Parenting Counselling in South East London, London

To make the first step to reach out for help is the most difficult one. I provide an environment where clients can feel comfortable exploring their challenges, their emotions and finding solutions. I recognise and support your autonomy, working with couples is to help both parties through the process of managing communication styles. There is scope for you to attend individual sessions, it is a good opportunity to be incorporated in your couple's work.

Parenting a child with emotional or behavioural problems is difficult. It's hard when they're struggling with anxiety or low mood, or showing fearful, sad or clingy behaviour that you just can't seem to help them with. They may have ADHD, sleep or behaviour issues, needing you to adapt your parenting - but you've tried everything and nothing has worked. These issues are understandably going to be affecting your home life, relationship, mood or confidence. It can feel isolating and lonely dealing with these every day challenges. A safe, nonjudgmental space with an experienced clinician can be transformative for you and your child.

I offer specialist clinical psychology assessment, formulation and treatment to children, adolescents, parents and young adults based in South East London. I can offer face to face sessions in Blackheath or online therapy.

As a Child & Adolescent Psychotherapist, I was trained to carefully observe children and young people and respond to what they are consciously and unconsciously communicating through their behaviour, verbally and non-verbally, through unstructured play, their silence, and other ways to communicate their emotional difficulties or distress. I have several years working in the NHS in CAMHS, and with charity organizations, providing evidence-based therapy and individual & group interventions for children and adolescents and supporting the networks involved in their care so that they can build resilience, flourish and live fuller lives.

I am Dr Kirsty Carmichael and I am a Practitioner Psychologist registered with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) with more than 12 years experience of working in the NHS. I offer a range of psychological therapies for adults, young people, couples and families.

I offer Integrative Therapy for adults and young people, and family work. I specialise in anxiety, over- thinking, adhd, healing from childhood trauma and parenting for children with neurodiversity. I take a holistic, intuitive and non judgemental approach, where all parts of you (and your child) are welcome.

I am passionate about my job as a psychologist and helping people from all walks of life who have found themselves needing a bit of support. Alongside my private practice I work in the NHS as a senior psychologist with children and families who may be struggling to connect with themselves or each other. I work with many different difficulties including trauma, anxiety, emotion dysregulation. I also work with neurodiversity including ADHD and ASD.

I am an MBACP registered psychotherapist. I work with clients of all ages, but have a particular interest in working with children and young people. I have a longstanding interest in how our early relationships affect our development. I offer counselling (including play therapy where appropriate) and parenting support. I work as an integrative therapist. This means I blend elements from different approaches and I tailor this according to each of my client’s needs. This can include exploring how buried thoughts, feelings and experiences shape our current relationships.

I have an MPsychpsych (6-year postgraduate training) and I am registered with the Association of Child Psychotherapists (ACP), for work with children and young people up to the age of 25, as well as parents, carers and professionals. I have 20 years of experience working with children and families, including clinical and leadership positions within the NHS and in many mainstream and specialist schools. Most recently, running a specialist CAMHS service within the NHS in West London and as a Visiting Lecturer on Postgraduate mental health courses at the Tavistock & Portman.

Are you struggling with parenting, family life and relationships, pregnancy or the impact of a traumatic birth or other experiences? I'm very familiar professionally and personally with the struggle to adapt to new roles and new demands, and the anxiety and overwhelm and constant doubt that often come with that, perhaps knowing that your mental health is declining but trying to keep going nevertheless. I provide an emotionally safe to help you to explore what is troubling you, safely process traumatic experiences if appropriate and support you to get a place where you feel you can move forward.

As an integrative counsellor, I use a range of approaches and models. I will work with you to help you to explore whatever life issues you may be struggling with. Our sessions gives you the opportunity to discuss your thoughts, feelings and experiences in a non-judgemental and confidential space. I will give you time to work out how to best cope with what you are facing, to come to terms with the past as well as to explore ways to improve your relationships. I will support you but also at times challenge you so that you can honestly evaluate and clarify what really matters to you.

Are you a parent who is worried about their teenager? Are you struggling to communicate with one another whilst finding it hard to understand each other? Does your young person suffer with anxiety or persistent low moods? Maybe they are struggling academically and/or refusing to go to school? Would you benefit from having an open and honest conversation with your young person in a safe and familiar environment? Young people want to be heard. They want to be respected and treated as adults.

Being a parent/caregiver can sometimes feel very challenging, especially if your child is experiencing difficulties. Are you left wondering whether you are getting it right? It may be that you want to strengthen your relationship with your child and think about how you communicate with each other. We may also think about how you are taking care of your own needs and how to self-regulate your emotions in a healthy manner. Perhaps you are concerned about your child’s mental health and are looking for a way to help your child feel like themselves again. No matter what you are both going through, things can get better.

I work intergratively and collaboratively, that is to say I draw on different psychological therapies, including CBT, Narrative and Attachment ideas and techniques, depending on the challenges and stories brought into the therapy room by the client(s). I work within an overarching Systemic framework which pays special attention to supporting individuals, couples and families to find the strengths of their relationships so as to make disturbing symptoms less problematic. It is not just about problems however, Systemic therapy is  built on a bedrock of hope, focusing on resilience and resourcefulness. 

I am a child-centred play therapist working with children, primarily from 4-12 years of age. I provide a safe, empathetic and accepting space for your child to explore what is troubling them. My approach is play based and primarily non-directive. However, for some children a slightly more directive approach can be helpful. Each child is unique, therefore the sessions will be tailored to your child and meeting their individual needs. A play based approach can be useful for children who may find it difficult to express how they feel into words.

Sometimes our problems feel too huge or too painful, sometimes they feel too small to believe they will be taken seriously. Sometimes they just feel too weird, or embarrassing. I welcome you wherever you find yourself, without judgment or expectation. As we work together to unpick the issues you feel are in question, my hope for you is that you will make new discoveries about your sense of yourself. We will explore your present experience, bring your patterns of relating into your awareness, tracing how your past impacts your present, so that you can find your own unique way through the maze and noise, rebuilding your self-love.

We all have times in our lives where we might be experiencing conflict, or unhappiness. You might need help having experienced trauma, grief, loss, with conflicts in beliefs, ideas/ ways of parenting, or struggles we can have with unsupportive families . You might need help with freedom from shame, stress, have problems with trust, anger, conflict or rejection, help as a couple to communicate or as a parent. Most people I work with want to be loved or understood, to have agency, to have (and give) attention, to have freedom, to create, to belong, to win or to connect. Wherever you're at, we can work together towards your goals.

Hey! What brings you here? What hurts? What are your struggles? What keeps you stuck? Is it a relationship with a loved one? A parent, a child, a partner or a friend? Is it depression, overwhelming feelings of sadness, loss of joy, sleepless nights, no desire to get out of bed, avoiding friends or family members? Is it anxiety or panic attacks, intrusive thoughts, constantly worrying, creating worst scenarios? Is it a sense of not feeling good enough, comparing yourself to others in a negative light, second guessing your actions, feeling judged, having a sense that your existence is a waste of time?

As an integrative counsellor, I integrate various humanistic and psychodynamic therapeutic modalities to offer comprehensive support. Offering long & short term therapy specialising in, Anxiety, Depression, Abuse, Family issues, Early years parenting, Suicide, Bereavement & Relationship issues. My practice is built on a foundation of compassion, believing in the inherent capacity for growth and healing within you. Cultural awareness is paramount, as I deeply value and honour your diverse background, experiences, and identities. By embracing your unique cultural differences, I ensure that my therapeutic approach is inclusive.