TALK THROUGH IT
SUPPORTING MENTAL HEALTH FOR CHILDREN AND TEENAGERS
NEWBURY AND SURROUNDING AREAS
Gerry set up Talk Through It in 2016. She is a Newbury-based counsellor and solution-focused practitioner, but covers West Berkshire and surrounding areas, often including nearby Hampshire, Oxfordshire and Wiltshire. Talk Through It is for adults, teenagers and children who need help finding solutions to issues in life that have become difficult to cope with. The solution-focused approach focuses on changing the thought pattern – what would your life be like if the problem was no longer there? Unlike Counselling, it does not dwell on the problem but moves a person forward towards possibility. Your problem is still acknowledged and listened to – as in Counselling – but the session is tailored differently in order to move you out of a cycle where you always focus on the problem.
Adults
It may be that you cannot see a way forward in life and that you are struggling. Solution-Focused therapy can help with this. A person’s history does not need to be taken into account, if a person does not wish to divulge it. Whether you have come to talk about your job, career choice, your home, partner or self, solution-focused therapy helps. It allows you to visualise a time when your problem is not present, it works on change and how you can move forward. The number of sessions you will need depends on you. You may feel that one visit is sufficient, or you may feel you need many more. The average is around 6-8.
Children and Teenagers
Gerry has worked in Education for many years, as a teacher, behaviour specialist and latterly, counsellor and solution-focused therapist. Seeing the increase in anxiety and stress in children and adolescents, and the knock-on effect it has on parents/carers and families, Gerry set up a business that focused on tackling these issues. She has a great deal of experience using solution-focused therapy and counselling , especially with children and adolescents who have anger or anxiety issues . She also has experience working with children who have ASD and/or ADHD. Gerry sees families for group therapy, if the family unit feel that this is something they would like to explore.
As someone who always sees possibility and hope, she favours Solution-focused therapy as her tool of choice. With younger children she uses the same approach but includes drawing. She has had much success and is passionate about making a difference.
Typical issues occurring in children/teenagers:
- extreme reactions to minor incidents.
- exhibiting uncontrollable bursts of anger
- panicking and finding it difficult to cope.
- finding family-life emotionally charged
- continually going over the same thoughts or problems
- becoming insular and inward thinking
- feeling low and lacking self-confidence
- having problems relating to people
- unable to make friends
- struggling with schoolwork, expectations or peers
- being disruptive in lessons
- inability to focus when in class/at work
- anxious about school or work
- worrying about judgement from others
- struggling to get into school each day