You are part of this story too!

At Alethos Therapies, I know that when a young person is hurting, their whole family can feel it. You see the worry in their eyes, the silence where there used to be chatter, the changes that don’t always make sense. It can feel like you’re standing at the edge of their world, wanting to help but not knowing how.

I work alongside you, too, helping you understand what your child might be feeling, how to respond in ways that build connection and safety, and how to hold hope when things feel stuck.

You are not alone. I am here for you too.

I believe young people do not heal in isolation; they heal in relationship. That’s why I offer:

Initial consultations — so you can share your worries and hopes.
Regular check-ins (when appropriate) — to help you feel connected to the process.
Strategies and signposting — to support you in supporting them at home.
A safe space for your questions, too — because your feelings matter.

My promise to you

You won’t be judged.
Your questions will be met with respect.
You’ll never be blamed for things you couldn’t see or didn’t know.
You will be supported, so you can keep supporting them.

Ready to talk?

If you’d like to find out more about how therapy might help your child or teenager, or how I can support you as a parent or carer, please get in touch. Sometimes the smallest conversation can make the biggest difference.

This is where Alethos Therapies is different. While I offer one-to-one counselling for young people, I also recognise when the work needs to expand,  to include the parent, the carer, or the relational field surrounding the young person.

If I observe that the root of a young person’s struggle may lie in patterns within the parent-child relationship, I may invite relational work into the process. This doesn’t mean blame; it means healing. It means helping parents understand where they’re responding from, and guiding both parties towards more attuned, secure, and emotionally nourishing connections.

This may look like:

• Joint sessions with both the young person and their parent/carer.

• Separate therapeutic spaces that run in parallel.

• Parent-only consultations to offer insight, emotional support, or relational coaching.

Every family system is different. I will always work collaboratively, ethically, and gently, meeting you where you are.

Why This Matters

Young people don’t exist in isolation. They grow, hurt, and heal in relationships. Often, when a young person is struggling, the question is not “what’s wrong with them?” but “what happened to them,  and how has it been held?”

My approach doesn’t treat behaviours in isolation. It seeks to understand the whole story, and to help reweave the relational threads that may have frayed over time.

There is a passage, inspired by the work of Carl Rogers, the founder of the therapeutic model I adopt, that speaks so closely to how I see therapy that I have chosen not to reinvent it, only to shape it in my own words. It expresses, with rare clarity, what I hope you will experience when you come to Alethos Therapies.

While there is no such thing as a “typical” session, because you are unique, and so are your life experiences, there are some things you can expect. My role is not to “fix” you or prescribe the path you should take. I see my task as helping you to express what’s on your mind so that you can perhaps begin to see things more clearly; a companion on your journey, someone who will walk beside you while you explore your thoughts, feelings, and experiences.

I work from a Person-Centred Perspective, which means our focus will always be on your world, through your eyes. I won’t usually offer direct advice for two reasons. First, you and I are not the same person, and it would be neither right nor respectful for me to tell you how to live your life. Your decisions are yours to make, and I deeply trust your capacity to find what is right for you. Second, I have learned that lasting growth rarely comes from someone else’s instructions, but from the process of wrestling with your own choices and discovering your own truth.

This does not mean I will be silent. There may be times when I share what I am feeling or noticing, honestly and without judgement. Therapy is not always easy, and it is never entirely neutral. Sometimes you may leave feeling lighter because you have spoken openly and been truly heard. At other times, you may find yourself touching places that are raw, complicated, or painful.

It can be like looking in a mirror, the mirror does not judge you, but you may find yourself judging what you see. In therapy, we explore these reflections together, with compassion and curiosity. This process can bring both joy and discomfort, and both are part of what it means to fully meet yourself.

If at any point you have questions or concerns about our work together, you can bring them to me. I will always do my best to respond openly and supportively.

At its heart, I believe therapy is an invitation to explore who you are, what you want, and how you wish to live. It is a rare chance to be deeply witnessed without condition. I am honoured to accompany you on that journey.

👉 Learn more about how therapy works

Being well-informed is not optional if we are serious about supporting the emotional lives of young people..

It is the most powerful act of care, to learn, to question, to understand.
As Stephen Hawking once warned, “The greatest enemy of knowledge is not ignorance, it is the illusion of knowledge.”
And in a world of noise, fear, and uncertainty, staying truly informed may be humanity’s most crucial chance at survival and compassion.

Why Love Matters by Sue Gerhardt. Explores the vital importance of early childhood emotional development, emphasising how nurturing love and attachment form the foundation for healthy, resilient adults.

The Boy Who Was Raised as a Dog by Bruce D. Perry & Maia Szalavitz
A compelling collection of case studies illustrating how early trauma alters brain development—and how healing through attuned relationships can reshape the nervous system.

Scattered Minds: The Origins and Healing of Attention Disorder by Gabor Maté
Offers an optimistic, developmental lens on ADHD—not as a disorder, but a response to societal and relational stressors interfering with brain growth.

It Takes a Village by Hillary Rodham Clinton.

This book is not about politics; it’s about people. It reminds us that the emotional well-being of a child depends on everyone who touches their world: teachers, neighbours, youth workers, healthcare providers, mentors, and yes, therapists.

Childhood Disrupted by Donna Jackson Nakazawa. ACEs, health, and healing narratives.

A New Earth by Eckhart Tolle
An invitation to look inward, to explore how the mind constructs reality, and how letting go of ego-driven identity can foster deeper presence and compassion.

Hold On to Your Kids: Why Parents Need to Matter More Than Peers by Gordon Neufeld & Gabor Maté
A powerful exploration of attachment, especially in a culture where peer influence often undermines parental connection

What Happened to You? By Dr. Bruce D. Perry & Oprah Winfrey
A compassionate conversation between a trauma expert and a survivor. This book shifts the question from “What’s wrong with you?” to “What happened to you?”, helping adults understand children’s behaviour through the lens of trauma and connection.

The Whole-Brain Child By Dr. Daniel J. Siegel & Dr. Tina Payne Bryson
Simple, science-backed strategies to support emotional development in children. This book helps adults understand how the brain works under stress and how to respond in ways that build resilience, not reactivity.

Raising Human Beings By Dr. Ross W. Greene
A respectful, collaborative approach to parenting and teaching. Greene shows that children do well when they can — and when they can’t, what they need isn’t punishment, but partnership.

BONUS:

When the Body Says No: The Cost of Hidden Stress by Gabor Maté
An exploration of how chronic stress and emotional suppression manifest as physical illness, emphasising the interconnectedness of mind, body, and environment.

The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van der Kolk—a book on how trauma reshapes both the brain and the body. Drawing on decades of clinical research and experience, it explains how traumatic experiences, especially in childhood, can leave deep imprints on behaviour, relationships, and health.