Therapies | ABC Counselling Services

Therapies

Our experienced and fully qualified therapists use a range of counselling techniques, therapeutic play and integrative models. These can include:

Counselling and Psychotherapy for children and young people
Counselling and Psychotherapy for adults
Therapeutic Parenting and Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy
Filial Therapy
Theraplay
Play Therapy and Therapeutic Play
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy
Solution Focussed Therapy
Specialist Trauma Therapies: Eye Movement Desensitisation Reprocessing (EMDR), REWIND Technique, Children’s Accelerated Trauma Technique (CATT)
Creative Therapy
Therapeutic Life Story Work

Counselling

ABC counselling and play therapy is confidential within the limits of child protection. Safeguarding concerns always supersede confidentiality and we have comprehensive policies and procedures that all staff adhere to.

Young people often struggle to talk about their thoughts and feelings which are impacting upon their daily lives. At ABC, we offer a range of interventions including creative mediums and talking therapies to allow the young person to choose how to express their behaviours and feelings. Through exploration, the young person can develop an understanding of themselves, their thoughts and feelings, thus enabling them to change and move forward with their future.

Children and young people may also learn how to manage relationships and conflicts in more appropriate ways as well as being able to explore difficult life experiences in order to make sense of their past and cope better in daily life. When children and young people are less stressed and anxious, they are more able to focus and learn which improves their ability to fulfil their academic potential

Play Therapy

Play is a child’s natural medium for self-expression and is essential for healthy development. Play therapy helps children with behavioural and emotional problems to help themselves through ‘playing out’ their thoughts and feelings.

Much of current play therapy practice is based on the work of Virginia Axline, who was influenced by the person centred approach of Carl Rogers. Theories of child development, attachment and neuroscience are also an integral part of play therapy training.

Children and young people often show their distress in their behaviour e.g. becoming angry or withdrawn. This may be because they either don’t feel ready to talk or do not have the words to talk about their experiences and express their feelings. By offering a variety of play and creative art materials in a safe and confidential therapeutic environment, the play therapist is able to help the child/young person to connect with the emotional experiences that they are struggling with. Through play therapy, the child is able to identify, work through and resolve emotional conflicts with a trusted adult.

The play therapy toolkit includes therapeutic storytelling, creative visualisation, puppets and masks, art materials including paint and clay, sand, music, drama and movement. Each play therapy session is child led, and therefore the child will decide what parts of the toolkit they wish to use.

Fingertips online counselling

We know that young people are very comfortable with digital media and it can also sometimes feel less scary when you are not talking face to face. ABC offer online counselling sessions and although it is not right for every young person, the potential benefits of receiving counselling online are many and include: being able to access counselling in the privacy and comfort of your own home or place of your choice, having the opportunity to reflect upon messages; and being able to have a copy of what was discussed so that it can be referred to later.

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Specialist Therapeutic Needs Assessment

ABC’s Consultant Clinical Psychologist provides a specialist therapeutic needs assessment for those children and young people who would benefit from an in-depth intervention.

Family Support, Mediation & Conferencing

How ABC Family Support works.
ABC works with families to improve the quality of life for the whole family. A dedicated ABC Family Worker works alongside the family to identify the support they need to take steps forward and achieve their goals. Once we have agreed a plan we will begin the work over an agreed timeframe, holding regular reviews to measure progress. We can work with a family from just a few weeks to a year, depending on need, time and work involved.

What can a family or funder expect from Family Support?

Mediation/Family Group Conferencing to help resolve family disputes and improve relationships
Parenting support delivered from evidence based programmes
Supporting families to plan and engage in positive activities together
One-to-one sessions with family members around the problems they face
Support to access appropriate services e.g. Child & Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS)

Where do ABC Family referrals come from?

Family Support referrals can come from a school or social care agency that funds ABC to deliver this work. Once we have received a family support referral from the funding agency, ABC will contact the family within five working days from being referred to the service.

What does the Family Support service aim to do and achieve?

To strengthen family relationships
To meaningfully include and engage families in the Care Planning process
To enhance parenting skills and strategies
To strengthen the quality of family life
To improve confidence, resilience and emotional well-being
To improve school engagement and attendance where identified
To prevent the exclusion of children from school where identified

Family Mediation & Conferencing

Family Mediation & Conferencing is delivered by ABC’s experienced and qualified practitioners. We specialise in delivering mediation and family conferences that enable family members to sort out their differences and resolve conflict. Often this has ensured that young people have not been made homeless or become looked after by the local authority.