Being a parent is an exciting and joyful experience but some times it can also feel troubling and exhausting.  All children come into this world with different personalities. While some babies are easy to understand and connect with, some might not be so straightforward and can feel challenging to understand and respond to their needs.

Who is this service for?

The service is for families with babies and children up to five years old who have difficulties that have not been improved by the help and behavioral strategies offered by Health Visitors and others involved.

What difficulties can I help with?

Babies and young children express their discomfort through excessive crying, being too clingy or avoidant, difficulties with settling and sleeping, not responding to parents efforts to comfort them. Difficult pregnancies, traumatic birth experiences, and other traumatic events at the time of pregnancy and birth can have an impact on sensitive babies and how we experience and relate to them.

Toddlers and young children can have problems with potty training prolonged tantrums, aggressive behavior,harming themselves through head banging or hair pulling, night terrors, eating difficulties,difficulties to separate from parents.Often parents know when something more complicated is going on for their child and is not only “just a phase”By addressing these difficulties in the early years we can avoid emotional and health problems developing later in life.

What therapeutic treatment will you be offered?

You can contact me by phone or email to have a brief discussion if what I offer is helpful to you. If you feel it would be helpful I will offer you an initial assessment followed by five sessions to think together about your worries and concerns about your child. Gaining an understanding of the meaning behind the difficulties-behavior can help improve things.

Emotional difficulties I can help with:

• Attachment/bonding difficulties
• Excessive crying
• Eating difficulties
• Toilet training problems
• Soiling and constipation
• Prolonged night terrors
• Separation anxiety
• Severe long lasting tantrums
• Hair pulling
• Head banging

Some sessions will involve you and the child and some on your own, we will discuss together what will be most helpful.

If you would like further information please visit the Association of Child Psychotherapists website: http://www.childpsychotherapy.org.uk