Therapy for Children & Young People

I've spent 6 years working with children and teenagers who don't fit the box and feel misunderstood. I work at The Children's Rooms in Poynton and in my Wilmslow practice with young people aged 6 upwards through to young adults.

I've worked across CAMHS hubs, the charity sector, sixth form colleges and schools throughout Cheshire and Manchester.

Whether your child is experiencing emotional based school avoidance, hurting themselves, navigating divorce, anxiety, neurodivergence, or just completely stuck — I don't need them to sit still and make eye contact whilst having conversations. We work at their pace, in ways that actually suit them through play and neuro-affirming work.

What I Work With

What brings young people to therapy.

Emotional Based School Avoidance

When getting to school feels genuinely impossible — not because they're being difficult, but because something about that environment is overwhelming or unsafe for them. This often links to undiagnosed neurodivergence, bullying, or anxiety that's been building for years.

Neurodivergent Presentations

ADHD, Autism, PDA, or young people who just feel different and don't know why. Whether they have a diagnosis or not. I help them understand their own brain and nervous system, develop strategies that actually work for them, and build self-acceptance.

Anxiety, OCD & Intrusive Thoughts

When worry takes over everything. When their brain won't stop showing them horrible things. When compulsions or rituals become the only way they feel safe. I work with the underlying anxiety and help them develop tools that suit their nervous system.

Self-harm & Suicidal Thoughts

When emotional pain needs somewhere to go. When everything feels too much and they can't see another way through. I provide a safe space to talk about what's really going on without judgment or panic.

Control, Perfectionism & Body Issues

When they push themselves too hard — over-exercising, restricting food, obsessive routines, needing everything to be perfect. This often shows up alongside anxiety, trauma, or neurodivergence as a way to manage overwhelm.

Trauma & Difficult Experiences

From abuse, neglect, difficult family situations, or things that have happened that they can't make sense of. Working with what their body holds, not just what they can talk about.

Identity & Social Struggles

Figuring out who they are, feeling like they don't fit anywhere, friendship difficulties, being bullied or excluded. Gender identity, sexuality, not recognising themselves anymore.

How It Works

Therapy doesn't have to look like therapy.

I don't expect young people to sit facing me having proper conversations about their feelings. That works for some kids, but most find it excruciating.

We might draw, use metaphors, move around, take breaks, work with objects, or just sit in silence for a bit. Sometimes they talk loads. Sometimes they barely say anything and that's fine too.

I also don't pathologise things that are just part of being a young person or being neurodivergent. Stimming, special interests, needing movement, struggling with eye contact — none of that needs fixing.

Therapy tools for children and young people

Neurodivergent Young People

I know what masking looks like in kids.

I've worked with countless neurodivergent children and teens at The Children's Rooms Poynton and across CAMHS settings. I know what masking looks like in kids. I know what autistic burnout looks like in teenagers. I know what undiagnosed ADHD looks like when it's been missed because they're "just daydreaming" or "just lazy."

I help them understand their own nervous system, work out what they actually need (not what adults think they should need), and build a sense of self that isn't based on how well they can pretend to be neurotypical.

For Parents

You need support too.

If you're parenting a struggling child — whether that's school refusal, neurodivergence, anxiety, self-harm, or just behaviour you don't understand — you need support too. I offer sessions specifically for parents where we can work on:

Processing your own feelings about what your child's going through

Understanding neurodivergent presentations and what your child actually needs

Navigating education systems, SENDIASS, EHCPs, and schools that don't get it

Managing your own burnout and anxiety

Realising you might be neurodivergent yourself

School support letters, referral letters, and GP letters

Family Therapy

When the whole family needs support.

Sometimes the whole family system needs support. When everyone's exhausted, communication's broken down, and you're all stuck in patterns that aren't working.

I offer family therapy where we can work on understanding each other better, reducing conflict, and finding ways forward that actually suit your family — not what parenting books say should work.

This is especially helpful for families with neurodivergent children where traditional parenting approaches aren't landing, or whilst navigating co-parenting through divorce or changes in household structures and everyone's at breaking point.

Common Questions

Questions about therapy for children & teens.

What age do you work with?

I work with children from around age 6 upwards through to young adults (early 20s). The lower age depends on the individual child and whether they're ready for therapy.

Do I need to stay in the session with my child?

For younger children (under 12ish), I usually meet with parents first, then see the child alone if they're comfortable with that. For teenagers, sessions are confidential and private unless there's a safeguarding concern.

What if my child won't talk?

That's really common, especially at first. We don't have to talk. We can draw, use metaphors, work with objects, or just sit together. Sometimes the best work happens in silence.

How long does therapy take?

It depends what we're working on. Some young people need short-term support (6–12 sessions) for something specific. Others need longer-term work, especially for trauma, neurodivergence, or complex family situations.

Do you work with schools?

I can write letters supporting reasonable adjustments, EHCP applications, or explaining what your child needs. I don't usually attend meetings but I can provide written input.

What if my child is neurodivergent?

A lot of the young people I work with are neurodivergent — whether diagnosed or not. I help them understand themselves and develop strategies that work for their brain.

Can you help if my child is self-harming?

Yes. Self-harm is often a way of managing unbearable emotional pain. We work on understanding what's underneath it and developing other ways to cope, without shaming them for it.

What about eating issues?

I work with young people who are struggling with control around food, over-exercising, or body image. This often shows up alongside anxiety, perfectionism, or neurodivergence. I don't have specialist eating disorder training, but I can work with these presentations when they're part of a broader pattern.

Do you work with teenagers who don't want to be in therapy?

Sometimes, yes. We start by acknowledging they don't want to be there, and we work out what would make it less difficult. Sometimes they end up engaging. Sometimes they don't, and that's okay too.