Parenting Support

In addition to psychotherapy, I also offer Parenting / Caregiver Support Sessions to parents / caregivers who have children under 18 yeas of age.

I have over eighteen years experience of working directly with families experiencing a wide variety of problems and adversities from a diverse range of backgrounds.

Common parenting difficulties include knowing how to cope with challenging behaviours, navigating the teenage years, and supporting children to cope with numerous problems including bullying, parental separation, grief and loss, lack of confidence, and problems with social skills.

When providing parenting support, I look at the parent-child relationship rather than looking just at the child’s behaviour. This is because viewing the parent-child relationship as a two-way, dynamic system is far more powerful in terms of affecting change. This means that in parent support sessions I will work with you to examine the unique relationship that you have with your child.

I always strive to be extremely empathetic, compassionate and supportive to parents so that you feel empowered.

In Parent Support sessions I will work closely with you to help you to

• Understand the feelings and meaning behind your child’s behaviour

• Understand your own triggers and responses as a parent

• Look at how and when your attachment patterns and behaviours are activated in parenting

• Identify your strengths as a parent alongside looking at what areas you want to work on

• Find a healthy balance of setting and maintaining boundaries and being able to be a resourceful parent with capacity to be flexible and adapt to situations as they arise

• Find ways to connect with your child and use play each day

• Develop strategies tailored to you as a person and a parent and to your family’s life

• Build confidence in yourself as a parent

Please note, my approach in parenting support is relational meaning that I focus on the unique relationship that each parent /caregiver has with each child. My approach is therefore grounded in Attachment theory and is not focused on behaviour modification.

In addition to parenting support sessions, I also offer The Circle of Security programme, an 8 week attachment-based parenting programme.