buggies in the room we meet in.
Thank you for taking the time to read through the FAQ section.
Please do feel free to contact me if you have any further questions that have not been answered.
Contact: 07469 810 296
[email protected]
[email protected]