Do you treat people aged under 18?

Yes, I treat children and adolescents from secondary school age upwards. However, the arrangement is a little different from the arrangement with adults. Usually, the parent(s) initiate their son’s or daughter’s attendance at therapy. Therefore, I will, of course, initially consult with the parent(s) to understand their concerns. I will also ask the parent(s) to attend the beginning of the first session in order for them to meet me, to discuss how confidentiality applies and to gain their formal consent for their son or daughter to attend. However, thereafter, therapy sessions will be confidential between the child/adolescent and me with the same provisos as set out in the previous question (Are sessions confidential?). Some of the problems that are often experienced by children and adolescents include being bullied, relationship issues, the separation or divorce of their parents, study and exam pressure, conflict with their parents, addictions, sexual abuse and sexuality. Such problems can lead to highly distressing outcomes, for example, the development of low self-esteem, self-harming, suicidal thoughts, depression and social isolation.