Georgina McCarthy Counselling

If you are reading this, then you may well be considering taking a step towards reaching out for help. Maybe you need some support through something difficult, or maybe life has felt difficult for a while with things that you are struggling to understand and change alone.

Whatever it is you are going through, counselling and psychotherapy offers you a space to safely;
...explore your thoughts and feelings
...understand your reactions to situations
...learn new ways to cope with difficulties

Counselling is a talking therapy that allows people to talk about their problems and feelings in a confidential and safe environment. Generally, counselling is a process that people look to engage in when they either want to, change something within their lives, explore their thoughts and feelings in greater depth, or to work through specific problems or issues that are causing distress.

My experience has proven that when we have the time to explore our thoughts, feelings, and our reactions to difficult experiences, in the safe and confidential environment that counselling offers, this can lead to a greater understanding of ourselves and an improved sense of well-being.

I have been working extensively with children and young people for a number of years and I currently practice within some local schools, in addition to my private practice.

Children and young people face many challenges in the modern World, such as the pressures of school, difficult life experiences, issues with friendships and social media, to name but a few. As a result they can often be struggling with understanding how they feel and can find it very difficult to talk openly with people that they know. In my experience, children and young people find having a therapeutic space separate from family, friends, and teachers incredibly helpful, within which they are able to start to identify and better understand, their own thoughts and feelings.

Children
Some of the presenting issues that may be an indication that your child is struggling and needs some extra support from a counsellor or psychotherapist;

Frequent outbursts of anger

Being bullied by others

Behaving in bullying ways towards others

Anxiety in social situations

Reluctance or inability to sleep

Reluctance to attend school

A significant life transition or traumatic event

A significant loss

Sometimes children just need a space to talk through their circumstances, and sometimes they need to learn better skills to cope with them. The aim when working with children is always to make therapy feel comfortable, fun and interesting, often communicating and learning through play.

Whilst confidentiality applies to clients in this age group, parental consultation is important, and sessions allow time for a check-in with parents.

Adolescents
Teenagers face a growing and unique set of challenges, whilst in the midst of transitioning from child to adult; one of life's notoriously difficult phases. It's always been a complicated time of life, with increased independence and freedom comes difficult and important choices around careers, exams, and lifestyle choices to name just a few. But today, this is all compounded by social media, by the pressures of the world to be funny, clever, good looking, perfect.

Often teenagers don't have anyone they feel they can trust to talk to about all of these difficult subjects. They often don't want to tell friends that they are struggling, and they don't want to worry parents and family. So they struggle alone, becoming withdrawn and unhappy.

Therapy provides an important space for teenagers to talk openly and honestly without fear of judgement from peers, or of causing worry and concern to family.