FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
CAN YOU TELL ME ABOUT YOUR BACKGROUND AND QUALIFICATIONS?
I am a qualified counsellor and accredited by the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP). I also hold a B.Sc. and M.Sc. in Psychology. Additionally, I am a qualified primary school teacher and a forest school leader with experience of working with children in both group settings and on a one-to-one basis - including neurodiversity. I currently work as a counsellor in 2 primary schools and have worked with a prominent children's charity. I hold qualifications in children's mindfulness, meditation and yoga. I employ a holistic approach - taking into account all aspects of a child's wellbeing and I hold an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Scheme (DBS) check on the update service. Being a mother myself, I am familiar with the challenges that come with parenting and am therefore able to offer empathetic and supportive counselling to parents as well.
WHAT SORT OF COUNSELLING DO YOU OFFER CHILDREN?
As a counsellor, I am skilled at actively listening to children and identifying the key themes that emerge in their conversations. I understand that complex emotions can be challenging to articulate, particularly for children and therefore utilise creative materials such as toys, drawing and sand-tray to help children express themselves through metaphor. This process can be incredibly beneficial for children, as it helps them feel understood and validated.
While children may have less control over their lives than adults, they still have choices regarding their interpretations of situations, their emotions and their behaviour. Some children may wish to explore changes they would like to make, such as expressing their feelings differently, selecting new friends, or taking on additional responsibilities. In these cases, I may facilitate discussions about practical changes with the child and their parent or guardian, or help the child prepare for a conversation with their parent or guardian. I recognise that empowering children to make positive changes in their lives can have a profound impact on their overall wellbeing and self-esteem.
WHAT HAPPENS DURING COUNSELLING?
In the first session I work with your child to make a contract together. This will include confidentiality, time (start and finish of sessions), safety, respect for each other and your child’s hopes for the counselling. Your child will set the agenda for each counselling session and will decide what subjects will be introduced. They will not be pushed to talk about particular topics if they don’t want to. I will regularly discuss with your child how the counselling is going and whether anything could be done differently.
DOES MY CHILD HAVE TO HAVE PARTICULAR SYMPTOMS IN ORDER TO HAVE COUNSELLING WITH YOU?
No, your child does not have to display any particular behaviours nor meet a threshold in order to qualify for counselling.
HOW DO I ARRANGE COUNSELLING SESSIONS FOR MY CHILD?
You (the child’s parent or legal guardian) can contact me to discuss your concerns. This can be done over the phone, via teams or email. We will consider together what is prompting you to seek counselling for your child at the moment and whether my style of counselling is likely to be helpful. The conversation is free of charge. If you and I agree that counselling sessions with are likely to be helpful, then I will arrange a time/day for an assessment appointment. If we decide that counselling may not be the route to take, I will signpost you to other services.
ARE MY CHILD’S SESSIONS CONFIDENTIAL?
All counselling sessions are confidential. This is so that children feel safe to express their worries fully and trust that what they choose to talk about will not be discussed elsewhere without their permission. Parents and carers are not routinely told the detail of what happens during their child’s counselling sessions without their child’s consent. Some parents find this unusual but it is necessary for counselling to be effective. There are limits to confidentiality: if children were to talk about risks of serious harm, or that someone else is at risk of serious harm, then appropriate steps would be taken to keep them and others safe. We will discuss confidentiality in more depth at the initial assessment.
HOW LONG ARE THE SESSIONS AND HOW FREQUENT?
Typically, counselling sessions last up to 50 minutes and are held at the same time and day each week but there is flexibility around other commitments. How long children will need to come for greatly varies depending on how they engage with the process and what they hope to take from it. At the initial assessment we will discuss roughly how many sessions your child might need. Throughout the work we hold regular reviews to discuss how the counselling is going and whether it needs to be extended or curtailed. I am committed to working in the best interests of children so will not seek to end sessions before the child is ready nor prolong them beyond the point of being useful.
It is important to commit to attending the sessions that have been booked, as frequently missed sessions negatively affect how much your child is likely to get out of the counselling process.
At the assessment we will discuss what would best suit you and your child, taking into consideration age and ability to concentrate, what you and your child hope to get from counselling, other commitments you may have to juggle and financial cost.
WHAT RECORDS DO YOU KEEP?
Brief notes of all sessions are held securely on electronic and paper-based systems and your child's data is available for them to view on request. Beech Tree Counselling is registered with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) and our systems comply with the Data Protection Act 2018 and General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR).
DO YOU TELL THE NHS OR THE SCHOOL THAT MY CHILD IS HAVING COUNSELLING SESSIONS?
No, neither the NHS nor your child’s school are routinely told that your child is having counselling sessions. Any sessions your child has with Beech Tree Counselling will not be recorded on your child’s NHS record nor on your child’s school records.
If you wish to inform your child’s GP or your child’s school that your child is having counselling sessions then you can do so. Information will not be shared about your child’s counselling sessions without your consent except in the instance of safeguarding concerns.
Generally speaking, it is not recommended that a person sees two (or more) counsellors at the same time. This applies to children as well as to adults. If your child has been referred to or is already attending counselling through the NHS or another provider and you still wish them to have additional counselling with Beech Tree Counselling, please make this clear when you contact me at the initial assessment appointment. If your child’s GP or a member of school staff wishes to refer your child for counselling then it would be helpful to inform them that your child already attends sessions with Beech Tree Counselling. You can then discuss with them what further support, if any, your child might benefit from.
ARE YOU AVAILABLE IN AN EMERGENCY?
It is sometimes possible to set up an emergency counselling session at short notice but it will depend on my availability. If your child is in crisis and needs immediate support with their mental health then you can find some details of organisations which you can contact here.