*Christmas opening times*

We will be closed between 23rd December and 2nd January. Our phone line is still open to those who need it whilst we are closed, but no appointments will be available.

CHILD, ADOLESCENT AND YOUNG ADULT THERAPY

Is your child experiencing difficulties with anxiety, depression, suicidal thoughts, self-harm or any other mental health issues?

We at Teenage Mental Health are here to help both you and your child, we understand the toll poor mental health can take on young people and those caring for them. We can work with you and your child to ensure positive outcomes for all through specialist child therapy.

When you have a child that is ill you want help as soon as possible, often parents contacting us have been on a roller coaster of referrals and waiting lists which only adds to the stress for both the parent and child. To help support you and help you step off this roller coaster we ensure that a first appointment is made available to you within 24 hours of an enquiry, this appointment lasts 1 hour and is free of charge, with no obligation for ongoing treatment. Further sessions are £50.

ANXIETY

This is a very normal emotion to experience, however sometimes, and for some people it can go from being a manageable feeling to one that totally invades their lives, making normal life and interactions almost impossible. We at Teenage Mental Health have years of experience treating children and adolescents suffering anxiety issues, and aim to get children to a place where they are able to better manage their anxiety and start enjoying their lives again.

We can help your child and you escape the vicious circle of mental ill health

A BIT ABOUT THERAPY

Why use us?

Children can be very vulnerable, not only physically, but mentally as well. They can suffer from the same type of mental illnesses that adults suffer from, but their thought processes are very different, so they need to be approached in a special way. Although children can easily fall prey to psychological disorders such as clinical depression, generalized anxiety disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder and attention deficit disorder, they can manifest their symptoms in very different behaviours from adults. At Teenage Mental Health we focus on helping children who are suffering some form of mental imbalance, working with the child to help them think through and process the problems that they are experiencing, at a rate that they are comfortable with. Whilst children will often present differently, child therapy deals with many of the same mental health issues as its adult counterpart – depression, grief and anxiety, and these are all common conditions child therapy can help with. It is so important to seek treatment early, often problems presenting in childhood, that are left untreated, are likely to follow a patient into adulthood and have the potential to impact upon all aspects of the child's life such as educational development, social interactions and career success.

Get in Touch

PARENTAL SUPPORT

Because we know how difficult it is for parents/ carers when their child is ill, we have just set up a support group for parents and carers of children (no matter how old) experiencing mental health problems. This runs on Mondays from the 17th of September 2018 at the Hub Ipswich. For further information please contact us.

Dates/times of our parental support groups are listed below.

06/01/2020: 7pm - 8:30pm
20/01/2020: 7pm - 8:30pm
03/03/2020: 7pm - 8:30pm
17/02/2020: 7pm - 8:30pm
02/03/2020: 7pm - 8:30pm
16/03/2020: 7pm - 8:30pm
30/03/2020: 7pm - 8:30pm
13/04/2020: 7pm - 8:30pm

About the Team

Fiona heads up the team at Teenage Mental Health and holds an honours science degree in psychology and has post-graduate qualifications in teaching, counselling and psychodynamic approaches. Her Master's degree is in child and adolescent psychodynamic counselling and having completed several years in public practice in various schools in the Suffolk and Essex area now runs the private counselling practice working with children adolescents and adults.

She is also a licensed trainer in mental health and works with organisations to build and deliver bespoke training packages to meet the needs of staff working with challenging behaviour and have a greater understanding of mental health issues, alongside her clinical work. As a member of the BACP, She believes that the patient always comes first and is the center of any work.

We have several therapists working at Teenage Mental Health. Our team consists of Annamaria, Fiona, Justin Ligia, Maria, Mehmet, Rachel, Sarah E, Sarah H, Zoe C, and Zoe E. All of our therapists are qualified to at least masters level in BACP accredited qualifications for child and adolescent counselling as well as being members of the BACP. All staff are DBS checked, insured and subject to strict clinical supervision as well as being in their own personal therapy. Our philosophy at Teenage Mental Health is that the patient always comes first and is the center of any work.

We have practices based in both Suffolk and Kent, please see the contact information below to learn more.

Testimonials

“Seeing Teenage Mental Health every week really helped me with my mental health while I was going through a hard time. Having someone to talk to about things really helps. I was helped with choosing what I wanted to do after school and gave me a little push to get there.” – GB, Ipswich, Suffolk.

"My therapist has helped me a lot over the past few months, they're easy to talk to and listens to everything you say" - W, Norwich, Norfolk.

“The Teenage Mental Health team have given our family the chance to receive expert care for our daughter which is given in a safe homely environment and at a cost which is affordable. We are benefiting from frequent sessions our daughter receives, alongside the bi-monthly parent meetings. There are already signs of progress towards a happier and healthier future.” – P, Witham, Essex.

“Our son was struggling with school, anxiety, and bullying. Spending time in his room on computer games and not engaging at all. He would get angry constantly if asked to do something outside of what he feels comfortable doing. We had almost completely lost the young man we knew. Following sessions with Teenage Mental Health he began to increase confidence in himself and connection with the family has increased astronomically. He is now a completely different child. He hardly ever stays in his room, limits his screen himself. Laughs, jokes, but most importantly is more resilient to the world. People at school still say things but he feels so much better about himself he brushes them off. As such he has moved up sets and the school are praising him constantly on his effort. We cannot recommend Teenage Mental Health’s work more.” – LE, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk.

"My daughter was suffering with anxiety and it reached a level where she has struggled with schooling along with her social life. My first port of call was to take her to my GP but with very little help and understanding I came away wondering if there was anyone else that could help. I began my search and came across Teenage Mental Health. My daughter attended a number of sessions and within weeks I could notice a gradual change. Each week she gained confidence and self belief.

Since my daughters course of therapy she has gone on to sit her GCSEs and is now attending college full time.

At the time I didn’t think it would be possible for her to get better, but Teenage Mental Health were incredible and I thoroughly recommend them." - N, Ipswich Suffolk.

"As my child approached their teens a black cloud descended upon us. Although there were a lot of other factors, I initially put it down to hormones and ‘normal teenage behaviour’, but it became obvious, after 2 years, that we were experiencing something more serious.

Seeking help from our GP led us to a series of closed doors. Too young for GP intervention, not severe enough for CAMHS and too long a wait for and limited services from Point 1, I looked to the private sector for help.

Finding Teenage Mental Health has been, quite literally, a lifesaver. Although we’ve still a long way to go, regular, convenient and flexible sessions for my child and a free support group for parents and carers (because we matter too) have seen our black clouds turn to grey, and sometimes, there’s even a little ray of light, something I didn’t think possible 6 months ago. I can’t thank Teenage Mental Health enough for the help and support that we’ve received to date." - LM, Norwich, Norfolk.

CONTACT US

Suffolk: 5 Coachmans Court, Ipswich, IP4 1DX

Kent: 8 Blackberry Way, Paddock Wood, Tonbridge, TN12 6BP

07955 803539

“I've always regarded therapy more as a calling than a profession, a way of life for people who care about others.”