Frequently Asked Questions

Starting counselling or therapy can feel like a big step for you and your child. It's completely natural to have questions about how it works, what to expect, and whether it's the right choice. I've answered some of the questions I'm most often asked below. If you'd like to talk through anything else, or simply want to have a conversation about your child's needs, please fill in the contact form or call me on 07776885120.

About therapy

  • I am based in St Albans, Hertfordshire, working from the comfortable and private setting of the St Albans Rooms in central St Albans. My practice is easily accessible for families living in and around St Albans, as well as nearby areas including Welwyn Garden City, Hatfield, Hemel Hempstead, Watford, Harpenden and Potters Bar. Many families also travel from further afield across Hertfordshire and North London.

    • Anxiety and excessive worries (sometimes expressed through behaviour such as sleep difficulties, bed-wetting, soiling, school refusal, or changes in eating)

    • Low mood, depression, withdrawal, or lack of motivation

    • Aggression, anger, or emotional outbursts

    • Difficulties with relationships, social interaction

    • Low self-esteem or difficulties with identity

    • Experiences of loss, bereavement, or family breakdown

    • Trauma, abuse, or neglect

    • Health-related issues

    • Neurodiversity and associated emotional or relational challenges

    • Cultural differences

    • Identity and self-esteem

  • I aim to respond within 48 hours of receiving a message.

    I offer a free 15-minute conversation to learn about your concerns and gauge if I am the right person to work with your child or young person.

  • My fee is £85 per session, payable monthly.

    Other fees:

    - Parent Consultation: £120 (1 and a half hours), paid in advance.

    - Parent Sessions (reviews and feedback): £85

  • Sessions are 50 minutes long, and we meet once a week.

  • I offer both.

    Primarily, I offer face-to-face therapy for children and adolescents, as in-person sessions often provide a containing and relational space that supports therapeutic depth and emotional safety.

    For some teenagers (13+), I also provide online therapy where appropriate. This is carefully considered on an individual basis to ensure that the quality, confidentiality and effectiveness of the therapeutic work are not compromised.

  • Sessions cancelled with less than 7 days’ notice, or missed without notice, will be charged at the full rate unless there are exceptional circumstances.

    Where possible, an alternative time will be offered. If no alternative can be arranged, a cancellation fee of £35 applies.

    If the Psychotherapist cancels and no alternative can be offered, no charge will be made.

  • I currently do not work with health insurers.

  • You can use the contact form on this website, or call me on 07776885120.

  • INITIAL APPOINTMENT

    Usually I have a conversation with the parents in order to establish the presenting concerns. In this meeting, I may ask questions about the family and the early history of the child to try and put any current problems into the context of the child’s experiences.

    ASSESSMENT

    Assessments are usually carried out in 4-6 sessions with the child/young person only. In these sessions I will be able to learn more about working with the child, and how they use the therapeutic space.

    REVIEW

    After the assessment sessions, I will provide feedback to the parents during a review consultation, observing and always respecting client confidentiality. While the review is usually for parents, older adolescents may be asked if they would like to attend these meetings. We then discuss the number of sessions needed. It may be short-term (6 sessions), medium (12 sessions), or long-term (one year +)

  • It is good to be as honest as possible with children and adolescents about the reasons you think it would be good for them to see a therapist. You may say they will be seeing someone who is trained to understand why they might be struggling with certain aspects of their lives.

    It might be good for them to know they can either talk to the therapist or they can play or draw, and that they don’t have to worry about what they will say or about not knowing what to say. It is also important to respect their time and process, and not expect them to share what happens in therapy.

  • Child and Adolescent Psychotherapist

    A child and adolescent psychotherapist works with children and young people in an in-depth way to help them feel understood, express emotions safely, and make sense of their experiences.

    This may happen through conversation, play, and creative activities, within a trusting therapeutic relationship. Over time, this can support healthier emotional development, improved behaviour, and greater emotional resilience.

    Child and adolescent psychotherapists do not diagnose mental health conditions or neurodivergence. However, they can support children and young people who are experiencing the emotional and relational challenges associated with neurodiversity.

    Psychiatrist

    A psychiatrist is a medical doctor who has specialised in mental health. They primarily work with diagnosable mental health conditions and can prescribe medication as part of treatment.

    Psychologist

    A psychologist studies human behaviour and how people think, feel, and function emotionally. Psychologists often use standardised assessments and psychological tests to understand difficulties and measure progress.

    There are many specialisms within psychology, including:

    • Clinical Psychology

    • Educational Psychology

    Counsellor

    A counsellor is trained to offer guidance and emotional support around psychological difficulties. Counselling is often short-term or time-limited and usually focuses on a specific issue. Talking is the main method used.

    Psychoanalyst

    A psychoanalyst uses an in-depth approach to therapy that explores unconscious processes and early relationships. Psychoanalysis is usually intensive, with sessions often taking place three to five times a week.

    Creative Arts Therapist

    Creative Arts Therapists (also called Expressive Therapists) use creative methods within a therapeutic framework to support emotional expression and psychological growth.

    Creative arts therapies include Art Therapy, Play Therapy, Music Therapy, Dance and Drama Therapy

    Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)

    CBT is a structured talking therapy that focuses on the relationship between thoughts, feelings, and behaviours. It teaches practical coping strategies to help people manage difficulties and develop more helpful ways of thinking and behaving. CBT is usually short-term and goal-focused.

  • No. For private psychotherapy sessions, you do not need a referral.

  • For children and young people aged 4–18, therapy usually begins with an initial parent(s)-only session, followed by a 4–6 session assessment phase with the child or young person. This helps us understand their needs and consider whether this way of working is likely to be helpful.

