Creative Arts Therapist For Children and Young People in Chiswick, London
Counselling for Teens and Young People
While my primary focus is creative arts therapy, I also offer a more traditional 'talking therapy' approach for older children, teenagers, and young people who prefer to engage in conversation.
This method may sometimes incorporate elements of creative arts therapy, but it is always tailored to the individual needs of the client, following their lead.
If you believe this approach would be more suitable for a child or young person you know, please feel free to contact me to discuss their specific needs.
Counselling Using Creative Arts
This approach incorporates well-established techniques rooted in Gestalt therapy, drawing on the principles of Carl Rogers, Virginia Axline, and Phenomenological Theory.
While traditional 'talking therapy' techniques are employed, clients are often encouraged to explore thoughts and emotions through creative arts such as sand, clay, paint, and drawing. This method allows individuals to express complex feelings and experiences through colour, line, and shape, making it possible to articulate what might be difficult to express in words.
Counselling through creative arts is particularly effective with older children, teenagers, and young people, typically from the upper years of primary school and beyond. However, I take a client-centred approach, often blending creative arts therapy and traditional counselling to best meet the unique needs of each individual.
To measure progress, I use the CORE 34 assessment tool at the beginning and end of the therapeutic journey, and CORE 10 is utilised in each session if the client is comfortable with it.
Online Sessions
Online sessions are available for this specific group and can be conducted via Zoom. Ensuring a safe and confidential environment is of utmost importance, so it is essential that the session is free from interruptions. The client should be familiar with using Zoom to independently manage their session. Ideally, the first two sessions will be held in person, after which we can assess whether to continue online.
What Young People Normally Ask
Our sessions are confidential, which means I won’t share what we discuss with anyone else. However, if I’m really worried that you’re being hurt or are in danger, I do have a duty of care to talk to someone who can help keep you safe, like a parent or teacher. Otherwise, what we talk about stays between us.
Sometimes, I might ask if it's okay to share something with your parents or teachers, or help you tell them something that could be helpful for them to know. You can always say no, and I’ll respect that. We can also talk about why it might be hard for you to share certain things.
It can be tough to put your feelings into words sometimes. Doing something creative, like drawing or using other forms of art, can help you connect with feelings that you might not even realise are there. Together, we can look at what comes up during these activities and talk about any thoughts or feelings that emerge. This can help us understand things better and find new ways of thinking.
Therapy works best when it happens regularly. I get that sometimes you might not feel like coming, and that’s okay, but if you skip too many sessions, it might be harder to make progress on the things you want to work on. Of course, if you’re unwell, it’s fine to miss a session. If you’ve got something exciting going on that you don’t want to miss, we might be able to rearrange your session.
I work with young children, teens, young adults, and even adults in a similar way. Everyone gets to choose how they want to work. Some younger kids prefer to talk, and some adults enjoy using the toys or creative activities. There’s no right or wrong way to do therapy. My room has lots of creative tools, like clay, paints, music, and a sand tray, which can be useful for anyone in therapy. But if you prefer talking, that’s totally fine too.
There are a few rules in the therapy space, but not many. You can do almost anything you like in the room, as long as it’s safe for you and me,. We also need to keep the things in the room safe and stick to the session time. That’s about it.
The time we spend in our sessions is yours to use however you wish. I might suggest an activity now and then, but it’s completely up to you whether you want to do it or not. If you’re not keen on something I suggest, that’s okay – just let me know.
It really depends on how things are going. It’s best to give it at least four sessions before deciding anything, as it takes time to get to know each other and for you to feel comfortable. We’ll regularly review how things are going, and if you find the sessions helpful, I hope you’ll want to keep coming. If there comes a point where it feels like the sessions aren’t as useful anymore, we can talk about it. If we do decide to end our sessions, it’s always best to do it gradually rather than just stopping suddenly, so we can finish in a good way.
It’s completely normal to feel nervous about starting therapy. For the first session, it’s perfectly fine to bring an adult with you if that makes you feel more comfortable. During that session, or the next one, we can make a plan to help you feel more confident about coming on your own.
I’d recommend coming regularly, even if you don’t feel like talking. Remember, the sessions are yours to use however you want. Sometimes it’s hard to face the tough stuff, and that’s okay. If you’re not in the mood to talk, we can have a low-key session where you just spend some time with someone who gets what you’re going through. There’s never any wasted time in therapy – you can always let me know if you want to take it easy and not talk about anything heavy.