Child and Teen Counselling / Play Therapy:
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I know if my child needs counselling?
It can sometimes be difficult to tell the difference between general challenging behaviours, in line with child development / teenage hormones or something that is deemed a cause for concern. In general, If your child seems unusually anxious, sad or irritable or if there is a change in your child’s behaviour that persists over many weeks, or longer, and amendments at home are not making any difference, it may be time to look into seeking some help. A further indicator that extra support may be necessary, is if behaviours and concerns are beginning to interfere with school and overall functioning and your child’s personality or temperament seems to be changing. If a child’s behaviour is unsafe, or your child shares wanting to harm themselves, or someone else or they are demonstrating severe anxiety or persistent low moods then always seek help straight away. Early intervention can have far more beneficial outcomes.
I am on an NHS waiting list for CAMHS, can I still access your support?
Yes! Many families that we work with are on an NHS waiting list for Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS). Sometimes this waiting list can be very long, so a lot of families come to us in the interim, in order to prevent mental health difficulties escalating even further. We would always advise staying on the NHS waiting list, even if you seek support with us, as you never know when an NHS place may become available. We can provide a handover to your NHS Therapist if your child is offered support that way.
I would like to book up counselling for my child, how does it work?
After you have filled out the referral form, the allocated Therapist will contact you to book in an initial one-off consultation session for your child and ahead of this session will arrange a time to speak with you on the phone to discuss your child’s needs and any concerns that you may have. The initial consultation session will be just your child and the Therapist as it is important from day one that the child knows the sessions are for them and it is ‘their’ space. It is natural for children to feel nervous at first, but our Therapists are trained to help children feel at ease and it is important for the process that the sessions are just with your child, not with a parent/carer present as well. If you are wanting sessions together, then we would advise looking into ‘Family Therapy’ instead.
The Therapist will then send you a follow-up email letting you know how the initial consultation session went and whether they feel further sessions may be of benefit. If all are in agreement to continue and your child has consented, after this the Therapist will meet with your child on their own in the therapy room at the same day and time, each week.
What age children do you work with?
We work with children and young people between the ages of 3 and 17 years. If we have been working with a young person who turns 18 during the course of the counselling, we will of course continue to support them. The work varies depending on the age and understanding of each child. With very young children, the work is all centred around play, however our Therapists adapt this as children get older and understand more about what is going on around them.
How long do sessions last?
Each session is 50 minutes and occurs once a week. We do not offer sessions fortnightly. For a child aged 3 – 5 years, a slightly shorter session of 40/45 minutes may be advisable. Dependent on needs, some parents may wish for their child to attend more than weekly, but this can all be discussed in advance. We usually find one session a week is appropriate.
How many sessions should I book up for my child?
The number of sessions is highly dependent on the individual and their unique needs. We can initially agree a set number, (usually 12 weeks) then review this over time.
We have no minimum number of sessions required and can work within whatever time frame you can financially manage. It is however important for parents/carers to be aware that it can take several months for counselling to make a long-term difference and in a lot of cases a longer commitment may be necessary.
How much does a session cost?
Sessions are £80. Invoices are sent to families at the start of every month, payable in advance, by cash or bank transfer, direct to your Therapist. Once you take up a space with us, that weekly time is saved for you each week and cannot be offered to anyone else, therefore an absence policy is in place and your child is expected to attend regularly, where possible.
We offer some daytime concessional rates for families on low incomes receiving state benefits. These sessions are provided between 1.00pm – 3.00pm Monday-Friday. To apply for one of these places please email therapy@childrenswellnesscentre.co.uk with a recent printed record of your benefit claim. We will do our best to accommodate this, however please note we do often have a waiting list for these places. Please do contact us to discuss this prior to booking your child’s first session.
Why do we book an initial one-off session first?
It is important to ensure the right fit between Therapist and child; the relationship between them both is fundamental to the process. It is also imperative that our Therapists only work within their capabilities, therefore the first session is also to ensure that they feel confident they can help. If necessary, they will refer you to an alternative service, if they feel that would be better suited to your child’s needs.
My child is hesitant to try counselling, should I make them come?
It is an important part of the process that children and young people consent to counselling and making them come to sessions when they do not want to can affect the progress and may cause more stress for your child. Try to talk to your child about what it is that is worrying them about coming, to see if you can get to the route of their concerns. We can share some ideas with you that may support your child in trying out a one-off session. If they are very anxious about attending, it could also be an idea (depending on their age) to begin with online sessions and then move this to face to face when they feel more at ease.
Where do sessions take place?
We have three bright and spacious therapy rooms within The Children’s Wellness Centre. All rooms are extremely child friendly, with a warm and welcoming feel to them, helping children to feel relaxed and at ease. Rooms are fully equipped with toys, games, sand, clay, paint and art materials, allowing children freedom of choice as to how to express themselves (*Some resources have been temporarily removed due to COVID-19 restrictions*).
Resources are all maintained to a high standard and replaced whenever necessary.
Do you provide online counselling sessions?
Yes, we also provide online counselling sessions, usually for children and young people over the age of 10, but at times it can also work for younger children, depending on their level of maturity and reasons for seeking support. We are advocates of face to face work, however for some children they initially may find this too daunting, or for those who do not live nearby, online counselling may be an alternative option, allowing children to still access support. It is very important if you do go down this route that you ensure your child has a confidential space at home where they can speak to their Therapist freely, and all family members and siblings do not interrupt them during their session.
What availability do you have?
We currently provide sessions during the day, after school and in the evenings every day, Monday – Sunday.
We always strive to offer a session after school hours, however if all of our Therapists are fully booked, we may only be able to accommodate a session during the school day. Although we can completely understand not wanting to take a child out of school, and we are not advocates of a child missing school, it is important to consider that poor mental health in the long run, can negatively affect overall academic attainment. For a short period of time, missing a lesson once a week, for some children, can be more beneficial than detrimental. If need be and with your consent, we can liaise with schools and teachers regarding your child leaving school slightly early once a week.