Please note that I have very limited after school availability
I understand that as a parent you need the reassurance that the counsellor you choose has the right experience and personality to engage with and help your child. I appreciate that it is often difficult to bring your child to therapy. Sometimes parents feel they must have failed their child in some way or worry that they will be blamed or judged by a professional. You can be assured that I do not judge parents, in fact I believe it is a sign of a committed parent to bring your child to therapy.
I offer a free 20 minute initial consultation via telephone, however, if the referral is more complex then I would recommend a 50 minute assessment that can be arranged in person or online, to get a history of the young person’s difficulties and also to enable us to form a working relationship and for you to ask any questions. Following this, you will be provided with a contract to agree to, along with my privacy policy, both must be signed and returned prior to the initial session.
It is intrinsic that a safe and trusting relationship develops and exists between the therapist and the adolescent. Privacy is especially important in securing and maintaining that trust. One goal of treatment can be to promote a stronger, more positive relationship between adolescents and their parents. However, it is often necessary for them to first develop a “zone of privacy” whereby they feel free to discuss personal matters with greater freedom. This is particularly true for adolescents who are naturally developing a greater sense of independence and autonomy. This can be challenging to manage as a concerned and caring parent who naturally wants to be kept informed as fully as possible. I will normally review how counselling is going every six weeks with the parent present for part of the session, unless there is a very strong view from the young person that they do not want this to happen. Within this review, I will also aim to support you to support your child while they are having therapy and keep you informed on general themes we are covering, as long as your child is in agreement with this.
Please be assured that any safeguarding concerns would be shared and managed appropriately, but aside from this everything else remains confidential between the client and therapist.
As part of my professional and ethical good practice I have a duty to pass on any concerns regarding Child Protection and Safeguarding. If I felt there was a concern or a risk relating to your child then I would contact the appropriate services to support with this, this may be yourself, the referrer, school or most likely MASH (Milton Keynes Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub). I also may refer on to other professionals, eg Child and Adolescent Mental Health. Sometimes this will be whilst continuing to see the child myself alongside liaising with other mental health agencies, at other times we may need to bring our therapy to an end. Sometimes when young people are struggling at school, it can be helpful for me to work with education staff and provide advice and guidance on how to support the child.
Sessions – Therapy is most effective when it is scheduled consistently once a week at an agreed day and time. Each young person is unique, and the process of therapy occurs at their own pace. Therapy is a collaborative process between the adolescent, parents and the therapist. The number of sessions required depends solely on each adolescents needs.
During – You are welcome to sit in your car or leave and return within 50 minutes while your child/adolescent is in a session.
After – It is beneficial to allow your child/adolescent to tell you about the session without feeling pressurised to do so.
Jenna Gleeson Therapy Services 