Key to "Little" Me

Stephanie Anderson.mbacp - Counselling Using the Creative Arts and Play

My name is Stephanie Anderson and I am a Certified Play and Creative Arts Counsellor of Children and Young People. My aim is to bring together a new and very modern way of working therapeutically by using the creative arts and play, combined with the techniques of Integrative Humanistic Therapy.
 
My work combines the complimentary elements of Play Therapy, Integrative Humanistic Counselling and creativity to allow me to utilise verbal & non-verbal interventions, with both directive, and non-directive methods during sessions.
 
My background is in education, I was a teacher/deputy head of a private Montessori school for over ten years. I have worked as a lecturer for Kingston College/University and have worked as a Integrative Creative Therapist at Pearson College/Ecape Studios in Central London, as well as in various schools and colleges in and around Sussex.
In all those years of working in education, people would often ask which part of the job I enjoyed the most.
"Creating relationships with the children and parents, and being free to use my imagination", was always my reply, and this answer is just as relevant for my therapeutic work, as it was back when I was teaching.
 
Whether in a teaching capacity, or in a counselling room environment, being around children and young people, is for myself, an absolute privilege and joy.
 
I’ve always been both fascinated and inspired by the natural ability of young people to harness their imagination to do magical things.
 
Creativity is a wonderful therapeutic lifeline that bypasses the logical left side of the brain to process deeper thoughts, feelings and emotions using the right side.
 
Creating a working therapeutic relationship with children and young people gives me the chance to see the world through a completely different lens. This type of relationship takes trust, from the child, and from the parent/guardian.
 
Trust is something that obviously takes time and effort, and is certainly not always easy, yet the rewards of change and autonomy are well worth the investment.

My Training

I completed my therapy training at the Wealden Psychology Institute in 2015, where I gained my Diploma in Integrative Humanistic Counselling. I now work in private practice where I provide creative humanistic counselling for ages 4 years and over. I am a fully registered member of the British Association of Counselling & Psychotherapy (BACP) and adhere to their ethical framework.
 
In 2018 I attended Leeds Beckett University, where I gained my PTUK Accredited Advanced Diploma to become a Counsellor of Children and Young People Using the Creative Arts and Play, the first ever certified degree course of it's kind, offered through APAC and created by the PTUK specifically for qualified counsellors wishing to work with children and young people creatively, whilst combing various elements and principles of play and talking therapies.
 
I continue to add to my therapeutic toolkit by attending regular CPD training/seminars on a wide range of subject matter, including topics such as Sexuality & Gender Diversity to Childhood Trauma & Attachment Theory.
 
My other areas of interest include Trauma Therapy, Neurobiology and Sandtray work. I have attended numerous training events linked to working with trauma, and was part of a team of counsellors working with the As You Are Therapy Centre, where I helped co-write a Trauma Therapy App to help people suffering from trauma symptoms and PTSD. The (AYA-Trauma) app was created in response to the tragic Shoreham Aircrash disaster in 2015, and is available to download for free from both Apple and Android Stores.
 
After gaining my counselling qualification I went on to become a fully trained member of the ASIST Suicide Prevention Team, and am able to work with suicidal idiation by using their pathway to assisting life (PAL) system.
 
I am fully insured, DBS checked, and registered with the Information Commisioner's Office, where I work in accordance with all current Data Protection legislation.
 
Information Commisioner's Office Registration Reference Number: ZA313712

Creative Interventions that I Offer....

“Enter into children’s play and you will find the place where their minds, hearts, and souls meet.” – Virginia Axline

Sand Tray

I love working therapeutically with the sand tray. This type of work allows a child to be completely in control of building worlds, shaping their version of events and utilizing their imagination to role play experiences from their perspective. The sandtray will allow a client to gain valuable insight for themselves in to their worries, anxieties and memories, whilst working out solutions for themselves going forward to help reframe these issues.

Puppets

Puppets allow for communication, they can help enable the recreation of dialogue, and create representations of events and conversations, whilst using the safety of permissive distancing. They are also a way for a child to create a dialogue between puppets to divide issues they are having, act out relationships and find their own solutions.

Creative Artwork

Whether it be through painting, drawing, working with chalk, water colours, crayons or junk modelling, art work means children and young people can explore, use their imaginations and create representations using shape, line and colour that will help process deeper emotions and issues.

Group Work

Group work can be a very rewarding way of helping school settings to look at ways of effectively handling a variety of issues that children/teens deal with on a daily basis. These issues range from transitions and anti-social behaviour, to self confidence and bereavement. Working as part of a group can give children the chance to work on peer relationships and help develop and maintain qualities that will promote healthy friendships and lasting bonds.

Clay Work

Clay is a wonderful medium for representation, and is used in numerous ways. The clay can allow for feelings to be expressed safely, to enable a clients sensory exploration of touch, sight & smell, as well as depicting images that can be destroyed, remade and altered as easily as an etch-a-sketch toy.

Narrative Therapy/Metaphors

Narrative therapy allows for the child to explore themes and issues that could be difficult or troubling by using their imagination for story telling and creative writing. Children have the opportunity to bring to life on the page, representations of people and problems that the conscious mind is unable to deal with in the child's everyday world.

Musical Instruments

Musical Instruments allow for expression of feeling and can be a very pleasing way to explore emotions and issues, they can also be a wonderful tool to help build trust, co-operation and demonstrate mirroring skills.
Instruments also allow for a non-verbal sensory experience in the therapy room, by using vibration to control and explore heightened emotions and learning to control and reduce them in a safe and fun way. 

Previous Work

BHASVIC College

CYP Counsellor for BHASVIC - Working with young people aged 16-17 in a college setting.

