Child Psychologists: Healing Young Minds
Empower your child’s emotional and cognitive growth with our experienced Child Psychologists, providing tailored online and in-person counselling. Book now for a brighter future.
Child Psychologist to help me and/or my child
If you are seeking help from a Clinical Psychologist for your child (or for yourself to help with parenting challenges, you are not alone. Helping, watching and/or trying to cope with your child’s psychological emotional difficulties is hard.
A child can express emotional psychological problems in a range of ways.
People, including children and young adults, can also try to hide their problems from others.
Who Can Be Affected?
Factors that may contribute to the development of problems include experience of traumatic incidents including separations and bereavement, societal pressure to achieve certain academic goals, genetic vulnerabilities, ASC, ADHD and other neuro-diverse related problems, physical health issues, and psychological factors such as anxiety and depression.
However, such difficulties can cause such a toll on your child, your family, your child’s relationships with others, school work , etc.
Can my child overcome psychological problems?
We believe there is hope and the possibility of change; whether the problems can be relieved partially or completely will depend on the issues. Finding and learning better ways to live with psychological problems/difficulties helps many.
Meet with a Clinical Psychologist to work towards discovering what may be contributing to your child’s problems and how to move forward.
You may wish to see a Psychologist to help you with parenting challenges.
Can I See A Clinical Psychologist for my child's behavioural problems?
As a first step, you and your Clinical Psychologist can reach an individualised Formulation of your child’s difficulties.
A Formulation is an understanding of what led to problems and what may be likely to be maintaining them.
This can then help to decide on the plan for psychological intervention/ therapy.
The plan could also include the psychologist working with your child’s school/college/yourselves as parents/other.
Given that meeting a Clinical Psychologist for the first time for help about personal problems can be difficult for some, the Psychologist will do his/her best to try to make your child/young person/you feel at ease.
Psychologist Counselling For your child
If you’re looking for an experienced psychologist offering help for parenting issues and or psychological counselling for your child, our Clinical Psychologists offering effective Psychological Therapies can be found on the About Us page. For example, Consultant Clinical Psychologist, Dr Sabrina (“Brie”) Nowinski has plenty of experience in working with children and young people. We also have colleagues with extensive experience helping children and/or those around them, with complex, multiple difficulties and risk related situations, including teenagers/adolescents.
We are registered psychologists with the Health Care and Professions Council (HCPC) and Practitioner Psychologists with the Professional Standards Authority.
You can also contact us about available counselling appointments by clicking on the button below.
Crisis in NHS Childrens Services
Sadly, there were:
- 1.4 million children were estimated to have a probable mental health condition within the 2022-23 financial year.
- The percentage of children who had their referrals (to the NHS CYPMHS) closed before accessing the service for possible treatment was 372,800 (39%) (CYPMHS = Children and Young People Mental Health Services)
- “Over 270,000 children still waiting for support, and in the last year nearly 40,000 children experiencing a wait of over 2 years”
- “…the level of care that children receive is very much still down to the luck of where they live. Waiting times vary hugely across the country, from an average of 147 days in Sunderland…”
Childrens Commissioner’s report “Children’s Mental Health Services 2022-23”, March 2024
Clinical Psychologists seeing children and young people through here include:
Author
Dr Jurai Darongkamas
Jurai is a Consultant Clinical Psychologist who worked in Mental Health in the National Health Service (NHS), 1986 – 2019.
She now works part time alongside select colleagues offering high quality Psychological Therapies privately.
She is an Associate Fellow of the British Psychological Society (AFBPsS), an experienced trainer and supervisor; previously Lead in an NHS Trust for people with complex difficulties and Board Trustee.
Note
This page has been written to provide a brief overview for the reader. It should not be used as a basis for any action until after obtaining a professional opinion about your unique difficulties, strengths, circumstances, life history, etc.
Related Issues
External Resources
Client Testimonials
Clinical Psychology: FAQs
What is Clinical Psychology?
Clinical psychology is the scientific study of the human mind and behaviour. Its principles and theories are applied to help individuals, couples, families, groups, and organisations.
What is the training process for becoming a Clinical Psychologist?
Clinical Psychologists usually undergo 7-8 years of training, which includes obtaining a Psychology degree (usually 3 years), plus the doctoral degree in Clinical Psychology (usually 3 years).
Additionally, some relevant experience, such as working as an assistant psychologist, IAPT worker, nursing assistant, researcher, etc., is often required to secure a place on the Clinical Psychology training course.
What kinds of therapies can Clinical Psychologists offer?
