Child Counselling
I work with children and young people from age 4 to 18, and beyond if therapy is ongoing. My approach is creative, warm, and respectful of each young person’s boundaries, helping them feel safe and supported.
How we work
Therapeutic goals are agreed together at the start with the child or young person, parent, and sometimes the school. These guide our work, whether therapy runs for a few sessions or longer.
I use creative methods — drawing, writing, movement, musicality, sand-tray, clay, role play, and breath work — so children and young people can explore their feelings in ways that feel natural to them.
Getting Started
- A short call (around 15 minutes) with the parent or referrer to check practicalities like location, times, and costs.
- An intake meeting to explore the challenges, take a history, and discuss whether therapy is the right support.
- 3–6 sessions with the child or young person to get to know each other and shape a plan for therapy.
Sessions are held in the child’s school, and sometimes in a clinical space in Ealing.
During Therapy
Confidentiality is respected so children and young people feel safe to speak openly. Parents, and sometimes schools, are kept involved through regular reviews — usually once a term — so everyone is working together in support of the child.
As child psychotherapist Violet Oaklander wrote, therapy works best as a kind of dance, where the counsellor sometimes leads and sometimes follows.
Counselling with Tara 