We have a range of services available for children and young people, all offered by fully qualified, registered practitioners

• Psychological Therapies
• Dietetics and Nutrition
• Homeopathy

Psychological Therapy Services

Psychological difficulties can have a significantly disruptive effect on the process of development from infancy through childhood and the teenage years into adulthood. Many emotional and behavioural struggles begin during childhood or adolescence and can get in the way as young people try to progress through each developmental stage. Intervention with psychological therapy during these critical periods can limit this disruption and help redirect emotional and social growth towards confidence and independence in adulthood.

At Fairbairn House, we are unique in our capacity to offer a range of different psychological therapy services to children and young people, crossing the age span from birth to young adulthood. With a primary focus on the specific needs of young people and their families,  to tailor what we offer to meet these needs, including choice of therapeutic approach and number of sessions.

The services we offer include:

• Child Psychotherapy (birth to early adulthood)
• Clinical Psychology (age 12 to early adulthood)
• Counselling (age 16 to early adulthood)
• Classes for Carers/Parents of Adolescents

Child Psychotherapy

Child Psychotherapy is a recognised and well regarded therapeutic intervention for children and young people from birth to 24 years of age. It is a gentle and playful talking therapy which helps children and young people make sense of their thoughts, behaviours and actions which may be troubling, puzzling or getting in the way of key aspects of their day-to-day life. For children, this can take the form of playing, drawing or talking freely and children often communicate powerfully via these methods.

Child Psychotherapy begins with an assessment to gain a clearer understanding of the difficulties (formulation) and suitability for psychotherapy. The appointments take place once weekly on the same day, time and place with each session lasting 50 minutes. This regular, predictable, safe and confidential space is central to addressing the puzzling or troubling behaviours and preoccupations, especially the more entrenched behaviours.

Children 0 to 5 years
For young children, psychotherapy has been shown to be effective in helping with issues such as bedwetting, sleep problems, night terrors, feeding difficulties, separation anxiety etc. This requires working jointly with the parent and the child. This can be a valuable opportunity for detecting neurodevelopmental difficulties at an early stage.

Children from 6 to 12 years
A transition towards adolescence can be an anxious time for some children. Psychotherapy can help children who may be experiencing difficulties with their peer relationships, displaying oppositional or defiant behaviours, people pleasing, underachieving at school, being vulnerable to bullying and such other negative influences.

Young People from 13 to 16 years
Some Young People can find a move to Secondary School really anxiety provoking. These anxieties can often show up as generalised anxiety, depression, acting out, eating disorders, self-harm and such others. Psychotherapy can help young people who could be struggling to navigate this stage by helping them to make sense of their thoughts and behaviours.

Young Adults from 17 to 24 years
Making their way into the world as a semi-independent and later as an independent Young Adult can be a time of uncertainty, worry and dealing with a range of expectations and pressures. Psychotherapy can help with tackling these pressures, forming a healthy separation and transition to adulthood.

Supporting parents, carers and other professionals
Psychotherapists are trained extensively in applying the same model of thinking to assist other adults who may be involved in supporting the child/young person/ young adult. This is done through consultations, supervision and parallel support sessions to parents/carers, Guidance teams at school, Social Work etc.

Clinical Psychology

Clinical Psychology at Fairbairn is available for young people aged 12 and above. It involves talking therapy sessions, usually weekly , which last a maximum of an hour, attended by the young person only, if they prefer, or they can be joined by one or more family members for all or part of sessions. The main focus is to put the young person at ease, so they feel safe to explore the difficulties they are seeking help with.

An initial assessment phase is aimed at developing a psychological formulation or a shared understanding of why these problems are presenting at this point in their life. This is achieved through application of psychological theory and research, together with our understanding of mental health difficulties, to the information the young person and their family tell us about what they have been experiencing. From there we discuss and develop a tailor-made therapy plan, using evidence- based therapies (such as CBT, DBT) to suit their particular needs. We usually discuss a plan for number of sessions and regular reviews help us to make sure therapy is effective and helpful. We often start with an initial block of six sessions and decide from there whether it looks like more will be helpful.

