Supporting the people around a child
Parents do not always need someone to tell them what to do. Sometimes they need somewhere to think about what is happening. Changes in a child’s behaviour, adolescence, conflict at home, relocation, school transitions, identity, emotional development or changes within the family can leave parents uncertain about how best to respond.
I offer psychological consultation to parents who want to better understand their child, their relationship with their child, and their own responses to what is happening.
A space for parents to think
Parents can consult with me without their child necessarily becoming my patient.
A consultation may be useful when something has changed, when a familiar way of responding no longer seems to work, or when a parent simply wants to think more carefully about what may be happening before deciding what to do.
Parents may come to discuss changes in behaviour or emotional wellbeing; childhood and adolescence; communication and conflict; boundaries, independence and changing family relationships; relocation and international-school transitions; identity and belonging; separation or changes within the family; illness, loss or bereavement; and uncertainty about whether a child may benefit from further psychological support.
Growing up - and parenting - between worlds
Moving country can affect different members of a family in very different ways. A move that represents opportunity for a parent may feel like loss to a child. One child may settle quickly while another struggles. Parents themselves may be adjusting to a new language, culture, professional life or support network while trying to provide stability for their children.
Psychological consultation can provide somewhere to think about these different experiences, particularly when questions of identity, belonging, friendship, home and cultural difference become part of family life.
Support for international-school communities
International schools support children who are navigating ordinary developmental change while many are simultaneously adapting to relocation, different cultures and languages, changing friendships and questions of belonging. Parents may be navigating many of the same transitions themselves.
I work with schools to complement rather than replace their existing counsellors, psychologists and pastoral teams by providing psychologically informed support to parents and the wider school community.
Parent talks and workshops
Talks and workshops can create a space for parents to understand an issue more deeply, ask questions and think together rather than simply receive instructions about how they should parent.
Supporting children through relocation
Helping children settle into a new school or country
Understanding adolescence
Parenting across cultures
Identity and belonging
Supporting children through family transitions
Communication, boundaries and conflict
When should a parent seek psychological support?
Supporting a child who wants to return home
When members of a family adjust differently to relocation
Working with schools
Workshops and parent programmes can also be developed with schools in response to the particular needs of their community.
This may involve a single parent talk, a series of discussions around a particular developmental or psychological theme, or consultation about an issue affecting parents within the wider school community.
For parents and schools
Parents may contact me directly for a consultation. Schools and parent associations are welcome to enquire about talks, workshops or programmes for their community.