Bright Lives Counselling & Wellbeing Practice
Counselling and EMDR for children, teens, young adults and families
Face-to-face counselling near Biggleswade and online
You know your child better than anyone, but you may still not know how to help when they’re struggling. You can be proud of them and recognise their strengths and achievements, whilst also worrying that something doesn’t seem quite right. Sometimes there is an obvious reason, but often there isn’t. You may be concerned about difficulties at school or college, or the impact of a distressing experience. You may also be wondering whether autism or ADHD might be part of the picture.
When children are young, it can be difficult to understand what their behaviour is telling us. As they get older, they may tell us less, spend more time alone and make more of their own decisions. For parents of young adults, this can feel particularly difficult. The way we support our children changes as they grow, but that does not necessarily make parenting any easier. It can be hard to know when to step in, when to take a step back, and when it might be time to seek some outside help. You might also be wondering whether someone outside the family can really make a difference.
Could counselling help?
Reaching out can feel like a big step, especially if you are worried that counselling might label your child or imply that something is seriously wrong. Parents often contact me unsure about whether counselling is the right approach. I offer a free 20-minute phone or Zoom call, giving you the opportunity to tell me a little about what is happening and ask any questions you may have. We can think together about what your child might need and whether I may be able to help.
When you get in touch
I’m Angela, a BACP accredited child and adolescent counsellor, systemic practitioner and EMDR therapist (working towards accreditation). Bright Lives is my independent practice near Biggleswade, so when you get in touch, you will be contacting me directly. I am qualified to work with children and young people from 4-25 and I work individually, alongside parents or with the family together, depending on what seems most helpful.
More about my experience and training
What might bring you here?
Families contact me for many different reasons. Sometimes there is a clear difficulty; sometimes it is harder to put into words.
Different ways to connect for counselling
In person
My counselling room is in Upper Caldecote and I have a waiting area with kitchen and bathroom. Meeting face to face allows young people to choose between a range of creative activities, sand tray work, toys and games as well as talking. Some people choose to work partly in person and partly online. Parents can join the session if appropriate, or wait in the waiting area or in the car.
Online
I use Zoom to make sure that we are working safely and securely online. You can choose to work online for every session, or opt for a hybrid way of working. It is important that you have a good internet connection and are able to talk without being overheard. I ask that parents stay close by for younger children.
By phone or text
Sometimes young people find it too difficult to leave the house in order to work with me in person. In these instances, working via video call can also sometimes feel too overwhelming. I am therefore trained to work over phone or text. I prefer to conduct text sessions over Zoom with camera and microphone turned off, in order to keep the call as secure as possible.
Not sure where to begin?
You don’t need to have everything worked out before getting in touch.
As a parent, I was anxious about reaching out for therapy, as I worried if it was the right course of action. I worried that labelling the issues we were facing may make things worse. When I contacted Angela Lawn I felt instantly at ease and we put a therapy plan in place which my daughter was open to.
From the very first session, I saw a huge sense of relief in my daughter, that there was a safe space for her to unpack her thoughts. Week on week I saw her realising things about herself that started to change the way she viewed herself and the world around her. It has been beautiful to watch her start to relax and enjoy life again.
I highly recommend Angela and hope my recommendation helps any parents out there contemplating getting help for their children.
(Parent, shared with permission)