The Clinical Psychology service is available for a wide range of problems including anxiety, depression, OCD, trauma, eating disorders, self-harm and emotion regulation difficulties. Many of these problems can also be experienced alongside neurodivergent conditions such as autism and ADHD and may need a slightly different approach. Psychological therapies can be adapted to suit the social and emotional needs of each individual young person and their family to help them work out how best to tackle the problems they have brought along.

Counselling

Counselling is available to young adults aged 16 and above.

This period in a young person’s life brings change and challenge greater than anything they will have experienced since infancy. Many of them feel weighed down by heavy expectations to thrive as they begin work or further education. At the very time where they need to be able to think clearly, they are undergoing major neurological ‘rewiring’. Emotions are intense and what used to bring solace no longer does so. Young people with neurodiverse experience can find this period even more challenging.

Counselling is a talking therapy which provides a safe space for the young person to explore and make sense of what is happening for them. As counsellors, we draw on psychological theory and a range of counselling approaches to offer perspective and enable self-compassion. We can support them in learning how to emotionally self-regulate and how to engage with family and others in a way that promotes their healthy growth as adults.

Counselling can be effective for a wide range of difficult experiences including social anxiety, depression, relationship difficulties, low self-esteem and trauma, through to the more positive end of the spectrum: finding your ‘self’ and a sense of belonging.

‘Parenting Adolescents’: Group Sessions for Parents and Carers

‘…healthy adolescence — holds our master key to both individual development and…human evolution. ‘ Bill Plotkin (2008) ‘Nature and the Human Soul – Cultivating Wholeness and Nature in a Fragmented World’, New World Library: California.

Unfortunately, this life stage of adolescence is generally much misunderstood. The young person’s natural need to take on their adult identity brings conflict. This can be bruising for all parties: relationships can reach breaking point with intense feelings of loss, anger and disappointment. Both young people and those who care for them can feel lost with few clues as to how to navigate whilst it while retaining mutual respect.

Valerie Smith (MBACP Accred.) and Cathie Hutchison (MBACP Accred.), both parents of adolescents, will be running sessions for parents/carers over Autumn/ Winter from Fairbairn House to share perspectives and practical approaches on this subject.

In these sessions, we will explore:

• Adolescence as a transformative period in human life and its significance
• The perspective of both adolescent and parent
• The need to change and grow as parents
• Sources of conflict and how to handle them, e.g. sleep, self-harm, losing
  control

The sessions will include opportunities to share about this difficult time for anyone with a caring responsibility for young people. Further details regarding dates and location will follow.

Dietetics & Nutrition Service for young people over 17 years

Dietitians interpret the science of nutrition to improve health and treat diseases/conditions by educating and giving practical, personalised advice to clients, families and carers (https:// www.bda.uk.com/about-dietetics/what-do-dietitians-do.htm)

How can Nutritional treatment help?

Having the best nutritional health can support recovery from illness/surgery, reduce allergy and food intolerance symptoms, improve your longer term health and wellbeing and optimise your body to cope better with any medical treatments (operations/chemotherapy/radiotherapy/ hormone treatment)

Dietetics can help with a range of issues including:

• Gut health and conditions affecting the gut such as inflammatory bowel disease, IBS, bile acid/gallbladder, liver and pancreatic disorders, constipation or other bowel problems, controlling your bowel habit, stomach or abdominal pain, reflux/heartburn, bloating, excess wind/burping. Providing expert dietetics advice on diet, hydration and lifestyle to reduce your symptoms.
• Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and other inflammatory disorders
•  Nutrition assessment and support for skin health.
• Food allergy / intolerance, micronutrient deficiency such as iron deficiency, testing, assessment and support including support for you to reintroduce foods safely that you may be over restricting un-necessarily and support improving your gut health.
• Any non eating disorder nutrition and dietetics support.