Support for Children, Young People and Families

Assessment and Therapeutic Support for Trauma, Emotional and Behavioural Difficulties

Having worked in Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services for over 18 years, I have extensive experience of working with children and young people struggling with a range of emotional difficulties, including Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), developmental trauma, low mood, self harm, generalised anxiety, social anxiety, Obsessional-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and behavioural difficulties.

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Assessment

During an assessment, I will normally meet with a young person and their parents / carers together to gain an understanding of the presenting difficulties and hopes for therapy.   An essential element of the assessment is to gain an understanding of the concerns and worries of parents and carers, whilst also holding central the voice and wishes of the young person.

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Therapy

Therapy sessions are 50 minutes and usually take place weekly.    

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I work either with children and young people individually or in joint sessions with parents, carers and siblings, depending on the nature of the difficulties.  If I am seeing a young person individually, regular feedback is given to parents and carers.  Any feedback given to parents and carers is discussed with the young person first.

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I use a range of NICE guidance informed therapies including Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT), positive behavioural and systemic approaches, Solution-Focused Therapy (SFT), Eye Movement  Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR) and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT).

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Depending on the age and nature of the difficulties a child or young person is experiencing, therapeutic support may involve separate parent sessions.  I am trained and experienced in evidence-based parenting programmes (Carolyn Webster-Stratton's Incredible Years Programme).  I also works closely with parents to explore their own experiences of being cared for as a child and how this is influencing (both positively and negatively) their experiences of being a parent.  Time is also taken to support parents to think about what else they may be dealing with in their own lives and consider how this may be influencing what they bring to the child-parent relationship.

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Assessment and Therapeutic Support for Children and Young People Facing Challenges with Autistic Spectrum Condition

I have many years of assessing and supporting children and young people with Autistic Spectrum Condition and their families.

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Assessment 

I work collaboratively with other professionals (including Consultant Psychiatrists) to formally screen and assess autistic spectrum condition.

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Where a child or young person already has a diagnosis, or where a clinical diagnosis is not being sort, I will meet with a young person to explore current challenges that may be linked with neurodivergence, including low mood and anxiety, and collaboratively consider support that may be helpful. 

Therapeutic Support

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I take time to get to know the individual in front of me, and understand the challenges that are unique to them at this point in their lives.  The therapeutic support I offer is based on my many years of clinical experience and informed by adapted therapeutic models including Cognitive-Behaviour Therapy, systemic and positive behaviour approaches.

As well as working with individual young people, Claire also works closely with parents and carers to support young people.  

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