Practicalities

About the Therapy

I help children and young people understand their internal emotional world, manage changing thoughts and feelings, and cope with challenges such as school life, puberty, adolescence, leaving home or exams. My approach supports the development of self-awareness and social understanding. I offer both short- and long-term psychoanalytic psychotherapy, including brief interventions of 6, 12, or 28 sessions, and longer-term, once-weekly therapy during term time for up to five years. When appropriate, I also offer monthly parent or family sessions.

Sessions and Fees

• Session Length: 50 minutes
  
  

• Frequency: Same time and day each week (where possible)
  
  

• Fee: £80 per session
  
  

• Parent Sessions: Charged at the same rate if with me
  
  

Payment Information

• Invoices are sent at the end of each month
  
  

• Payment is due within 7 days of receipt
  
  

• Bank transfer is preferred
  
  

• Fees are reviewed and may be adjusted in January
  
  

• I am open to discussing payment options if needed
  
  

Missed or Cancelled Sessions

Missed or cancelled sessions are charged in full. Fees also apply for breaks taken during term time to retain your session slot. I do not charge for sessions I cancel. Please plan holiday breaks in advance. Endings in therapy should be discussed and planned for in advance.

Confidentiality and Communication

• Sessions are private and confidential
  
  

• I will only share information if there is a safeguarding concern
  
  

• Any sharing of information (e.g., with GPs or schools) will be discussed and agreed upon in advance
  
  

• Letters or attendance at meetings may incur a fee
  
  

Contacting Me

• Email: louiseohiggins2@gmail.com
  
  

• Please do not include sensitive information in emails
  
  

• Emails are only checked periodically during term time
  
  

• I do not offer an out-of-hours service
  
  
  

Holidays and Breaks

Usual breaks: Christmas, Easter, and August. Other breaks may occur during the year with advance notice. Occasionally, session times may need to change – alternatives may be offered if possible.

Data Protection and Record Keeping

• Clinical records are non-identifiable
  
  

• Stored securely in a locked cabinet or a password-protected electronic document
  
  

• Names, addresses, and phone numbers are held only by me
  
  

• Your phone number may be saved in my mobile with your name only
  
  

• Your email is stored but you are not identifiable as a patient
  
  

• I regularly audit and securely delete information when no longer needed

Clinical Governance and Emergency Cover

In the unlikely event that I am seriously unable to practise, two clinical trustees will oversee your care:

Association of Child Psychotherapists
Fivefields,  8-10 Grosvenor,  Gardens, London, SW1W 0DH.
Tel: 02045911500
Email: admin@childpsychotherapy.org.uk

In an emergency, please contact:

• CAMHS Crisis Team: 08000 51 61 71
  
  

• Your GP
  
  

• Nearest Accident & Emergency Department

Louise O'Higgins

Child and Adolescent Psychoanalytic Psychotherapist

My qualifications

BSc Nursing  

Diploma in Midwifery 

MA Psychoanalytic Observational Studies 

Professional MA in Psychoanalytic Child and Adolescent Psychotherapy (Child and Adolescent Psychoanalytic Psychotherapist).  

Clinical and Service Supervisor. 

Co-Editor of ACP Magazine.

Tutor and Seminar Leader on Clinical Training Doctorate and Psychoanalytic Observational Studies MA (NSCAP/Tavistock/University of Leeds and Essex). 

Child and adolescent psychotherapists have considerable experience and skills to enable them to work with a diverse population of children and young people with a variety of difficulties. I work in the short term, offer brief interventions and undertake long term psychoanalytic psychotherapy. This means I see children for as few as 6, 12 or 28 sessions. I also see some young people for once weekly, term time, psychoanalytic psychotherapy from one to five years. 

Difficulties people may present with include: 

Aggression

Anxiety in a variety of manifestations including Obsessional Compulsive Disorder (OCD) panic attacks and phobias

Behavioural issues

Bereavement

Depression

Emotional dysregulation

Self-harm

Suicidal thoughts

Relational difficulties with parents, siblings or peers

Trauma  

Low moods

Melt downs

Anger, agitation

Eating difficulties

Distress from abuse and domestic violence

Relationship difficulties

Gender dysphoria/incongruence

Developmental delay

Post-adoption support

Post-diagnosis support ASD/ADHD/ADD

Additionally, I and other ACP Members have a wealth of experience in particular areas.  In addition to skills in working with the difficulties listed previously I or other ACP Members work in a range of specific areas such as:

Asylum seekers and Refugees

Care Experienced Children and Young people (previously known as Looked after Children)

Court work

Eating Disorders

Learning Disability

Parent Infant relationships

Physical illness

Physical Disability

Post Adoption

Selective mutism

Sexual abuse  

Post natal depression and post natal trauma

Depression is a serious illness that can occur in pregnancy and post birth, it is not the same as post natal blues or baby blues and does need to be treated. https://www.nhs.uk/mental-health/conditions/post-natal-depression/treatment/

I can help with a talking therapy.  

Traumatic experiences are experiences that leave one feeling wounded or hurt. What we experience as a trauma is different for everyone and recovery from trauma can be helped by talking with a psychotherapist. 

