Counselling For Children & Young People In Burnham On Sea
1 in 6 children in the UK suffer with a mental health problem. That is 5 in every classroom! Those are the children that are reported on, imagine the real statistic. Research shows that left untreated, it can lead to difficulties in adulthood also.
In the UK, as of 2023, there were 305,000 referrals to the NHS Mental Health Services for Children. Only 35,000 got the support they required. Therefore parents are turning to private health care to help their children quicker.
Counselling For Children and Young People
I work as a school counsellor, as well as seeing children aged 11+ privately. I understand how nerve wracking it is to come and speak with someone like me when you’re struggling with your Mental Health and your parents might think it’s time for some help. Counselling isn’t all tears and awkwardness. We will colour, play games, get to know eachother and even laugh too.
Counselling is a space where you can talk freely about what you are struggling with, hopefully making more sense of it and understanding how this is impacting your day to day life and behaviour.
Things you might want to talk about
Exam Stress
It is totally normal to experience stress and anxiety during exam season. Being tested can be a very uncomfortable experience for some and high expectations could be making that worse.
Anger
Anger is a great motivating emotion, it can tell you when someone has crossed a line with you and where a boundary might be needed, or when it is time to tell someone they have hurt you. Anger can lead to aggression if not managed properly, which could be landing you in trouble at school or home.
Being Bullied
You may have experienced bullying already and this has likely had a negative impact on your self-worth. You may wish to process past bullying or deal with current bullying. If you are actively being hurt by other children, this is something I would need to disclose to parents/carers.
Friendships
All children experience difficulties in their friendships from time to time. However, this can be very distressing, especially when feeling rejected by those who mean the most to you.
Home Life
Home can be safe and supportive for some children and unsafe and frightening for others. Where this is the case, it is important to get help. Where the home is mostly positive, there will still be arguments, friction and disagreements throughout teenage years as children detactch from their parents as a part of development.
Self Harm
Self harm or self injury is where you hurt yourself on purpose to try and cope with painful emotions. You may also harm yourself to feel something as you might be numb. This can be common in teenage years, so you’re not alone.
Relationships
As you go into Secondary School, there may be more interest in having romantic relationships. You might feel uncomfortable talking to a parent about any questions or concerns you have.
School worries
Trouble going to school? Having a bad tummy or headache in the mornings when you wake or worried about leaving mum and dad? All these things can make school difficult, it is important to explore where these anxieties have come from, and find ways to cope.
Problems with Food
Do you have problems with eating? You may have scensory issues when it comes to food, or you may feel pressure to stop eating. Where an Eating Disorder is susptected, you will need to speak to your GP as well.
Important Information
I can work with children face to face, online and telephone. However, the method used is very much dependant on the child’s prefereance,
Where you believe there to be self-harm or an eating disorder, do contact your GP for them to make the relevant referral to Children and Adolescent Mental Health Services.
It is important that the young person wants help for themselves and is willing to engage in counselling. This will ensure the best outcome for their therapy goals and overall well-being.
I work with children for 6 sessions initially and then complete a review to see if they would like to continue or finish for now.
INFORM - Parenting Mental Health | Supporting Parents - For parents seeking more support, this is a useful resource.