Embodied, Nature-connected, creative, trauma-informed psychotherapy and psychotherapeutic counselling for children and adolescents.

“We are capable, powerful, valuable, lovable and equal”

-Denton Roberts

“The shoe that fits one person pinches another”
- Carl Jung

Vanessa is a UKCP accredited and registered Integrative Psychotherapeutic Counsellor for Children and Adolescents. As a registered member of the UKCP professional body, Vanessa works to their high ethical standards.

Vanessa integrates transactional analysis, neuroscience, attachment, and somatic trauma theories with play therapy, imagery, art, creativity, nature, movement, yoga and mindfulness. This matrix of complementary theories and approaches gives her a toolbox with which to offer an individualised approach that is most appropriate in that moment with that client.

Vanessa has been working with children and adolescents for over twenty years.

Vanessa has worked as a psychotherapist at CAMHS, the NHS and in schools. Prior to becoming a psychotherapist, Vanessa worked as a Primary School Teacher and as a Youth Worker.

Vanessa has experience of working with children and adolescents that are experiencing PTSD, anxiety, depression, grief and loss, selective mutism, separation anxiety, developmental trauma and ADHD. Vanessa has worked with young people that want to feel more in control of overwhelming emotions, more able to make decisions and hold boundaries, to feel more grounded and centred, to feel stable and safe, to feel certain about being valuable, capable, lovable, powerful, and equal.

The initial consultation session

All initial sessions are online. Further sessions can be online or in-person.

Initial online sessions are 50 minutes, but charged at half price, £30. Subsequent 50-minute sessions are charged £35-£70, see the sliding scale information here.

I invite the child/ adolescent and their caregivers to be present for initial sessions. For young children, it can be useful to have a session with just parents first. This is not a therapy session, more of a chat about what your hopes are, as well as any worries, about therapy. A chance for you to ask questions and to see if we are a good fit, and a chance for me to find out more about your family and your history.

A bit more info about some of the techniques we might use…

  • I offer outdoor sessions whereby nature offers an additional therapeutic figure. Developing a connection with nature allows a relationship to build that is lifelong and can offer a greater sense of belonging. Research has shown that nature connection can offer wide-ranging benefits including lower anxiety, depression, and inflammation.

  • Sandtray can be useful for adults, adolescents and children. Jungian sandplay has been used with all ages since the 1940s. There is a plethora of research that shows it can be effective for people experiencing a range of mental health issues. A sand tray is used alongside miniature figures, that include humans, animals, plants, buildings, vehicles, monsters and other real-world and fantasy symbols. These can be chosen to represent the different parts of the Self or as symbols for the clients’ life experience. It is particularly useful when it is difficult to put the experience in to words and to externalise internal experiences.

  • “Guided Drawing® is a bilateral drawing approach that supports body mapping in a trauma-informed way. Clients draw rhythmically repeated scribbles to express inner tension, patterns of bracing and pain held in the body.” Cornelia Elbrecht. This can be used with all ages, usually adults and adolescents are more able to approach it in a conscious way but children can benefit too.

  • Mindfulness can help us to be aware of the present moment which can often be difficult for people experiencing anxiety or recovering from trauma. It can help us to notice the signs of overwhelm, feel more in control and more able to make decisions.

  • Muscle toning can be very useful for some people in developing a greater sense of containment. Gesture and posture can be useful tools to explore boundaries, self-compassion, self esteem and improved mood.

  • Clay can help to put the internal experience into form, either through the manipulation of the clay or by creating something explicit with the clay, for the internal process to take shape. Clay can be useful for people of all ages in a variety of ways.

FAQs

What ages do you work with?

I offer child and adolescent psychotherapy and psychotherapeutic counselling for 5- 18 year olds. I also offer therapy for adults, see here for information.

How long are sessions?

Each session lasts 50 minutes. The appointments usually take place at the same time each week unless we agree something different.

How many sessions will be needed?

At the intial session we will discuss whether therapy will be suitable and whether we all agree that we are a good fit.

We will discuss what would be useful based on availability, goals of therapy, and finances.

Usually, we will then agree to 8 sessions, with the eighth session a review to see where we are up to and whether we want to continue. I tend to continue in that pattern, even if we are working longer-term.

If you or your child/adolescent wants to end therapy, I ask that you give at least one session notice so that we can have at least one ending session.

Cost

Initial session (on Zoom) £30

Usual session cost is a sliding scale £35-70 for 50 minutes. This includes any time needed to fill in paperwork.

A: £70 High:

  • I am comfortably able to meet my basic needs* all the time.

  • I am employed and/or have a regular income (such as a wage or benefits).

  • I have access to ample financial savings or assets.

  • I have ample disposable income. E.g. In a month, I could regularly eat out, or go out for coffee, or could regularly pay to events or activities, such as the cinema or concert, or buy new clothes/ books every month.

B: £60 Average:

  • I am comfortably able to meet my basic needs* the majority of the time.

  • I am employed and/or have a regular income (such as a wage or benefits).

  • I have access to some financial savings.

  • I have a moderate expendable income. E.g. in a month, I could often eat out, or go out for coffee, or could often pay to go to events or activities.

C: £50 Low:

  • I may stress about meeting my basic needs* but still regularly achieve them.

  • I have a regular income (such as a wage or benefits).

  • I don't have any savings

  • I rarely have an expendable income. E.g. in a month, I could rarely eat out, or go out for coffee, or could rarely pay to go to events or activities.

  • I hold marginalised identities that impact upon access to money.

  • I cannot afford an annual holiday or take time off without financial burden.

More info on the sliding scale and concession rates here.

What are Vanessa's qualifications and professional body memberships?

I am UKCP accredited. I have a Masters (MSc) in Integrative Psychotherapy, specifically for working with children and adolescents (as well as additional separate diplomas in Integrative Psychotherapeutic Counselling with adults, and with children and adolescents). I am also trained in Somatic Trauma Therapy, EMDR, Sensorimotor Guided Drawing for Trauma, Yoga Therapy, Movement for Trauma and had various other trainings and certificates. Please see the “Credentials” page for more information.

What are the confidentiality and privacy policies?

Vanessa keeps information about you strictly confidential. This means she stores it securely and controls who has access to it. Vanessa will never use or share it for marketing purposes. She will only share such information as necessary, and where she is satisfied that the other individual or organisation is entitled to receive it.

Vanessa is GDPR trained and registered as a data controller with ICO so that any information is properly and safely stored.

Sessions are completely confidential and will not be shared with anyone unless there is a safeguarding or legal concern or they are requested in criminal proceedings.

Do caregivers need to be present at all the sessions?

I ask that caregivers be present at the initial session. After that, I ask that a trusted adult be available but not in the sessions.

It may be that a child needs IT support if a session is online, or some help with something during the session, so it is important that they can easily access that.

At in-person sessions, caregivers usually wait in the waiting room or in their vehicles while their child is in the session.

What do I need for an online session?

  • a private, quiet room

  • phones/ TV etc. switched off unless otherwise agreed.

  • Sessions are by zoom which you can get on a computer, tablet or phone. A device with a larger screen can be better for most people. If you use a phone or tablet, please turn off the notifications to avoid distraction.