Post natal depression and post birth trauma can lead to bonding, attachment and parenting difficulties. Talking with a child and adolescent psychotherapist can support repair to relationships and relieve  distress, support change and develop your baby's capacity to thrive. 

If I am not the appropriate clinician to work with you or your child, I will ensure your child finds the right modality or the right professional to help.

https://www.nhs.uk/mental-health/conditions/post-natal-depression/treatment/

Psychotherapy is an approach for treating mental health and emotional wellbeing issues by talking with a psychotherapist.  Talking therapy with children uses a play technique because younger children use play to communicate in much the same ways as a teenager might use language. A unique play-box is provided for each child or young person in psychotherapy. Adaptations are made for people who struggle with language or are neurodiverse. Psychoanalytic psychotherapy is an unfolding process within a therapeutic relationship and therefore takes time to develop. 

Child and Adolescent Psychotherapy: A Brief Guide and terms of treatment: Please look at the ACP website “For Families" section 

https://childpsychotherapy.org.uk/resources-families

The following information is offered to help with the psychotherapy process. Please do not hesitate to ask if you find anything unclear or wish to question or confirm any details.

Child and Adolescent Psychotherapy is usually considered when a child is experiencing problems that are having a significant effect on their everyday life or relationships. It is often considered when other approaches have been tried without success. Child Psychotherapy is a child-centered approach for children who may be experiencing a wide range of problems where there are underlying emotional issues, anxiety, or depression. Individual child psychotherapy aims to bring about change and emotional growth as well as a resolution of emotional problems for the child or young person. Family and parents/carers have an important role in supporting this change and development in the individual child.

What can Child and Adolescent Psychotherapy help with?

Child psychotherapists treat individual children and young people with a wide variety of difficulties. Problems may include: ⋅ Difficulties with relationships or social interaction ⋅ Aggression and angry outbursts ⋅ Lack of motivation and low mood ⋅ Irrational fears and worries ⋅ Obsessive and compulsive behaviours ⋅ Anxiety (often expressed in behaviour such as bed-wetting, sleep difficulties, soiling, refusal to eat or drink, refusal to go to school) ⋅ Risk-taking or self-harming behaviour, suicidal thoughts ⋅ Developmental problems ⋅ Communication disorders such as autism ⋅ A child being unhappy, anxious or withdrawn for no apparent reason ⋅ The lasting effects of bereavement, family breakdown, chronic illness, disability, trauma, neglect or abuse

What is child and adolescent psychotherapy?

Child psychotherapy uses regular times and settings and the availability of the psychotherapist’s mind to establish an emotionally containing relationship in which the child’s view of the world can be expressed, through words and/or actions including play and creative work. The work of the therapist is to find a way of carefully helping children to make sense of how they see the world so that distorted or fixed misunderstandings can be recognised together and reviewed, to enable healthier understandings to develop. Over time this understanding can be internalised by the child so that they can begin to independently recognise and understand their feelings and behaviour. Left untreated children may respond to people and situations in ways they do not understand and cannot control. They may also develop more serious mental illnesses in adulthood. Children do not "grow out of" emotional difficulties.  

Child Psychotherapy helps children and young people

To get to know and understand themselves better ⋅ Be more in touch with their feelings and anxieties so that they are better able to manage them ⋅ Be less stuck on emotional responses or patterns which are unhelpful. Sometimes it may not be necessary to offer a child individual psychotherapy, but the child psychotherapist can offer support and guidance to parents or other agencies involved with the child.

What is the Process?

Initial Appointments on the telephone are free then a plan will be made for an assessment. Usually, a family will be invited along for an initial appointment to establish what everybody is concerned about and whether everybody has the same concerns and worries. If there are significant concerns about the child and these have been persisting for quite a long time or are significantly impeding the child’s development or emotional well-being, the child psychotherapist may suggest an assessment.

Assessment

Assessment for Psychotherapy is up to 5 sessions and each session is 50 minutes. A psychotherapy assessment can be offered for two main purposes. One purpose of the assessment may be to establish whether a child or young person could benefit from psychotherapy. The other purpose of the assessment is to support with understanding the kind of help the child needs. An assessment gives the child an opportunity to experience the therapeutic process and to communicate their difficulties, which may be multi-faceted. Some difficulties may not even be recognised. An assessment can be helpful, as a child can feel significant relief as the process of help begins. Knowledge and understanding of a child’s difficulties can help to support and give guidance to parents and families alone and might not involve ongoing work.

My child in Therapy

It can be difficult for parents to watch their children struggle with difficult feelings, especially when they might also be unsure of how to help them. It can also stir up a range of complex feelings when parents decide to seek specialist help. It can be a very generous act for a parent to allow their child to find their voice and understanding of their emotional life. However, this can also lead parents to feel that they have let their child down or that they are to blame for their child’s difficulties. This is usually not the case. Before beginning any individual work with a child a few appointments may be set aside for parents to explore some of these concerns. It is often found that children who begin to make some sense of their own emotional life in turn establish better relationships with those they are close to.

