What is my approach when it comes to teenagers and young people?

Young people come to me with all sorts of difficulties and the first thing we need to do is to understand what is troubling you. After the first few meetings, we will think with you about how best I could help.

I see a whole range of people here:

• people who are having problems with their relationships, with friends and family,

• with school or working life,

• with depression, anxiety, with self-harm or suicidal thoughts,

• with problems related to self-esteem, eating difficulties,

• and with experiences of abuse and trauma, including violence, family break-up, bereavement.

Sometimes young people come to me with a established diagnosis (e.g. depression, anorexia, personality disorder). Often the problem is more complex and difficult to clarify. This does not limit my work and I do see people with and not limited to issues such as:

• dislike of appearance
• drug and alcohol issues
• difficulties leaving home
• difficulties coping with school, work, college or university problems, or unemployment
• problems following difficult early life experiences, including abuse, neglect or trauma

If parents feel that they need to meet with me to discuss the difficulties their teenagers are facing and that they are not finding the best way to help them cope with it, we can meet separately with the teenagers permission. What is discussed between the teenager and myself is always confidential unless there is some risk involved and even then that is always discussed with the teenager before it gets disclosed to anyone else. That rule applies to all my clients.