MEET MIC
Young person introduction
Hello!
It’s great to virtually meet you.
If you’ve been shown this web page by a parent or your carer, then you know you really have someone on your team that wants to help.
Perhaps you have been having a tough time at school, something big is going on in your life which is tricky to cope with or you’ve noticed some feelings that you can’t quite seem to figure out on your own. The situation could be making you feel sad, angry confused or a whole bunch of emotions all at once! It might be making it difficult for you to concentrate, communicate or behave in the way you would like to present yourself.
That’s ok.
I’m Mic and I would also like to be on your team and help you out, if you’d like the support.
I’m a Creative Arts and Play Therapist, Sandstory therapist and coach, which means I am able to offer you a confidential space to visit regularly, where you can work on figuring out that jumble of feelings in your own time, in your own way.
You might have some questions, which would be pretty normal. On this page, I’ll try and answer some of the questions that I get asked a lot by young people, and perhaps then, if I sound like someone you might like to work with, we could meet?
If you have anything else to ask, I’ll be right there in front of you, ready to figure out the rest.
-
Can I come into session with my child?Sessions with your child are just for them. I ask that you wait out side during the session so that your child knows you are there for them when the session ends.
-
What actually happens in a Play therapy session?Because Play therapy is predominantly child-led, the content of the session will usually be up to the client. They are offered a range of tools and activities, and is my job to support these choices; facilitating a safe and therapeutic space to process their experiences, challenges and difficulties using these items. The tools offered are: Sandplay/ Sandstory® Therapy Art and crafts Music Dance and Movement Therapeutic stories and storytelling Creative visualisations Puppets Games Role play Talking On some occasions, I may suggest an item or activity to use, if I feel it would have a significant impact on the client's process. It will however, still be the clients choice to engage with it.
-
Can I ask my child about what they do in session?Therapy sessions for children are no different than for adults, all sessions are confidential. If you want your child to know that you care about their process without disturbing their privacy, when they return to you after a session, instead of asking them how they are or how the session was, you could just let them know that you were thinking about them while they were away.
-
Does my child have to attend a set number of sessions?To start the work, I offer sessions in blocks of 12, this is to ensure that there are enough sessions for a "beginning", "middle" and "end" to the work. If more sessions are required, extension blocks are offered 6 at a time for the same reason.
-
If the sessions are confidential, how do I know what's going on?Although the sessions are confidential, so I cant talk to you about your child's process (what they did specifically in each session.), I can talk to you about their progress. We will also have regular meetings to check in and assess the progress of the work at around every 6 weeks.
-
Does my child need to bring anything to sessions?I provide all the materials we need during sessions but I always suggest that each client brings their own bottle of water, in case they get thirsty during our session.
-
Can my child bring a friend to session?Because the sessions are specifically a confidential space for your child, I am not able to allow guests to come with.
-
Do you offer sessions in school holidays?My work is flexible and in some cases I may offer sessions during school holidays if it is necessary but ordinarily, I would advocate for holidays being just that, with no school or therapeutic interventions. These breaks are just as important as the therapy itself, as it gives time for the work we have been doing to germinate and be tested out.
-
Is there ever a time you will break confidentiality?The only times I would ever break confidentiality is a) at the request of my client. (The client may request that I speak on their behalf or relay a message.) Or b), if a Safeguarding issue becomes apparent. My first duty is to keep my client safe. If I believe my client is at risk, or someone they know is at risk, I have a duty of care to report my concerns to an appropriate person or body. Depending on the situation, this could be feeding back to a parent, carer or the relevant Safeguarding department. For more information, please request a copy of my Safeguarding policy.