Therapy

Feelings of low mood or anxiety are common across all ages, affecting children, adolescents, and adults alike. While these emotions may fade over time for some, they can persist for others, making it challenging to navigate everyday life.

As parents, we all wish for our children to find happiness and fulfilment in their chosen paths, to build meaningful, positive relationships, and to develop the resilience needed to face life’s obstacles.

Therapy at Surrey Child Psychology offers a safe, supportive space to explore and understand these feelings, helping individuals on their journey to feeling better. I provide a warm, non-judgmental environment to address a range of difficulties:

PRE SCHOOL

Feeding
Toileting
Behaviour and emotion regulation
Fears and Phobias
Separation anxiety

CHILDREN & ADOLESCENTS

Low Mood
Anxiety (e.g. panic, health, separation anxiety, social anxiety and phobias)
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
Post-traumatic stress
Emotion regulation (e.g. anger self-harm)
Behaviour that challenges
Suicidal thoughts
Emotionally based school avoidance
Attention and concentration issues
Perfectionism
Self-esteem
Understanding neurodiversity & its impact in multiple settings (e.g. home & school)

PARENTING

Parenting advice & support
Promoting a strong parental relationship and secure attachment
Adjusting to change and transition

Clinical Psychologists are trained to work using a number of models. In our work together we may use:

Acceptance & Commitment Therapy (ACT)
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
Narrative Therapy
Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT)
Dialectical Behavioural Therapy
Mindfulness
Systemic Family Therapy

When we meet, we will discuss what model(s) might be most helpful. I work integratively drawing upon multiple models. I offer therapy in line with the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) guidelines. I find out what is important to my young people and families and work together to reach their goals.

I provide flexible independent clinics to children, young people and parents and can link in with schools and other agencies where needed.

No child, young person or family are the same and I recognise that there is no one-size-fits-all approach. Therefore, the advice and support provided is personalised to address the unique needs of each young person and family.

I am a strong advocate for early intervention and prevention. If you have concerns about a child, please don’t hesitate to reach out.

Accessing Support

I understand reaching out can be daunting. Below I have outlined steps involved in accessing support.

Registration Forms & Information Gathering

Firstly, I will offer a free 15 minute telephone conversation. If we agree to proceed to assessment, I will ask you to complete a registration form and will ask for information about the presenting difficulty in more detail.

Psychological Assessment (£120-50 minutes)

We will then have an assessment session together. We usually start with parents present and I will often then speak to young people on their own (if they feel comfortable). This will allow me to gain a more in depth understanding of the problem(s). I may ask you to complete some standardised questionnaires to provide me with further information. We will subsequently formulate together and agree a therapeutic plan.

Therapy sessions (£120-50 minutes)

Duration and frequency of sessions may vary depending on individual needs, progress, and the nature of the issues being addressed. We will have a review session around session 6.

Confidentiality Policy?

If an individual is over 16 years old, they can self-refer and attend sessions without parental consent. However, if it’s deemed beneficial to involve parents, we’ll collaborate with you to determine the best approach. If you are under 16, it’s necessary for a parent or guardian to accompany you to sessions. I offer private sessions for all family members, including children and young people, allowing everyone to communicate confidentially and to give young people a private space. I am committed to preserving the confidentiality of all family members and will discuss what information can be shared and how, respecting everyone’s privacy. There are three circumstances in which I may break confidentiality: 1) if I suspect someone is being harmed by another person, 2) if I suspect they are harming someone else, 3) or if I suspect they are harming themselves. I will discuss any decisions to breach confidentiality with you beforehand, if it’s safe to do so, but I have a duty of care to act on information of this nature.

Do you provide crisis support?

We are unable to provide a crisis service. If you believe that your child or another individual is at immediate risk of harming themselves or others, please dial the appropriate emergency services by calling 999 or take your child to the nearest Accident and Emergency (A&E) department. If the situation is not an emergency but you still have concerns, please call NHS 111 or contact your General Practitioner (GP). If you are worried about the safety of a child, please contact your local Safeguarding Hub for assistance. The following sites may be helpful: http://www.minded.org.uk, http://www.childline.org.uk, https://www.papyrus-uk.org/, https://www.kooth.com, http://www.nshn.co.uk

How do i pay?

If you are accessing support via an insurer, I will discuss this with you. Often I invoice the insurer once I have an authorisation from yourselves. For self-funding clients, I will send an invoice monthly.

Can you make reasonable adjustments?

Accessing therapy can be tricky. I strive to make therapy as accessible as possible. We will work together to consider how best to meet the child’s needs, for example making sessions shorter and/or spending time outside.

What data do i collect?

In order to provide psychological services, I am required to collect, store, and process certain information about you and your child. I only retain and utilize information that is essential to your child’s care.

The information I collect includes:

Your name, address, and phone number, as well as the name of your child
Details of your General Practitioner (GP)
Any relevant information about other agencies involved with your family or child e.g. social care.
Relevant information about your child’s medical history that is pertinent to their care.

Additionally, I may collect:

Reports from other professionals, such as medical reports, psychometric or cognitive testing reports, and school reports
Letters from insurance companies (if applicable)

This information is securely stored in an electronic file until your child turns 21. Only I have access to this information.

Emails exchanged are stored on our email system, which may not be entirely secure.

I do not share information unless it is with individuals directly involved in your child’s care, and in most cases, I do so with your consent. Cases are discussed in supervision, ensuring confidentiality as both psychologists involved are bound by professional and ethical rules.

I may need to share information if I believe someone is at risk, either with your GP or a statutory agency such as Children’s Services. I will endeavour to discuss this with you first, but there are rare circumstances where I may have to do so without consent.

If it is deemed important to share relevant information with another professional involved in your child’s care, such as a Paediatrician, I will discuss this with you first and typically only share information with your consent.

For cases funded by insurance companies or other third parties, I may need to share some information for invoicing purposes. We will inform you before sharing this information.

Please feel free to reach out if you have any questions or require further information about the information I collect, store, and use, both now and in the future.

Do you accept payment through insurance providers?

I accept referrals through most insurance companies and can discuss this with you directly.

Frequently Asked Questions

Cancellation Policy?

Please give me as much as notice as possible if you need to reschedule or cancel your appointment. Your appointments are reserved especially for you and your family. The full session fee will be applied for any missed or cancelled appointments without at least 48 hours’ notice. This is because the time slot cannot be filled by another young person/family at such short notice.