Working with children and young people
I am the father of five children, now aged between 14 and 21, whose varied experience of adolescence has included anxiety, depression and neurodivergence. So I fully understand the pressures on today's young people, as well as the difficulties they sometimes have in expressing their fears and worries.
Your child may be nervous about school or exams, they may have social anxiety that holds them back from making friends or enjoying time with the friends they have, or they may be displaying 'maladaptive' behaviours such as self-harm or eating disorders. In other cases the presenting signs of a psychological challenge are physiological: tummy aches, headaches/migraines, nausea, repetitive behaviours, and sleep problems can all point towards underlying stress.
There are many reasons for the current mental health epidemic affecting children and young people in the UK:
- The impact of the COVID pandemic and its interruption of schooling and socialising
- The 24-hour news cycle and online media space, with its constant reminders of the world's problems
- Social media taking a toll on self-esteem and confidence
- The cost-of-living crisis, which may make adults around the young people anxious or unavailable
… but whatever the reasons for any individual child/young person experiencing difficulties, it's really important that they're able to find a way to live a more engaged, fulfilling, happy life before mental illness sets in long-term.
How I will work with you and your child
Adolescence (which in brain terms stretches from the age of 13 to around 25) is a complicated, often challenging time – my starting point will be to respect all the ways in which your young person is already succeeding at navigating their way through. This is the great benefit of Solution Focused Hypnotherapy, which starts by looking at your child's strengths and skills, and at where they already experience joy or satisfaction in their life.
Ordinarily, I will carry out an Initial Consultation with you and your child, before continuing to work with them either alone, or with you close at hand, whichever works best for you and them.
If you think I might be able to help, please do get in touch to arrange a meeting. Therapy will only be successful if I become someone with whom your child feels comfortable, so meeting to explore that rapport will be essential before making any plan for ongoing therapy. If you decide between you that I'm not the right therapist then you won't be charged.
DBS and data protection
I have an enhanced DBS certificate, which you are welcome to ask to see when we meet, and I am registered as a data processor with the ICO under the following details:
- Name: Thomas Rowan Stanway Cairns
- Registration number: ZB906218
As with all my clients, I will maintain strict confidentiality around any information shared with me by you or your child. You can see my full Client Terms & Conditions for details.