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What is Creative Counselling?

Creative counselling helps children express themselves, explore their thoughts and feelings, and make sense of and assimilate their life experiences. Play is a natural activity of learning and communication for children, so the medium is considered highly effective for helping children to communicate what they may find difficult to put into words.

Benefits of Creative Counselling

Counselling has many benefits to the cognitive, social and emotional wiring of the brain. Neuroscience has shown that play is essential in the successful development of the brain particularly with developing stronger prosocial skills and developing resilience through problem solving. Play also releases important chemicals in the brain that promote a sense of calm and well-being in the child.

What to expect from Creative Counselling

Each session lasts for 50 minutes. In that time, the child will engage in creative activities such as clay, sand, paint, stories, games, computer games or if they prefer talk through their worries and concerns. Short term goal orientated work involving positive psychology and work around emotional regulation and impulse control can also be implemented.

Creative Counselling could help a child who:

Finds it hard to concentrate and learn
Has nightmares or disturbed sleep
Is at risk of being/is excluded from school
Is experiencing family difficulties
Suffers because of separated/divorced parents
Suffers from anxiety/stress or has many worries
Is withdrawn or unhappy
Finds it difficult to make friends
Bullies others or is being bullied themselves
Behaves inappropriately
Is bereaved
Has attachment disorders
ADHD/ASD
Has experienced or witnessed abuse
Fails to embrace the joy of playing
Has early traumatic experiences

What is Walk & Talk Therapy

20 minutes a day in nature can improve our mood and wellbeing

Spending time in nature has been shown to have powerful benefits for our mental health, with even 20 minutes a day outdoors boosting mood, decreasing stress, and improving overall well-being. Walk and talk therapy is a therapeutic approach that combines these benefits of being in nature with the benefits of traditional talk therapy. Unlike the traditional setup of sitting face-to-face in a counseling room, this method allows clients to engage in conversation while moving through a natural setting, which can provide a sense of ease and fluidity. For some, especially those who find sitting across from someone too intense, walking side-by-side can make it easier to share personal thoughts and feelings.

This approach is especially valuable for individuals with neurodiversity, as the combination of movement and a natural environment can help alleviate some of the sensory or cognitive challenges that arise in a more conventional therapy setting. The therapist carefully plans the route to ensure it is accessible, comfortable, and safe for the therapeutic process, allowing clients to feel both supported and at ease. By combining the therapeutic benefits of nature with the comfort of a less formal environment, walk and talk therapy creates a unique, effective option for those who might not otherwise seek out traditional counselling.