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In-person psychodynamic therapy for teenagers aged 13–17 in Colchester. Anxiety, school refusal, self-harm, low mood, identity questions, friendship and family stuff. I work alongside parents when it's helpful, and always on the young person's terms.
A lot of the parents who contact me find the website at night, after their kid has gone to bed and the house is finally quiet enough to think. Most of them have already tried something — talking to school, GP visits, the CAMHS referral, online forums, books — and most are exhausted, scared, and quietly worried that they're somehow making it worse.
If that's where you are right now, the first thing I want to say is: you haven't done anything wrong by being here, and the fact that you're looking is itself part of helping.
The second thing I want to say is more practical. CAMHS waitlists in this part of the country are often 12 months or longer. School counselling is patchy and time-limited. There aren't many specialist private therapists in Colchester who work with teenagers in a way that takes both the young person and the parents seriously. I do.
I'm not the right therapist for every teenager, and being honest about that is part of doing the work properly.
I don't work with teenagers in acute crisis— if your child is actively suicidal, has made an attempt, or has a severe eating disorder requiring medical monitoring, they need a specialist team rather than weekly individual therapy. I can help you think about what that might look like, but I can't be the only thing in place.
I also don't work online with under-16s — this is a confidentiality decision. Younger teenagers have sometimes had sessions in houses where parents are present in adjacent rooms, which undermines the work. For 13–15-year-olds, sessions need to be in person at Colchester Business Centre. Read more about online therapy →
Therapy with teenagers is different from therapy with adults, and a lot of that difference is about who's in charge of the work.
The teenager is the client. What we talk about in sessions is between us, with the same confidentiality I'd offer any adult — except in the rare situations where I'm legally and ethically required to involve someone else (immediate risk of harm, mainly). I explain this clearly in our first session, in language they can actually understand, and they know exactly where the limits are.
I work psychodynamically, which means we're not running through worksheets and homework. We're trying to understand what's actually going on for them — what they're feeling, what they're not letting themselves feel, what's been happening at home and at school, and what their version of the situation looks like. A lot of teenagers have spent years being talked at by adults who think they know best. Therapy might be the first place they're being taken seriously.
Sessions involve talking, but also writing, drawing, sometimes worksheets between sessions if it helps. I follow the teenager's lead on what works for them.
Parents are part of the picture, and I never pretend they're not. Here's how I usually structure the parent involvement:
Before I start work with your teenager, we'll have a conversation — sometimes a phone call, sometimes a brief in-person meeting — where you tell me what's been going on, what you're worried about, and what you're hoping therapy might help with. This is also where I explain how I work and what to expect.
I'm clear with both you and your teenager about what stays in the room and what doesn't. The general principle: the content of sessions is private, but I'll let you know if something happens that genuinely affects safety or wellbeing.
Sometimes I offer parent-only sessions to think about what's happening at home, how to respond to specific situations, and how to look after yourself while looking after your child. These are paid sessions in their own right and they're not me reporting on your child — they're me supporting you as a parent.
If your teenager has an EHCP, is engaging with SENCo support, or is having difficulties that need school involvement, I can work alongside the school with consent.
Most of my professional experience before private practice was with children and teenagers:
Alongside this I have post-qualification training in working with neurodiverse young people, eating disorders, trauma and attachment, and LGBTQ+ clients. I'm BACP registered and in ongoing clinical supervision.
This is the question I get most often, and the honest answer is: it depends.
Some teenagers are openly looking for therapy and just need a parent to make it possible. Others are firmly against it because they associate “therapy” with being labelled, judged, or fixed. Most are somewhere in between — curious, scared, defensive, hopeful, all at once.
If your teenager is on the fence, I'd suggest two things. First, the free 15-minute call can be with you (the parent) only — you can ask me anything, decide if I sound like someone they could tolerate, and only then bring it up with them. Second, I'm comfortable having a brief introductory chat with the young person directly, with no commitment, before any first session is booked. Most teenagers find that less threatening than walking into a “therapy appointment” cold.
I never pressure a young person to keep coming if they don't want to. Forced therapy isn't therapy.
Therapy is a slow process. If your teenager is in immediate danger — actively suicidal, has made an attempt, or is in acute mental health crisis — please contact:
Call 111 and press option 2 for the mental health crisis line. Available 24/7.
For an emergency same-day appointment.
If there's immediate physical risk.
Text 85258 for free, 24/7 text support.
Call 0800 068 4141 for under-35s with thoughts of suicide.
I'm not a crisis service and can't replace one. But once the immediate danger has passed, weekly therapy can be part of what helps your teenager move forward.
The call can be just you as the parent, just your teenager, or both of you together — whatever makes most sense. We'll talk about what's going on, whether therapy seems like the right next step, and any questions you have. No pressure, no commitment.
Book a Free 15-Minute Call