Therapy for young adults

As well as working as a private therapist I continue to work for the charity Young Devon as a youth worker (youngdevon.org). I have discovered that working with adolescents in therapy is very different to working with adults, and I often find that traditional forms of talking therapy seem outdated or inappropriate.

Young people are often put off accessing therapy because they feel particularly uncomfortable being asked about their emotions and find the thought of sitting opposite an adult in a small room very confrontational. As a therapist working with young adults I have learnt to adapt my practice to encompass their need for space, time and equality. I have found ‘walking & talking therapy’ very effective and frequently use EFT and hypnotherapy in favour of the more traditional techniques such as counselling. These modes of therapy are much easier and more comfortable ways of helping young people to manage their distress, anxiety or depressive episodes. I encourage the young people that I work with to consider bringing a close or trusted friend to their sessions, this often makes the beginning of therapy easier for them, making them feel more secure and relaxed. I offer them the option to ‘walk and talk’ or to use ‘art therapy’ practices to begin the process of working together. I am also happy to offer them the distraction of having ‘George’, my incredibly friendly lap-dog join them for their sessions. I run a full online practice so young clients can work with me from the comfort of their own bedrooms if they prefer. I am very flexible in the way that I work and working with young people sometimes requires a bit of creativity.

I want everyone I work with to feel safe in the therapeutic environment that I provide and so I hold in confidence all that is shared within the room. I do not disclose to parents, teachers or social workers the progress a young person is making, or the issues that we are discussing, unless their is a safe guarding issue.

Generally speaking I will ask for written consent from a parent or guardian before starting work with a young person under the age of 16. I am happy to work with children under 10 years of age but will request that the parent or legal guardian be present during sessions.

It is important to me that a young person’s experience of therapy is a positive and uplifting one, even if their story is filled with sadness or trauma, therapy should never add to the distress they have experienced or continue to feel.