Clinical Psychologists are trained in a wide range of psychological assessment, intervention, and therapies. They can offer a tailored approach to individuals, including integrative therapies, which combine two or more types of therapy in a theoretically coherent practical way.
How does the training of Clinical Psychologists compare to that of Mental Health Counsellors?
The training of Clinical Psychologists is much more extensive than that of most Mental Health Counsellors. In addition to their foundational training, many Clinical Psychologists go on to receive specialist training in particular approaches.
What are the main Psychological Therapy Approaches used?
We view each person as unique. Rather than use a label regarding which mental health problem you have, we work out with you what’s contributed/led to, the present difficulties and what’s the best way forward.
We offer a range of therapy approaches.
Sometimes, it is appropriate to offer an individualised, integrative approach (combining 2 or more in a theoretically coherent practical way).
We will advise you, out of many possible psychological approaches including:
- Cognitive Analytic Therapy (CAT),
- Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT),
- Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR),
- Experiential Dynamic Therapy (EDT),
- Compassion Focussed Therapy (CFT),
- Emotion Focused Therapy, etc.
How do I make an appointment for help?
To see one of our clinical psychologists, complete our brief, online form or call us on 0330 223 1844 for a free, no-obligation consultation where we will aim to help us fix a good day and time for you.
Click the following link below to see more information about the individual psychologists that work with us.
Who do you see?
We see individuals, couples and families.
Do you offer both online and in-person appointments?
We see people over the internet with some in same-room appointments, for talking therapy or psychological therapy remotely using Zoom.
Psychological therapy has been shown to be effective on-line – it is more than counselling over the internet.
As well as psychologists based across the UK, e.g., in Birmingham, Staffordshire, Shropshire, London, North of England and other areas,
What is the process involved when starting therapy with a Clinical Psychologist?
As seeing a Clinical Psychologist can be a very personal journey, you would normally first meet up to see if you can work together as client – psychologist, as two people.
The first, and any subsequent, session is charged at the rate for the psychologist you see.
The Clinical Psychologist will offer an assessment. That is, getting to know you to understand possible issues linked to how the difficulties started and how they persist.
This assessment will usually consist of asking you to share about your background, key family members (past and current), relationship history, and anything else you feel is significant.
How long do I see a Clinical Psychologist for?
How long you will meet for can be agreed between you and your Clinical Psychologist at the first /first few meeting/s depending on the help required, the clinical understanding reached and your preferences.
We would not offer to see you for longer than necessary.
Alternatively, you might choose to be seen for a few sessions (1-4) just for assessment.
After an assessment, you can be advised if psychological approaches could help you and the approach needed in the Clinical Psychologist’s opinion.
Will I be given information about the Clinical Psychologist?
How much does it cost to see a psychologist?
Clinical Psychologists have a wide range of experience. Depending on your specific needs and which Psychologist you see, the cost is usually in the range of £100-£140 per appointment. It depends on which person you decide to meet.
We can be more specific once we have considered your particular presenting needs.
We will always let you know the exact cost before you agree to meet.
What courses can I join to help me improve my psychological health?
From time to time, we also offer classes (courses and workshops) to those interested in learning skills in a group setting and meeting others. These cover areas such as: self-esteem, confidence, understanding more about interactions with others, understanding “rules” from childhood.
Please email letting us know of your interest and/or ask the person you see for more information about this. When we have the dates for our next course, information will be posted here.
How will my confidentiality be maintained?
We would normally ask you for details of your GP. We will agree with you whether you would like us to write to your GP to let him/her know that you seeing a Clinical Psychologist. We would normally prefer to write.
We take your GP’s details because, should the situation dictate and we become concerned for you welfare, then we would have to let him/her know. As part of our duty of care, we aim to tell you that we are doing so first.
We would usually only break confidentiality where absolutely necessary, for example, if we were informed that a crime was to be committed.
How are Clinical Psychologists regulated?
You are entitled to make a complaint about any Clinical Psychologist you are unhappy with to either the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) and/or the professional association for Clinical Psychologists, the British Psychological Society.
(The former was set up for the protection of the public and potentially can strike someone off the register so they cannot practice again in future, if found guilty of misconduct).
Many professional organisations have published codes of conduct and code of ethics.
All individual practitioners should carry professional indemnity insurance for their work. You can ask to see a copy of their up to date certificate.
What is your complaints procedure?
We hope, and expect, that you will receive an excellent service from our Clinical Psychologists.
However, in the event of you not being satisfied with the service you receive from your Clinical Psychologist, you have several options available to you, depending on your degree of dissatisfaction.
Please visit our complaints procedure page for more details.
