“The playing adult steps sideward into another reality; the playing child advances forward to new stages of mastery.”

If you’re looking for counselling support for your child, then we understand your concern and worry. Maybe your child’s behaviour or emotions are spiralling and you’re almost at your wit’s end or just really worried about them?

Maybe it’s been suggested to you that counselling support may be of benefit to them?

Perhaps there has been a bereavement in the family and you fear the impact of such a loss on them?

Or, maybe you feel that counselling support would help them to cope with a relationship breakdown, divorce or separation?

Personality clashes between family members or friends and issues around identity or a special educational need can also play a big part in the rollercoaster of life and daily battles.

There are many reasons why you may be seeking counselling support for your child and we would like to personally thank you for considering their needs in this way.

So often, young children cannot access the opportunity of a therapeutic space to work through their difficulties, for many different reasons. This can sadly then impact right through to teenage years and into adulthood.

It takes courage to support your child with their mental health and please know that you are not alone. We are here to help.

Courage2Be can offer 50-60 minute sessions depending on how well your child copes with the session. After school and early evenings are available to suit your child’s needs.

The length of the work is dependent on many variables but mostly, your child’s willingness to engage. Sometimes there is a connection straight away and other times it will take a few weeks for a child to warm to the idea that Courage2Be is a positive space for them.

However, it is also possible that a child is simply not ready for counselling or on rare occasions may never warm to the idea or to their counsellor. We are all individual after all.

In these instances, we can either signpost you to another counsellor or take a break, as your child’s needs are of utmost importance.

Our priority is to continually focus on your child’s agenda and to hold their confidentiality. However, we also appreciate how an inclusive approach can help during this anxious time and that financially you may want reassurance that the counselling is helping. We can, therefore, keep you updated on general themes rather than the actual content of sessions, with regular reviews. A review would be a separate appointment with yourself and would be contracted around with your child and previously agreed with them as to what information they would feel comfortable being shared.

It is important where possible to work weekly with your child in order to build a strong therapeutic relationship and an initial review with you, generally takes place after the first 4-6 weeks.

Our work together can usually be anything from 12 weeks to longer-term work, depending on the nature of your child’s difficulties. However, this can all be negotiated during an initial consultation and revisited at any time as the counselling support needs to work for everyone concerned.

It is important where possible, that work does not end abruptly with a child, as a ‘good’ and planned ending can really help with building your child’s resilience. It is our aim to build good communications with you and your child so that we can navigate this appropriately.