Our Services.
What we do. And how we do it!
“We help children and teenagers express their feelings in a safe way, gain mastery over difficult emotions, test out new ways of being and problem solve. From this they can gain confidence, build self-esteem and improve their resilience and communication.”
What We Do
At The TreeHouse Essex, we offer each child or young person, and their families, a safe space with a highly trained and sensitive therapist to work through their difficulties in a creative and supportive way.
For most children and young people we work weekly through 1 hour sessions. This may go on for as little as several weeks or might be several months depending on the needs of the child and the issues they are working through.
All therapists at the Treehouse are trained to Masters Degree level - and specialise in key areas of child development, trauma and attachment.
This gives us a window into the inner world of a young person to help them express their feelings, gain insight and understanding and thus bring about positive change. Through our work, combining counselling, psychotherapy, and creative therapy (such as drama and play therapy).
Our Approach
Creative Arts Counselling & Psychotherapy is a therapeutic intervention used to bring about positive mental health and well being for children and young people from all walks of life and across cultures.
It is a dynamic process between child and therapist where play and drama are the primary medium and speech is the secondary medium. It is, in a very real way, the equivalent of counselling or psychotherapy for adults. Not only is this way of working far more accessible and dynamic - but more than this it is uses the natural language of communication of young people.
Why Young People Benefit so Much
If adults experience emotional problems they may try "talking treatments" to help them. For children and young people talking therapies on their own may not be enough. There may be several reasons for this:
-Younger children may not have fully developed verbal skills or may not be confident in using the verbal skills they do have. This will be more so if they are traumatised or scared.
-Older children and teenagers may be more able to talk about things directly at times but as they may not fully understand their feelings or they might struggle to put them into words. Creative methods provide a dynamic dimension which young people are usually much more willing to engage with.
-Talking therapies can often feel too threatening, especially at the beginning. Creative methods enable children and young people to move at their own pace, not even needing to talk about their problems until they are ready.
CORONAVIRUS RESPONSE
WE HAVE ADAPTED ALL OUR SERVICES QUICKLY TO MEET THE NEEDS OF AS MANY FAMILIES AS POSSIBLE DURING THE HUGE UPHEAVALS AND STRAINS CAUSED BY THE CORONAVIRUS.
OUR SERVICES ARE STILL AVAILABLE ‘FACE-TO-FACE’ TO BOTH PARENTS AND THEIR CHILDREN (In line with government COVID-19 regulations and advice).
IF PREFERRED WE CAN ALSO WORK VIA VIDEO (THROUGH FACETIME / SKYPE/ WHATSAPP VIDEO) and also by Phone.
All our therapists/counsellors are fully DBS/police checked. Parents can of course be present at all times when we are working with children/young people in this way.
We can work with you and your children/young people to create support structures and helpful & empowering ways of exploring/managing/coping with the huge changes, challenges and stresses that they are facing.
BECAUSE OF THE FINANCIAL CHALLENGES MANY PARENTS ARE FACING. WE HAVE ALSO REDUCED OUR THERAPY/COUNSELLING RATES. See Here...