Our model focuses on the caring relationship between the individuals in the family. We look at the family as a whole and develop strategies using a strengths-based approach.
Our approach -
acknowledges this added dimension to parenting and that is often difficult and stressful
recognises you may struggle to put in the extra work that is needed
supports you to feel you can continue to care
empowers you to feel you can offer support to your young person
We know that sometimes carers want to support their young person and don’t know how
We know that caring for a Young Person with learning disability and/or behaviour challenges has an added dimension of complexity and pain that is not there for all parents.
We know that sometimes carers feel they don’t want to support their young person, particularly as they get older and would typically be becoming more independent
What do we mean when we say:
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This is a legal term and is used to describe a wide range of challenges that a child or young person can experience.
In our context we mean learning challenges such as with communication, autism, issues with attention and focus, reading and writing or managing anxiety. There does not need to be a diagnosis.
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All parenting is hard at times. However, when your child has additional support needs it can feel there is an extra level of pressure on you as a parent.
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These are ways of working that focus on identifying a child or young person's strengths and interests, what they do well, what motivates them and captures their attention.
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Providing support and adaptations that support and affirm a person's developmental differences rather than trying to 'fix' them
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In our context, we mean learning challenges such as with communication, autism, emotional dysregulation, issues with....
Would you like to book a 15 minute, no obligation, consultation on Zoom?
Our approach -
acknowledging that there are areas that need support
acknowledging that the support is not always wanted
recognising strengths and how to make use of them
understanding how they experience the world and through this build self-esteem
building strategies to make life easier
We know that young people don’t always feel they want the support
We know that young people do not want to be 'different' and we want to help them understand how things work for them
We want young people to know what their strengths are and how to build on them
Curious and interested
Honest
Clear and explicit
We promise to be:
Willing to listen
Start from where you are
What will happen in sessions?
The sessions take place in your home – we understand that getting yourselves and your child/young person into an unfamiliar setting presents a range of challenges and can leave you exhausted before you start.
We are also able to offer evening appointments.
The sessions are between 60 and 90 minutes, this will be agreed with you in advance.
The initial session will be to introduce ourselves and talk through what is on offer, your hopes and expectations (this would build on the online consultation session) and how we will structure the sessions together.
The aims for the sessions will be:
For the child/young person to:
discover their strengths and habits
develop strategies together that will support them
For the carer to:
have a safe place in which to explore fears and concerns
feel understood, seen and heard
better understand any resistance or barriers to the added dimension of parenting
develop strategies to support their well-being and feel more confident in their parenting
Together we will develop:
an awareness of neurodiversity and approaches
greater confidence to support your child/young person
a psychologically-based practical toolkit to support you as a family
EMPOWERING … you as the parent of a young person with additional needs
MODELLING … ways of intervening and strategies with your son/daughter
BALANCING … your needs as a parent with their needs as your son/daughter
REVISITING … what you have tried before, what you know works and making the adjustments that might work better
ACKNOWLEDGING … the added dimension to parenting when your son/daughter has additional needs
COLLABORATING … working together to find a way through
EMBRACING … your strengths, their strengths and building on these together
What it is like to work with us:
Families we have worked with told us …
“It felt such a relief to be able to talk freely without fear of judgment about how really tough it is to be _’s parent, once we were able to talk about our feelings and the strain on us as a couple, it felt possible to think about what worked well and what we wanted to have more of”
(parent carers about the counselling)
“It has been so helpful to talk through strategies and to think of different ways of supporting [my son]. I have found it really empowering”
(parent care about the inputs)
“Lindsay really understands me and helps me to talk about what I find difficult. She made it okay working out the steps I have to take, we did it together and then she showed my dad”
(young person about the inputs)
1. Direct inputs:
Direct inputs – learning and development – with the child or young person. The learning sessions are based on strengths-based and neuroaffirmative approaches.
2. Counselling:
Counselling to acknowledge and work with the emotional impact of parenting a child with additional needs, specifically focusing on reducing the barriers to using the inputs
1. Direct inputs – learning and development – with the child or young person
The purpose of the learning sessions is to find strategies to support the young person with challenges such as anxiety, sequencing difficulties, beginning and completing tasks. The first session will include looking at how the session would work best for the young person.
The structure of the session will be broken up into sections such as talking about ‘what’s on my mind’ or ‘what I’m working on’ so that the child knows what to expect.
We also look at any supports the young person may need to participate in the sessions, such as sensory objects or STIMs (self-stimulatory behaviours, repetitive, often rhythmic movements or sounds) used to self soothe and help with concentration and focus.
We believe that identifying strengths and working with them to find strategies to deal with more difficult situations, is not only effective but important in improving mental health.
We may work on:
Sensory or emotional regulation
Understanding ‘what works’ and what coping strategies the young person is currently using effectively
Using visual supports to organise thoughts or routines
The differences between sensory or autistic experiences and mental health difficulties
Positive psychological strategies and building self-esteem
The aim of these sessions is to develop a ‘toolkit’ of approaches that will support the young person, and their family, to achieve their goals and be empowered to support good mental health.
This toolkit may include:
strategies that support emotional regulation
ways of making information clear and accessible
as well as strategies around anxiety or anger
Autistic individuals and those with learning disabilities often experience the world in different ways and we believe that through understanding more about their own sensory experiences and perspectives, the young people can learn to identify what ‘works for them’ and how to build on those approaches.
Many of these approaches are also helpful for young people who have additional needs but no diagnosis or who experience social anxiety and other emotional challenges.
2. Counselling to acknowledge and work with the emotional impact of parenting a child with additional needs, specifically focusing on reducing the barriers to using the interventions
We understand that many parent carers struggle to sustain any consistency in the adjustments they need to make to support their children.
There are many reasons including –
Lack of knowledge
Fatigue
Other demands including other children
Time
The emotional impact of being a parent
We also know that these pressures are often added to by feelings of guilt, stress and fears of being judged.
Counselling can provide the space to talk through your fears and concerns without judgment. It can help you to reduce feelings of guilt and embarrassment so that you are better able to support your children in ways that can often feel unnatural or difficult for you.