Online Child Behaviour & Parenting Support
Our Behavioural Specialists, Rebecca and Fiona, offer support to families who may benefit from some extra guidance with managing general behaviour, family attachments and relationships.
They can support families experiencing common, mild behavioural concerns, as well as those whose child may have more complex needs and/or a diagnosis.
Children are growing and developing every day, and family life is constantly changing too. It is common for children to display challenging behaviours, as this is often their way of communicating, expressing their needs and learning what is acceptable. However, at times these behaviours can be difficult to manage and may begin to affect the whole family. As a parent or carer, it can be challenging to introduce changes and maintain boundaries when you are in the middle of the situation yourself. Sometimes, a little external support and guidance is just what a family needs to help things get back on track.
Rebecca and Fiona offer one-to-one, non-judgemental sessions with parents and carers, providing practical support, advice and guidance tailored to each family’s individual circumstances. Their aim is to help families make positive changes and work towards a calmer, more harmonious home environment.
Please note: These sessions provide guidance and support for parents and carers only and do not involve the child.
What We Can Support With
Rebecca and Fiona are highly experienced working with a range of different behaviours and needs.
The below list is not exhaustive, but are some examples of difficulties they can support with:
- Disruptions to sleep
- Big emotions or behaviours that can be difficult to manage, such as frequent hitting, emotional outbursts or meltdowns
- Struggling to follow directions
- Concerns about behaviour at nursery or school
- Sibling rivalry
- Separation anxiety
- Resistance to requests, routines or boundaries
- Difficulties in attachments or relationships with particular family members
- Building a positive relationship with your child
Support for Parents and Carers of Children with SEN
Rebecca and Fiona are very experienced working with children with additional needs and/or a diagnosis. They can offer support to families whose child may have more complex needs, e.g. Autism, ADHD, Sensory Processing, Learning Difficulties and more. Rebecca and Fiona are additionally trained to work therapeutically and in a more structured, advisory way, dependent on your family’s requirements.
We can also support families whose child may be on the waiting list for CAMHS (Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services) and offer strategies in the interim to help parents manage, until a formal diagnosis is in place.
The Process
The sessions are provided online between 6.00pm – 9.00pm, with a few daytime slots available on some days. There is no need to arrange a babysitter and you can attend from the comfort of your own home! From experience, we have found these times to work well for parents, once the children have gone to bed or are at school.
To arrange a consultation please use the contact us button below. We will liaise with you to find a suitable day and time that fits your schedule.
Once your appointment date and time have been confirmed, we will send you a link to a short online form where you can tell us a little more about your child and family, any concerns you may have, and what you would like to achieve from the sessions.
This information will be shared with Rebecca or Fiona, depending on who you have been assigned to work with, so they can familiarise themselves with your family’s circumstances before your first consultation.
This means that more of your consultation can be focused on practical support, solutions and guidance, rather than spending valuable time going through background information.
Rebecca or Fiona will personally email you a Zoom link so that you can meet online at the agreed time of your session.
During your consultation, they will listen to your concerns and work with you to explore practical techniques, ideas and strategies that can be implemented at home. Where appropriate, they can also offer guidance on strengthening family relationships and attachments.
For some families, a one-off consultation may provide all the guidance they need, while others may benefit from several sessions, depending on their individual circumstances and the level of support required.
Follow-up sessions give you time to try the suggested strategies at home before coming back to discuss how things have progressed. Rebecca or Fiona can then help you adapt these approaches where needed, work through any new challenges and explore further ideas with you.
About Rebecca
Rebecca has extensive experience working with children and families, having spent over 40 years working as a social worker, a teacher and headteacher.
Rebecca’s vast school experience led her to complete further additional training as a child and adolescent counsellor and she currently works within one of the Children’s Wellness Centre partner schools as a primary school counsellor, running one-to-one therapy sessions, children’s social skills groups, and parent and teacher support.
Rebecca has gained extensive experience of working with additional needs, and this has given her insight into the additional provision children may require and how to best achieve that support. As a headteacher, her school was recognised as having excellent provision for children with highly complex presentations. She was a member of the Local Authority Complex Needs Panel where decisions about children and young people with Special Educational Needs are made, giving her a good understanding of the requirements for a successful EHC Plan.
Rebecca
About Fiona
Fiona has worked with children and families for over 20 years in various community, education, health, and wellness settings, including working as a senior family support worker.
Following her degree in Psychology, she qualified with Early Years Professional Status (EYPS) and specialised in supporting the early acquisition and development of children’s speech, language, and communication. In 2012, she received an award from the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists (RCSLT) for “providing exceptional service to children and families. ”
Additionally, Fiona has a Certificate in Parent-Child Therapy through the Institute for Arts in Therapy and Education (IATE). Fiona is trained in Reflective Parenting (RP) a model which focuses on addressing behavioural challenges to promote positive outcomes for children’s emotional and behavioural wellbeing.
More recently, Fiona has been working therapeutically with children up to 18 years of age and their families, promoting healthy attachments and communication within family relationships through reflective parenting, mentalization based treatments, psychoeducation, and systemic approaches.
Fiona
Referrals
We have a large team of specialists at The Children’s Wellness Centre, so if Rebecca or Fiona feels that your child or family would benefit from a different type of support, they can recommend or refer you to another member of our team. Equally, if you feel that an alternative approach may be more appropriate, they can discuss the options available with you.
If you are unsure whether your child would benefit from Counselling or Play-Based Therapy themselves, a one-off behavioural consultation can be a helpful place to start. Sometimes, relatively small changes and strategies at home can make a significant difference, without your child necessarily needing ongoing therapeutic support.
A behavioural consultation can therefore be a practical and more affordable first step, helping you to better understand your child’s needs and explore what support, if any, may be beneficial going forward.
ADHD/Neurodiversity Coaching
If you would like something a little more structured, and your child has a diagnosis of Autism, ADHD, Dyspraxia or Dylsexia (or you suspect they may and are considering a neurodevelopmental assessment) we offer 90-minute online Neurodevelopmental Coaching Sessions for parents / carers. Please see here for more information.