We provide young people with a safe, supportive, non-judgmental space to explore their feelings, their thinking and behaviours and help them to work through their problems.
The counsellors at 4YP are highly skilled and can help with a wide variety of presentations including, but not limited to:
Sessions are client-led. This allows the young person to tell the counsellor how they are feeling, begin to understand why, and then to put in place strategies for managing feelings and behaviour, and to make changes in their life and move forward.
Counselling sessions are, whenever possible, held on the same day and time each week. A course usually runs for six to eight weeks and each session lasts for 50 minutes. Sessions can either take place at one of the 4YP locations or, if easier, can take place via video or the phone.
Regular attendance of appointments is expected and young people will be asked to sign an agreement as a demonstration of their commitment.
The team at 4YP understand that the counselling process isn’t always easy and that some young people may find the process too difficult or that they attend sessions just to please others. Young people are always able to end counselling if they want to. Counsellors also encourage young people to ask questions about what is happening in the counselling process.
Parents and carers can make appointments on behalf of a young person, however it is always the young person’s choice about whether to come to counselling. They should not be ‘sent’ to counselling for help or persuaded one way or another, even if school staff, parents/carers or other adults think they could benefit from talking to a counsellor.
4YP is an organisational member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP). All 4YP counsellors follow the Ethical Code of BACP or the National Counselling and Psychotherapy Society (NCPS) and receive external clinical supervision, with in-house case management support.
Engaging parents, carers and other professionals when appropriate is also important when working with young people. 4YP counsellors will advocate for young people and will always comply with safeguarding regulations and current law. Where appropriate parents and carers may be signposted to appropriate family support or parenting courses.
The number of sessions a young person is offered depends on a variety of factors including referral source, previous treatment episodes, age and assessed need.
For more information on how to access counselling, please fill in the form on this page.
It is worth checking to see if 4YP are already providing a counselling service at your school.
Please fill out the form and someone will get back to you as soon as possible.