Assessment and treatment of a wide range of concerns
“At one time or another, we all try to silence painful emotions. But when we succeed in feeling nothing we lose the only means we have of knowing what hurts us and why.”
Stephen Grosz
I am experienced and qualified to work with a diverse range of presenting difficulties with all age groups. Some examples include:
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low/fluctuating mood, sadness, lack of motivation, poor sleep, appetite changes, self-loathing
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anxiety, fears, excessive worry, overwhelming stress, social anxiety, workplace stress
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anger problems
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adjustment difficulties
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trauma (whether recent or in the past)
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parent-child relationship difficulties
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parenting difficulties
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childhood emotional and behavioural regulation difficulties
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poor self-confidence and low self-esteem
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life transitions (parenthood, identity, difficulties coping with change)
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grief and loss
I have a particular interest in working with infants, toddlers and preschoolers (0-5 years) and their families. Parents / caregivers may seek support for a range of difficulties, including:
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persistent crying or settling difficulties or consistent irritability
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gaze avoidance
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concern about social/emotional development
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feeding difficulties
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sleep disturbance
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excessive difficulty with separation from caregiver(s) (excessive clinginess)
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intense distress and difficulty calming down (including biting, aggression, hurting others)
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infant-parent bonding/relationship difficulties
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fears or nightmares
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Services
Assessment
A thoughtful and thorough assessment of your concerns forms the basis of establishing the most suitable treatment approach. This will include initial consultations that involve getting to know what has brought you to seek assistance, together with gathering some history of the concerns and some background. With children and young people, this will include gathering information from caregivers regarding developmental history and family background. Some questionnaires or other assessments may also be recommended. An initial period of assessment provides an understanding of the difficulties, but this understanding further evolves over the course of treatment.
Individual Therapy
I offer individual therapy to adults, children and young people, depending on the presenting concerns and what we agree following an initial assessment of those concerns. A range of individual therapy approaches and techniques are used. For example, play therapy (with children), trauma focussed therapy (including the use of RET where appropriate), psychodynamic therapy, interpersonal psychotherapy, cognitive-behaviour therapy, attachment based interventions and mindfulness techniques. I flexibly include various modalities as required to meet the therapeutic goals of my patients.
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Child Focussed Parent Therapy
Child-focussed parent therapy is sometimes recommended alongside a child or young person's individual therapy, or as a standalone treatment. Sessions involve parents discussing their concerns about their child and reflecting on their child's experience of themselves and others, parents' own experience of their child, their relationship and helping their child and themselves to develop alternative ways to manage their concerns.
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The focus of parent sessions is varied and will depend on the presenting difficulties, but may include a focus on improving the relationship with their child/young person, enhancing their understanding of the difficulties, reflecting on unhelpful patterns of interacting or considering different approaches to parenting with respect to challenging behaviours.
Infants, Toddlers & Preschoolers
Babies are born to connect with others, to be social and to grow and develop within caring and supportive relationships with the adults in their lives who are most important to them. While the period of infancy through to the preschool years (0-5 years) can be a very joyful and rewarding period for parents, sometimes challenges emerge and parents feel overwhelmed, concerned or confused about their child’s psychological and emotional development and wellbeing and/or their own feelings toward their child. Therapeutic work will usually involve the parent(s) and infant together, particularly with very young infants.
Professional Supervision
I provide clinical supervision to registered psychologists and other professionals by mutual agreement. Supervision may occur on a regular longer term basis, or on a short term/as needs basis according to your needs.
Online supervision is an option.
Telehealth
Telehealth services are an available option to all individuals regardless of location. This option can be discussed directly with me depending on preference and suitability. Telehealth sessions are generally not suitable on an ongoing basis for primary school aged children, as it is difficult to adapt the assessment and play therapy approach to a telehealth setting without the therapeutic tools that are available in the therapy consulting room (such as toys and other items).