I am a qualified and experienced Children’s Therapist, specialising in working within primary schools supporting children (aged 3-12) and their families. I have been working as a therapist in Edinburgh primary schools since 2015. I am a registered British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) therapist.
I qualified as a Counsellor in 2014 (Post Graduate Diploma in Counselling (with Distinction) University of Edinburgh. I then went on to specialise in working with children which is where my passion lies. I completed qualifications in Play Therapy and Counselling Children using Creative Media. I have also completed a range of subsequent trainings over several years to further develop my skills and understanding around working therapeutically with this age group.
In addition I have a Clinical Supervisor qualification (with Distinction) a further level of training which qualifies me to supervise the work of other therapists.
I believe in bringing warmth, compassion and playfulness to my therapeutic work.
Seedlings aims to support children who are struggling with social, emotional and/or behavioural difficulties, and so are perhaps finding aspects of school or home life challenging.
My aim is to improve their wellbeing through trauma-informed, non-directive and directive therapeutic interventions, using counselling skills and a range of art and play media to help them to reach their potential and to live with more happiness and ease.
I believe that therapeutic services should be available to all, regardless of social or economic situation, this is why I have chosen to work in City of Edinburgh schools. In recent years I have been working in the Pilton and Muirhouse areas of North Edinburgh.
Therapy:
I deliver Play Therapy. This means I use a range of creative approaches including a sand tray, small world figures, clay, modelling dough, puppets, role play, a wide range of art materials, music, games, movement and of course play of all sorts.
Play is a language and a natural instinct for most children, allowing them to express how they see the world, their relationships and experiences, and with the help of a therapist, explore what this means for them, developing social and emotional skills in the process, and improving confidence and self-esteem.
It can be very hard for children to understand their experiences or feelings, and even harder for them to put them into words – as an experienced therapist I can facilitate their self-expression using play and art media in a way that supports their emotional wellbeing and mental health. The trusting and non-judgemental relationship that develops between us allows the child to have the freedom to be themselves and express their inner struggles and joys.
As a qualified Counsellor, I am also able to offer counselling services to parents and carers, and to use counselling skills in my work generally. I work in a private, uninterrupted room in the schools I work in. I provide a wide range of play and art media, that if necessary I can set up and pack away daily.
In addition to 1:1 play therapy in schools I offer pupil wellbeing support sessions, therapeutic group work, staff support sessions, parent/carer support sessions, and whole class work. I also offer more structured therapy approaches including Life Story work, and Bereavement Therapy as appropriate. See ‘Services’ for details.
I have a specialism in working with attachment difficulties and with trauma but am experienced in working with a wide range of issues including but not limited to abuse, neglect, domestic abuse, parental/carer addiction, anxiety, school refusal, aggression, anger, emotional dysregulation, bereavement, low mood, low self-esteem, family breakdown. I also have extensive experience supporting children with additional support needs such as Autism Spectrum Disorder and ADHD/ADD.
Therapy Assessment:
I complete a robust, consented assessment process involving those who know the child best at home and in school before any decision is made to offer therapeutic services. Sometimes 1:1 therapy is not needed, and I may suggest short term wellbeing sessions, or therapeutic group work. At times I may also discuss alternative provision with a referrer, such as referral on to a specialist service.
Partnership Working:
Positive relationships are central to my work. Developing positive, professional, trusting and supportive relationships with pupils, parents/carers, school staff and management and other agencies, has been central to my success working in primary schools in Edinburgh.
I am experienced in working within a ‘Team Around a Child’ structure, liaising with parents/carers, but also where appropriate and consented, with Social Work, Third Sector Agencies, School Leadership Teams etc.
I have regularly attended Child Planning Meetings, Professionals Meetings, Looked After Child Reviews and on occasion Children’s Hearings.
Safeguarding Policy:
I have a detailed and robust approach to safeguarding; this is available in my Safeguarding Policy. I have many years’ of experience working successfully within the safeguarding systems and procedures for City of Edinburgh schools.
If you would like a copy of my full Safeguarding Policy please email me at karensykes.therapy@gmail.com and I will be happy to send it to you.
Confidentiality:
Sessions held are confidential, the only exception to this is if something were to arise in a session that led me to believe a child or other person was not safe, in this situation I would discuss this with the child, and then with an adult with responsibility for safeguarding at the setting.
How I answer children who ask me about who I tell about their sessions:
‘I don’t tell anyone what you do or say in the playroom. I do tell your parents or carers how you are getting on generally by sharing what kinds of things we have been thinking about together. I would always discuss this with you beforehand. I would share something from your session if you told me something that made me think that perhaps you or someone else was not safe. If that happened I would talk to you about it and explain who else I needed to talk to about it.
Please see my Privacy Statement for a detailed description of my approach to confidentiality and data protection.
I believe that therapeutic services should be available to all, regardless of social or economic situation, this is why I have chosen to work in City of Edinburgh schools. In recent years I have been working in the Pilton and Muirhouse areas of North Edinburgh.