How to support your child

Children can often be anxious before therapy and may also be emotionally affected by the session in a way which means that afterwards, they may need quiet time to assimilate. It is most helpful for parents to support a child by being ‘available’ for them, but not to enquire too much about what was said or done in therapy. Often a simple question such as, ‘How did it go?’ can be enough. Some children may want to tell parents more information; others may choose to keep things private. It is important to give your child the message that it is fine for them to be private. Every child responds uniquely and variably to therapeutic help. Some seem to respond positively almost immediately, and others can take longer to engage initially before improvement is felt. As psychotherapy is a dynamic and developmental process, there are often challenges along the way. During the process of therapy, there may be harder periods, and children may not want to attend. Children may feel or appear to be suddenly ‘better’ before adequate integration has occurred. It is important then for parents to support them in continuing to come, to work through their anxieties (or wishes to end prematurely and suddenly) with the support of their therapist.

Confidentiality

Children and Young People’s sessions are private and confidential, and the therapist will not discuss the content of a child’s therapy with parents. The psychotherapist must treat information given during psychotherapy appointments as confidential data. Only when there may be a safeguarding risk will the therapist need to consider disclosing information for the well-being and safety of the child.

During Parent Reviews, a child’s progress can be discussed but not the content of their sessions.

Regularity

Children usually attend appointments weekly, in the same room, at the same time and day each week. Appointments last for 50 minutes from the agreed start time. Regularity, consistency, and continuity are important parts of therapeutic work. 

Timekeeping

Appointments will begin at the agreed time and last for 50 minutes. Please note that if a child is late arriving, their appointment time will necessarily be shorter. Please try to arrive on time, or just a few minutes before, for the confidentiality of yourselves and other clients.

Duration

In terms of the duration of psychotherapy, I suggested we agree on an anticipated timeframe and then review it as and when necessary. We usually discuss beginning with the intention that a child attends for one term. We then review the work before the end date. Usually, I invite parents to a review at the end of each academic term. We can meet more frequently if parents want this. 

I work in the short term, offer brief interventions and undertake long term psychoanalytic psychotherapy. This means I see children for as few as 6, 12 or 28 sessions. I also see some young people for once weekly, term time, psychoanalytic psychotherapy from one to five years. 

During the therapeutic process, I am continually reviewing engagement and progress and if it becomes evident, both from parents/carers and from my experience in the therapy room, that this agreed approach needs to be revised, we will reconsider together how to proceed. With everyone’s agreement, we can revise the timeframe and plan alternative approaches. Usually in longer-term work, I would suggest a planned ending of no less than 4-6 weeks as the ending period is an especially important aspect of the therapeutic work.

Contact with Parents

Communication via email or telephone can be made when necessary and, if needed, parent meetings can be organised. A further option of separate parental space with another child and adolescent psychotherapist in parallel to the Child’s therapy may be suggested if required. I can recommend CAPT names and locations to be agreed upon and provided.

Information Sharing

Psychotherapy services are provided with strict adherence to the Association of Child Psychotherapy Code of Ethics. The sharing of any information will be done strictly according to any ‘need to know’ basis, such as, if the health or well-being of a child is at risk. Should information need to be shared, clients and parents will be notified in the first instance.

For professional practice, psychotherapy notes are made and retained during therapy. These notes are anonymised, with no identifying features, and kept securely for the duration of therapy. Notes may be retained securely for a limited period after therapy ends for client care. For example, should a child need or wish to return. Clinical information must be shared on a ‘need to know’ basis only. As part of professional practice, a child may be discussed in clinical supervision which strictly adheres to the rules of practice and code of practice of the ACP.

Consent may be sought to provide information to GPs or schools/university if necessary. If so, the request will be discussed and agreed on and a separate form will be provided for consent.

In the event of a serious event or accident rendering me unable to practice, two clinical trustees have been appointed to oversee the care of my patients. These are child and adolescent psychotherapists. Clinical trustees can be contacted through the Association of Child Psychotherapists as below:

Complaints

In the first instance, it is helpful to talk about any issues that arise as soon as possible. If this is not resolved you can ask a third party, such as another psychotherapist, to give an opinion. If we cannot resolve issues or complaints then parents or children can contact the ACP, please see below.

The Association of Child Psychotherapists CAN Borough, 7-14 Great Dover Street, London, SE1 4YR Tel: 020 7922 7751

e-mail: admin@childpsychotherapy.org.uk

I have experience in and can offer support and advice to organisations in the following ways: 

University Departments/Schools/Nurseries to develop mental health and well-being policies and guidelines. 

Psychoanalytical clinical and service supervision for organisations, groups, and individuals.

Work discussion groups.

Complex care and complex case discussions in organisations, work groups and teams  

Direct work with well-being/SENCO and SLT staff teams. 

Individual work with young people in organisations.

York child, adolescent and family psychotherapy services are located at Unit 405, Street 7, Birch Park, Thorp Arch Estate,  Wetherby, LS23 7FG

The building is small and there is a room that can be used as a waiting room, however, if another psychotherapist is using the other room then parents/carers will have to wait in their car.  

Coordinates: 53°54'41.0"N 1°18'40.7"W 

Free parking is available