Parent/ carer consultations

A consultation can be a great place to start to explore something that is concerning you about your child or your experience of parenting. During a 50-minute session, there will be an exploration of concerns, alongside strengths and resources. At the end of the session Rachel  will make recommendations about next steps. Next steps could include intervention with a child, a child assessment, parent/ carer support, or referrals to alternative specialist services. 

 

Child assessments

It can be hard to understand what is driving a child’s behaviour.  Initial assessment enables a thorough understanding of strengths and needs, which provides the basis for a plan of therapeutic intervention. Assessments involve meeting with the child or young person and their parent(s) or carer(s). Sometimes an assessment involves speaking with other key people in the child's life, such as a teacher. Assessments are 2 - 2.5 hours duration and can be completed across one or two sessions. 

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An assessment report can be completed for an additional fee. 

 

Child intervention

Intervention will be guided by initial assessment. If you already have a psychological assessment for your child, it may be appropriate to begin intervention from the outset. There are lots of ways to support a child psychologically. Often this includes work with parent(s) or carer(s) and sometimes this includes work with a school or nursery, alongside direct work with a young person. Often regular therapeutic sessions will involve both a child and a parent or carer. 

 

At the beginning of a course of intervention, Rachel will recommend a set number of sessions to begin with, at which point the work will be reviewed together, before agreeing the next steps. The initial number of recommended sessions can vary widely, depending on the complexity and severity of the child's needs. It can range from two sessions to twelve or more. 

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‘Oh Baby’ programme for transition to parenthood

Becoming a parent is often the most significant transition an individual or a couple go through. Along with the many joys it brings, it can come too with immense pressure. Individual mental-health and the couple relationship are at risk of suffering as a result. Becoming a parent brings one's own experiences of being parented to the forefront, which often need exploration and processing, in order to utilise them positively in a parenting role.

 

The 'Oh Baby' programme is an opportunity to prepare emotionally and mentally for caring for a new child. It is aimed at promoting positive mental-health for infant or child, by supporting the mental-health and confidence of soon-to-be parents. The programme is designed with all types of parenting situation in mind, be it for birth-parents, adoptive parents, kinship carers or those having a child via surrogacy or assisted conception. It aims to be inclusive to single or couple parents and to all genders and sexes. The course explores parent’s own relationships, both current and past, alongside hopes, expectations, losses and obstacles in relation to parenting. Knowledge regarding infant and child development is also provided, making the course both educational and therapeutic. 

 

The 'Oh Baby' programme for a single parent-to-be is three sessions of 50-minutes each. 

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The 'Oh Baby' programme for parent-to-be couples is four sessions of 50-minutes each.