I offer a range of therapeutic services in schools that are responsive to need and agreed collaboratively with the service provisioner.
Schools have generally contracted with me to work between 1-3 days a week in school, this enables me to build relationships and to offer a variety of services. Please do not hesitate to contact me to discuss if you have any questions or are thinking about therapeutic provision for your primary school setting. I am flexible in my service design and responsive to need.
I offer full day, half day and supplementary hour rates.
I have proven experience and success working within primary schools and offer a reliable, committed, skilled and professional service. I use a number of evidence-based measures, aligned with the Curriculum for Excellence Health and Wellbeing Pathway Experiences and Outcomes, to report on my work and can discuss these with you.
- 1:1 short-term play therapy (6-10 sessions) and long-term play therapy (10+). 50-minute weekly sessions. Also Bereavement Therapy, Life Story Work, Trauma Therapy as appropriate.
- Therapeutic Group work (6-8 sessions), 3-6 pupils, 60–90-minute sessions. Tailored to need, e.g. Emotions Detectives, Worry Wizards, Social Skills, Self Esteem, Loss, Transitions.
- Wellbeing Support Sessions – 20-30 minutes, responsive to referral (see below), 1:1 or group. These offer a more informal intervention, an opportunity to ‘triage’ any concerns about a child’s wellbeing, to offer a play based assessment, or to provide a level of focussed pastoral support from a qualified mental health professional to pupils who may not require 1:1 ongoing therapy but would benefit from additional support.
- Whole Class interventions as required, e.g. therapeutic stories, support following loss, thematic work (e.g. bullying, bereavement, anger, separation anxiety).
- Parent/Carer Parenting Support or 1:1 Counselling – 50-minute sessions. Parent/carer support sessions are offered pre, during and post any 1:1 therapy. In addition parent/carer support sessions can be offered as stand alone, to a parent/carer in crisis for example, or with a specific parenting concern. Alternatively I can offer ongoing parent/carer counselling.
- Staff Support Sessions - supporting staff in their emotional and relational responses to pupils. Whilst not counselling, staff often benefit from a confidential, professional space in which to process and explore their emotional and relational responses and challenges in response to pupils in class, particularly those with dysregulated or challenging behaviours. I am able to share insights around working with differing presentations, e.g. attachment styles, trauma-informed practice, adapting to specific needs and presentations
- Staff Training – I am experienced in delivering 2-3 hour or half day In-Service or CAT (Collegiate Activity Time) trainings for staff on a range of issues, including Trauma Informed Approaches in School, Attachment Difficulties in the Classroom, Bereavement and Loss, Therapeutic Play for non Play Therapists. I have also worked with small staff teams who are working closely with particularly dysregulated children, helping to support them emotionally and upskill them in their responses and approaches.
- Online Supervision
- I offer supervision to trainee, newly qualified or experienced counsellors and therapists working with either Children and Young People (CYP) and/or adults.
- Qualifications: Level 9 PG Diploma in Counselling Supervision, PG Diploma in Counselling, Therapeutic Play Specialist Certification (Play Therapy UK), AutPlay Therapist, Counselling Children using Creative Arts & Play (Counselling and Psychotherapy Awarding Body CPCAB)
- BACP Registered
I have been working as a qualified counsellor since 2014. I have managed a school counselling service and worked in schools therapeutically since 2015, supporting children and their parents and carers. I am trained in both psychodynamic and person-centred modalities.
I have a specialism in working with attachment difficulties and with trauma but am experienced in working with a wide range of issues including but not limited to abuse, neglect, domestic abuse, parental/carer addiction, anxiety, school refusal, aggression, anger, emotional dysregulation, bereavement, low mood, low self-esteem, family breakdown. I also have extensive experience supporting children with additional support needs such as Autism Spectrum Disorder and ADHD/ADD.
I am experienced in working within the legal and statutory framework around Scottish Education and the related processes and concepts including Child Protection and Safeguarding, SHANARRI, GIRFEC (Getting it Right for Every Child).
I offer supervision to non-therapists/counsellors, for example school management, teaching or school support staff, members of the helping professions e.g. medical staff, social workers, those within third sector organisations etc.
I use a range of structured approaches to support you in your work, to assist you to think about your work and to process its impact on you. I offer a safe, supportive, confidential and reflective space and aim to help sustain you and fortify you in your professional life.
- £55 an hour, (reduced rate available for counselling students £40).
- I generally offer monthly 1.5 hour supervision, or fortnightly or 3 weekly 1 hour supervision, but am flexible to meet your professional needs.
- Current availability – Tuesdays between 6-8.30pm, Fridays between 8.30am- 4pm. I do at times have further availability particularly for monthly supervision so do please message me to enquire.
If interested I offer a no obligation, free initial online meeting of up to 30 minutes where we can discuss your needs, see if we are a good fit and how I could potentially support you in your practice. I look forward to hearing from you. karensykes.therapy@gmail.com