Psychological therapy for children & adolescents
Therapy for children and young people with Autism and / or ADHD
For many young people, living in an overwhelming world of sensory overload and constant demands, can trigger difficult feelings, including anxiety, anger and low mood. Therapy can help with this, through learning about our feelings and how our brains and nervous systems work. We can learn ways to make space for tricky feelings and how to tolerate this. We can also develop strategies to help manage our feelings. An outcome of therapy is often being able to live a life in line with our values, allowing us to be our true authentic selves.
Therapeutic support for young people can help them make sense of an Autism and / or ADHD diagnosis and identity, and feel confident about who they are.
Types of child / adolescent psychological therapy & what to expect
Therapeutic approaches will draw on a variety of models, including Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT). Therapeutic work will also be trauma-informed, because it is common for neurodivergent young people to have experienced trauma in their lives.
Therapeutic approaches will be tailored to the individual child or young person, and their own unique interests and preferences. The format of sessions will vary, but the aim will always be to help the young person feel comfortable and validated. If talking feels difficult, we will use different therapeutic tools to support engagement and help the young person feel safe, e.g. games, drawing, colouring and worksheets. In our sessions, the young person will be encouraged to be their true self without having to mask, so they will be able to move around, explore their special interests, use fidgets and stim freely.
This can be provided online or in person, but it tends to work best in person.