Adolescents

I have worked with young people for 13 years as a school counsellor and with a major charity, helping them to regain a sense of their own identity in a world where it is hard not to feel judged or good enough, amidst a climate of high expectations. Much of my work has helped young people regain a perspective of what is really going on underneath their anger, to discover what really matters and what they care about. I also deal with how anxiety can be about unrealistic standards and unnecessary pressure, to gain a sense of perspective of the fears that so easily create anxiety.

I also address the need to process and work through feelings of absent or emotionally distant parents, to bring together the two sides of how they may see that parent, to form a coherent whole that heals conflicting emotions. I've also dealt with exam and study stress and value the exploration of how important it is for young people to regain the need to value passion for their work over performance. Suicidal thoughts, self-harm, and peer pressure, are all issues I have dealt with over the years. I value the need to meet the young person at their level and enter into their world, appreciating how they see things without patronising them, but allowing them to still feel in control and empowered by the decisions they can make.