Laura Hollington Counselling
A safe space
Teenager Counselling in Edinburgh
Welcome, and thank you for visiting.
My name is Laura and I am a teen counsellor, specialising in work with 11-18 year olds in Edinburgh. I am fully qualified, having gained an Msc in Psychodynamic Counselling with Children and Adolescents at Birkbeck College, University of London in 2008. I am a member of BACP and have worked in schools, charity and community settings across the UK for 15 years. I am also a qualified yoga teacher with teenagers. I work with awareness of mind-body connection as central to sessions with a young person.
I have expertise in working with young people who are struggling with anxiety, depression, stress, those who have experienced bereavement or loss, trauma, family separation or those who are going through particularly challenging situations in their lives. I work with ADHD and autism.
Making the decision to see a counsellor is a big step to take - but it can be a positive one. Please read on to find out more about how I could help you.
A Safe Space to Talk
The world can often feel so hard and confusing and if you are a young person reading this, you may feel lost, confused, worried or lonely. This may be due to struggles with relationships, how you feel about yourself or pressures within your family or school.
I am really passionate about providing a safe, nurturing and friendly space for supporting teenagers with the challenges they are facing at the moment. I believe that healing comes through building trust and connection, when we feel safe and are given space. I will work with young people to enable them to tell their story. When emotions can be expressed and understood, healthier coping strategies can be developed. I will help you to find your own solutions. Through this connection I will work with young people to enable them to tell their story, to express their feelings to enable some understanding of things which maybe feel confusing, stuck or too big to handle
My Approach
I am an Integrative therapist with a background in psychodynamic therapy. This means I work using different methods, depending on what works with the young person. We may use art or sand play, they may prefer to work things through talking, or we may use a combination of different approaches. I am a qualified yoga teacher with teenagers, and in some sessions you may find it helpful to incorporate breathing, relaxation techniques and meditation particularly for relief from anxiety, to aid sleep and promote a general sense of wellbeing and stress-relief. Most essentially, we will be guided by the young person and what they would like to focus on throughout the session.
A Journey
I believe young people's stories and challenges are so unique to them, and I'm always so amazed by the inner resources and strength they are often unaware of in themselves. In supporting young people at this really challenging time, I believe we can begin the journey together towards them feeling better, towards a greater understanding and sense of themselves, enhancing sense of wellbeing and relationships with others and feeling more able to manage and find their joy and spark again.
Contact Me
Parents/carers or young people self-referring aged 16+, please email laurahollington@gmail.com or contact me directly on 07967 374159 for a 20 minute chat to discuss your/your child's difficulties.
WHAT WILL HAPPEN NEXT
We will arrange an Introductory session of 35 minutes at a reduced rate of £25. If treatment is an appropriate way to go at this time and you decide this is the right step for you, we will then arrange a session time that suits you and the young person. Sessions will last 45 minutes, usually taking place on a weekly basis. We will have a block of 6 sessions before a review.
FEES & AVAILABILITY
Sessions will last 45 minutes, usually taking place on a weekly basis. I know it can be really daunting for families to take the first steps with counselling. With this in mind, I would like to ensure you have time and space to work out if this is right for your teenager, and to provide support with this process.
Cost of weekly sessions will be £50 payable as a block of 6 sessions.
If you are unable to make a session, please let me know prior to 48 hours before session time. Full session fee will be charged if under 48 hours.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long a period of counselling lasts will vary from person to person and depend on the depth of the issues they are facing. For some people a couple of sessions helps to bring their problems into focus, and they feel ready to move forward; other problems may require more of an open-ended approach.
Before we begin any work we will agree on the number of sessions we’ll undertake, and at the end of that number review our progress. As long as we both agree further therapy will be of benefit to the young person, sessions can continue.
My aim is to offer a first appointment - known as an initial assessment - within 1-2 weeks. Then we would arrange a set number of counselling sessions to take place at the same time every week, that is convenient for the young person and where I have availability. How quickly these sessions can begin will depend on the availability of that free ‘slot’.
Everything that is said within the counselling room is confidential - this is one of the main ways counselling and therapy differ from talking to a friend or relative. The only exception to this will be if the young person discloses that they are at risk of significant harm, but we will talk about this together, and make a plan for a way forward.
Usually I am asked this question by people who are nervous about entering into counselling, or when they are looking for support in coming to see a therapist. This anxiety is understandable, but a key aspect of therapy is that the young person should feel free to talk about any issues they feel are important. Having someone else with them who can be connected those issues makes this opening-up more difficult, so for this reason I do not see clients accompanied by friends or family.
Parents/carers are welcome to wait in the centre in our small waiting space if a young person needs support, or you will find numerous local cafe's in and around the Meadowbank area.
© Laura Hollington
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