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). 

My Experience 

For many years I worked as a Registered General Nurse in Intensive Care (Adult and Paediatrics) in England and overseas. I then did an additional training as a Community and Hospital Registered Midwife in London and later in York. I worked clinically for many years before I studied and worked as a clinical research fellow with the Health Sciences Department, University of York and the NIHR as a research Midwife on clinical research studies including Cohort Studies and RCT’s. I then trained in the NHS on the NSCAP 6 year doctoral programme to become a Child and Adolescent Psychoanalytic Psychotherapist. For the next few years I worked in CAMHS and in NHS Gender Services. Now I work independently along side my teaching, supervision and research roles. I bring all this experience with me into my work with children and their families. 

I completed a 6 year training in  Child and Adolescent Psychotherapy at the Northern School of Child and Adolescent Psychotherapy and since qualifying have have worked in the NHS within CAMHS and GIDS as well as in private practice. 

I am a tutor and seminar lead on the Doctoral and Masters Psychoanalytic programmes at NSCAP accredited by the University of Leeds and the University of Essex.  I am a Clinical and Service Supervisor. 

I am a qualified Clinical and Service Supervisor and offer supervision to organisations, groups/teams and individual clinicians and workers in health, education and social care. 

I write and edit the Association of Child Psychotherapists (ACP) Magazine. 

I am an ACP Registered Child and Adolescent Psychoanalytic Psychotherapist. 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. 

I work with:

• Children and young adults from infancy up to age 25 including

• Parents 

• Expectant parents

• Siblings

• People after pregnancy loss, postnatal depression or following pregnancy or birth trauma. 

I have particular experience in supporting parents, children, adolescents and young adults experiencing difficulties with:

• School 

• Further and higher education 

• Relationships with friends and family 

• Short- and long-term illness and disability 

• Neuro-diversity 

• Gender-diversity

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 Supervisor. 

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

My Experience 

For many years I worked as a Registered General Nurse in Intensive Care (Adult and Paediatrics) in England and overseas. I then did an additional training as a Community and Hospital Registered Midwife in London and later in York. I worked clinically for many years before I studied and worked as a clinical research fellow with the Health Sciences Department, University of York and the NIHR as a research Midwife on clinical research studies including Cohort Studies and RCT’s. I then trained in the NHS on the NSCAP 6 year doctoral programme to become a Child and Adolescent Psychoanalytic Psychotherapist. For the next few years I worked in CAMHS and in NHS Gender Services. Now I work independently along side my teaching, supervision and research roles. I bring all this experience with me into my work with children and their families. 

I completed a 6 year training in  Child and Adolescent Psychotherapy at the Northern School of Child and Adolescent Psychotherapy and since qualifying have have worked in the NHS within CAMHS and GIDS as well as in private practice. 

I am a tutor and seminar lead on the Doctoral and Masters Psychoanalytic programmes at NSCAP accredited by the University of Leeds and the University of Essex.  I am a Clinical and Service Supervisor. 

I am a qualified Clinical Supervisor and offer supervision to organisations, groups/teams and individual clinicians and workers in health, education, social care and early help services. 

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.

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

from herein referred to as Child Psychotherapy for ease of reading 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

The aim of psychotherapy varies depending on the child or young person's presentation and the difficulties they face, however the work aims to gain a more detailed understanding of the young person's internal, emotional world and support their emotional growth and development. This comes about by  supporting young people to manage the changing thoughts, feelings and necessarily more complex relationships aroused by issues such as life in school, the changes of puberty and adolescence or of leaving home or going to university. It also aims to support young people to understand themselves and manage better socially.  

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.

Sometimes working with parents or family's entails one session per month. 

The fee is £80 per session and sessions are for 50 minutes, at the same time and day each week where practicable. The session time is dedicated to each patient so missed or cancelled sessions must be charged for. Breaks from therapy taken in term time will also require me to charge a fee to retain the session time for you. Fees can be negotiated, and I am prepared to think with you about payment options. I would hope not to cancel sessions but when that happens, I do not charge. I send an invoice to you at the end of each month, and you can pay using the instructions on the invoice. Payment is requested within 7 days of receipt of the invoice and bank transfer is preferred. I review and adjust fees in January.

I usually take breaks at Christmas, Easter, and August and sometimes at other times during the year. I give as much notice as possible. Very occasionally, if I cannot avoid altering an appointment time, alternative options may be offered but this might not always be possible. Holiday breaks from treatment are requested to be agreed upon and planned for in advance, as is the decision for therapy to come to an end.

If you wish to contact me out of session times, then you can email me at louiseohiggins2@gmail.com  however please note this email box is only checked periodically and in term time. If you do email, then please do not put sensitive information in an email that may not be secure. I do not offer an out-of-hours service, in emergencies, please call your local CAMHS Crisis Team (08000 51 61 71), see your GP or attend your nearest Accident and Emergency Department.

Children and Young People’s sessions are private and confidential, and I do not usually discuss the content of therapy with anyone because I must treat information given during psychotherapy appointments as confidential data. Only when there may be a safeguarding risk will I need to consider disclosing information for the well-being and safety of the person. Should information need to be shared, clients will be notified in the first instance.

Consent may be sought to provide information to GPs or other places such as schools if necessary. If so, the request will be discussed and can be agreed. Letters and my attendance at meetings might incur a cost.

Parent’s sessions will be separate and additional to the young person’s psychotherapy and are charged at the same rate, if with me.

In the event of a serious event rendering me unable to practice, two clinical trustees have been appointed to oversee the care of my patients. Clinical trustees can be contacted through 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 am required to inform you of the data I hold about you and how it is stored. All clinical records are non-identifiable and kept either in a locked filing cabinet or electronically in a password-protected document. Your names, addresses and telephone numbers are known only to me and if required will be available to my clinical trustees. I keep telephone numbers on my mobile phone saved only with your name. Your email address is kept on my computer and phone, but you are not identifiable as a patient. I audit information regularly and delete or shred it when it is no longer required.

If you have any questions, then please feel free to ask. If you want your GP or school/university to be informed, and this might be helpful, copies of letters ca be forwarded to them. 

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