Children & Young People
How can therapy help my child?
It is often said that as a parent, you are only as happy as your unhappiest child. We know how distressing it can be to see your child going through a difficult experience and how hard it can be to find the right support for them. Therapy can provide a neutral space, outside of the family dynamics and away from the pressures and responsibilities of school, for young people to open up about their difficulties. We will provide a non-judgemental space to help young people explore their problems and find a way forward.
Our Approach
At BPP we put the child at the centre of the work and try to give them as much autonomy and control as possible. Many child and adolescent therapists take an approach that shuts out parents completely. At BPP we work with parents, preserving our young clients confidentiality while also helping parents to understand how they can best support their child. We believe that therapy works best when it takes a wider view and supports family communication and dynamics. We are collaborative and flexible in our approach, offering our young clients and their parents different options for how to structure sessions.
Independent Approach
This therapy option will essentially be the same as our approach with our adult clients. Parents might find our service and take part in an initial phone call but other than that they remain hands off. This approach tends to suit older teenagers and more autonomous young people.
Supported Approach
We will work with your child weekly and once a month we will meet with you, to discuss how to best support your child with their difficulties. We will work closely with our young client to agree what information it will be useful to share and how to best communicate their difficulties and the support they find helpful. We find that this transparent approach preserves confidentiality, while ensuring you understand their struggles.
Joint Approach
We will work with your child weekly and once a month we will have a joint session with you and your child. We will work closely with our young client to decide the agenda for the session and which topics they want to address. This will also give you the opportunity to raise any issues you have in mind. We will offer a neutral space to support clear communication and mutual understanding.
Children vs Teens
Children of different ages and different developmental stages require different approaches to therapy. It is not always as simple as deciding on the best approach according to age, as children of the same age can vary greatly in terms of their independence, development and communication. For younger children, who are less able to access talking therapy, it can be best to take an indirect approach by working jointly with parents rather than the child themselves. We can work together to explore your child’s needs and think through support strategies, which you can then implement at home with consistency. If you are unsure of the right approach for your child please do get in touch for a initial phone call, with no expectation to start sessions.
Our CYP practitioners
Dr Charlotte Airey
Dr Ellen Presser
Dr Alyssa Alegre