Liz Fletcher 

Introduction

 

I am an ACP registered Child and Adolescent Psychoanalytic Psychotherapist. I provide psychoanalytic psychotherapy to infants, children, adolescents, young adults, parents and families. I work in private practice at Mind Garden in Reading, Berkshire. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What is Child & Adolescent Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy?

 

Child and adolescent psychotherapy is a form of therapy based on a psychoanalytic understanding of the complex emotional lives of children, young people and families. In the context of a safe therapeutic relationship, psychotherapy seeks to gain a deep understanding of the individual. It develops a capacity for self-reflection which enables children and young people to change the way they behave, relate to others, and achieve a sense of emotional well-being. Through psychoanalytic psychotherapy children and young people gain a resilient sense of identity and a robust emotional capacity to deal with difficult situations, essential for good mental health in adulthood. Research has demonstrated the efficacy of psychoanalytic psychotherapy in resolving children and adolescent's difficulties long term rather than relieving symptoms temporarily.

 

How do Child and Adolescent Psychoanalytic Psychotherapists work?

 

Psychoanalytic psychotherapists are trained to carefully observe a child or young person and respond to what they are communicating verbally and through their behaviour and play. Children and adolescents are given toys and/or creative materials to help them to express themselves as it can be difficult to put thoughts and feelings into words. The way the child or young person relates to his or her therapist is an important aspect of working together and trust must be established before meaningful emotional work can begin. According to the Association of Child Psychotherapist's (the main professional body for psychoanalytic child and adolescent psychotherapists in the UK) ethical code of conduct, individual psychotherapy sessions are confidential to the child/young person with the exception of child protection concerns and risk of deliberate self harm and suicide. The context of a trusting therapeutic relationship enables the child/young person to feel able to express their thoughts and feelings. By exploring the meaning of these thoughts and feelings with the child/young person the psychotherapist helps the child/young person make sense of their experience and develop greater emotional resilience.

 

Practical Information

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Each psychotherapy session is 50 minutes long. All new clients are seen for a longer initial assessment consultation (1 hour 40 minutes) to understand the referral reason, gather essential background information and plan the therapeutic approach.

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Psychotherapy sessions cost £55. 

Initial assessment consultations cost £110.

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There is a 24 hour cancellation policy whereby cancellations within 24 hours of the appointment time will incurred the full sessional fee.

 

All therapy sessions are confidential, with the exception of child safeguarding concerns, in which case appropriate child protection measures will be implemented according to government guidelines.