    Following the assessment, therapy may be:

    • short-term (around 6 sessions)

    • medium-term (10–12 sessions)

    • long-term (one year or more)

    The length of therapy will depend on the nature and complexity of the difficulties. We will discuss your individual circumstances and agree on an appropriate plan either during the initial parent(s)-only session and/or at the end of the assessment phase.

  • You may notice that your child becomes more able to express feelings, manage emotions, and cope with challenges. Changes are often subtle and gradual, such as improved emotional regulation, fewer behavioural difficulties, or greater confidence. Sometimes things feel harder before they feel easier, which can be a normal part of therapeutic change. Over time, therapy helps children feel more understood and better equipped to manage their emotional world.

  • Some children are able to verbalise their struggles clearly. For others, this is not yet accessible, either due to developmental stage or because their difficulties feel too complex or distressing to articulate.

    In these situations, therapeutic work often takes place through play and creative expression, allowing children to communicate and process their inner experiences in symbolic and non-verbal ways.

  • This can happen, especially when painful or difficult feelings begin to emerge. In most cases, this can be thought about and worked through within the sessions. If a child or young person refuses to engage completely, this can be discussed together, and it may be that they are not yet ready to begin the therapeutic process.

Age & Suitability

  • I work with children and young people (4+).

  • Yes, and through my clinical work, I have worked with numerous children with neurodiverse conditions, such as Autism and ADHD. Psychotherapy with neurodivergent children is usually long-term.

  • This can be discussed in our initial appointment, and sometimes this may come up after the assessment period. If other support is needed, I can offer some signposting to services that may be better suited to help your child.

  • I do not offer formal family therapy. However, where clinically appropriate and in the child’s best interests, parent–child sessions may be offered as part of the therapeutic work.

Confidentiality & Safeguarding

  • What is discussed in sessions is confidential between the young person and me. However, confidentiality has limits, particularly where there is a concern about serious harm to the child or another person. In such circumstances, information may need to be shared with appropriate services (for example, a GP or the local authority). Wherever possible, this will be discussed with the parent(s) and/or young person first, unless doing so would increase risk.

  • In line with UK psychotherapy practice, sessions are confidential in order to provide a safe and trusting space for your child. I would not share the specific details of what is discussed in sessions; however, I may offer parents an overview of emerging themes and a sense of the child’s progress. Where helpful, I can also think with you about how to respond to challenging behaviours or situations at home. Confidentiality is maintained within the limits of safeguarding: if I become concerned that your child, or someone else, may be at risk of significant harm, I have a professional and legal duty to share relevant information with parents and, where necessary, with appropriate services to ensure everyone’s safety.

  • I offer regular parent meetings so that they can be involved in the therapy process of their child. These will not break the child’s confidentiality, but it is in place to help the parents understand the child’s process and trust the work that is being carried out.

    When we meet, it can be helpful to think together about what can be done at home to support the child and the changes they are making as a result of their child being in therapy.

    Parents must be ready for the therapeutic process themselves and make sure they are committed to helping their child.

    There are also help with more logistic aspects of therapy, such as ensuring the children will be dropped off on time, responding to communication with me, and so forth.

  • In accordance to my membership with the UKCP and BACP, safeguarding concerns will be managed in line with statutory guidance and professional ethical standards. This may include consultation in supervision and, where necessary, sharing information with safeguarding services.

Approach & Qualifications

  • My training as an Integrative Child and Adolescent Psychotherapist means that I use different and combined approaches depending on the children I work with. It encompasses psychoanalytical, attachment and neurobiological thinking. We are all different, and different methods work for different people.

    I work with understanding unconscious processes, in creating a secure base to help metabolise and make sense of aspects that feel confusing. Together, we work on understanding how they respond to experiences such as stress, loss, or trauma.

    My work is very relational, developmentally and trauma-informed, and attuned to each child’s emotional and psychological needs.

  • As explained before, some children can use language and conversation to process their difficulties. For others, perhaps due to their young age of developmental gaps, the play and the arts allow them to communicate and process their inner experiences in a more manageable way.

  • I have over 5 years of experience working in primary and secondary schools in Herfordshire as a Psychotherapist and Counsellor.

    As well as my private work, I work as a Children and Young Person Sessional Counsellor for Herts Mind Network, where I also conduct assessments for suitability for the counselling service.

    As part of my training, I had an honorary placement at an NHS secure adolescent psychiatric unit as a Trainee Psychotherapist.

    • 2020/2024 – MA Integrative Child Psychotherapy, Institute for Arts in Therapy and Education (IATE), University of East London

    • 2021 – Certificate in Counselling Skills, IATE

    • 2019/2020 – Advanced Diploma in the Therapeutic & Educational Application of the Arts, IATE

    • 2002/2005 – BA Humanities and Media, Birkbeck University

  • Yes, I am a fully registered member of the UKCP (UK Council for Psychotherapy) and a member of the BACP (British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy).

    This is something I feel strongly about and proud of.

    In the UK, psychotherapy and counselling titles are not currently subject to statutory regulation, meaning that anyone can technically call themselves a psychotherapist, regardless of their training or experience, which can be unethical and dangerous.

    Voluntary registration with professional bodies such as the UKCP, BACP and ACP (Association of Child Psychotherapists), amongst others, is therefore especially important. These organisations set standards for training, ethical practice, supervision, and continuing professional development, and offer an important level of accountability and public protection.

    While these professional standard bodies each uphold ethical frameworks and training requirements, the depth and intensity of training can differ significantly.

Get in touch

Please fill in your details with a short message outlining the kind of support you’re after. I see children and adolescents face-to-face in my private practice in St Albans, Hertfordshire. I also offer online sessions for older teenagers, when suitable.

Alternatively, you can call me on 07776885120, and I will get back to you within 48 hours.