St Andrews Primary School

Play & Creative Arts Counsellor for St Andrews C.E Primary School - Providing creative counselling for 5 - 11 year olds
(Both Individual and group work)

Swiss Gardens Primary School

Play & Creative Arts Counsellor for Swiss Garden Primary School - Providing creative counselling for 5 - 11 year olds

As You Are Therapy Centre

Integrative Humanistic Counsellor for As You Are Therapy Centre- Providing Integrative counselling for clients aged 16 years and above

Escape Studios/Pearson College

University Therapist for HE Students across both Escape Studios and Pearson Business School.

YMCA Dialogue, CYP Wellbeing Service

Children and Young Person's Wellbeing Counsellor & Play Therapist - Working for the Dialogue Counselling Service in conjunction with NHS services.

Questions Answered

Please scroll through to find answers to some of the more commonly asked question.....

 
How Long Will Therapy Sessions Take?

For children/young people aged between 9 and 16, sessions usually last for 50 minutes.
 
Younger clients aged between 4 and 8 will usually have shorter sessions lasting for 45 minutes

 
How Long Will They Need Sessions?

 
The time that counselling takes depends on a large number of factors, and varies from person to person. Each client's individual experiences and processes are different & unique. I offer both time limited, and open ended sessions, where we work towards a contract that we have mutually agreed on.We frequently review so that we know our work is both purposeful and ethical

 
What kind of 
 
Issues Do You Work With?

 
I work with a wide range of issues, including, but not limited to:
Anxiety/panic attacks
Bereavement
Familiy circumstances/issues
School refusal/school phobia
Anger/isolation
Bullying
Phobias
Gender Identity/Sexuality
Suicidal idealtion/self harm
Low mood/lack of motivation
Trauma/PTSD
Relationship issues
Neurodiversity related issues

 
Will The Sessions Be 
Confidential?

The answer to this question is predominantly yes, everything discussed in sessions remains between myself and the client, however there are safeguarding exceptions to this rule. (These would be discussed during the initial meeting)
 
For clients under 16, parents will be made aware of certain elements of therapy, should the child give permission, and if the information would prove useful and productive to the wellbeing of the child outside of sessions.

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Online Therapy

Zoom sessions are available on request....

During recent global events we have found ourselves increasingly turning to technology to continue to get our needs met, counselling is no different.
 
If you feel you require counselling sessions and find the concept of face to face too difficult, or would just like to work in this way due to physical distance or travel issues, then we can arrange online sessions for those aged 10 years and up, please just mention this option when booking an appointment.

How It All WorksBelow is a quick guide to walk you through the process of applying for counselling, from initial contact, right through to starting with sessions

1

Get In Touch

The first stage is inital contact, you can get in touch with me using a variety of different methods. Please feel free to call, email, text, or contact me directly through my website to arrange a meeting.

2

Initial Meeting

The next stage is to meet with the parent/guardian face to face with a view to gaining a better understanding of what you, as the parent/guardian needs from your childs therapy sessions. We review the types of behaviour that are concerning you, complete the necessary paperwork together, explore the boundaries of confidentiality, and then discuss the way forward.

3

Preliminary Session

We then move on to an initial preliminary session with the child/young person. Their first session enables us to introduce ourselves, explore the room and talk about what they would like from their therapy, discuss boundaries, confidentiality & safety. Once this meeting has taken place, and the client has given their consent, then the weekly work can begin.

4

Periodic Reviews

Throughout the duration of the work, there will be periodic reviews, where the parent/guardians and I would meet, or speak over the phone to review how various elements are developing outside of the sessions. This allows me to ensure all work being undertaken is both ethical and purposeful.

Testimonials...

I like coming here, it's the best part of my day, I get to talk about whatever I want......

Child L- Aged 11

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Contact Me

To get in touch, please complete the form below, I aim to respond to all enquiries within a 48 hour period

Hove Street, Hove, BN3 2TU

07538160211

sanderson.mbacp@gmail.com

Name

Email

Phone

Message

Adult Therapy

For more information on Adult Counselling services, please visit our sister site using the link button below.

Open Key to Me

Key to "Little" Me

Play and Creative Arts based Counselling for Children & Young People

Stephanie Anderson.mbacp - Counselling Using the Creative Arts and Play

My Training

Creative Interventions that I Offer....

“Enter into children’s play and you will find the place where their minds, hearts, and souls meet.” – Virginia Axline

Sand Tray

Puppets

Creative Artwork

Group Work

Clay Work

Narrative Therapy/Metaphors

Musical Instruments

Previous Work

BHASVIC College

St Andrews Primary School

Swiss Gardens Primary School

As You Are Therapy Centre

Escape Studios/Pearson College

YMCA Dialogue, CYP Wellbeing Service

Questions Answered

Please scroll through to find answers to some of the more commonly asked question.....

How Long Will Therapy Sessions Take?

For children/young people aged between 9 and 16, sessions usually last for 50 minutes. Younger clients aged between 4 and 8 will usually have shorter sessions lasting for 45 minutes

The time that counselling takes depends on a large number of factors, and varies from person to person. Each client's individual experiences and processes are different & unique.

I offer both time limited, and open ended sessions, where we work towards a contract that we have mutually agreed on.

We frequently review so that we know our work is both purposeful and ethical

Online Therapy

Zoom sessions are available on request....

How It All Works

Below is a quick guide to walk you through the process of applying for counselling, from initial contact, right through to starting with sessions

Get In Touch

Initial Meeting

Preliminary Session

Periodic Reviews

Testimonials...

I like coming here, it's the best part of my day, I get to talk about whatever I want......

Child L- Aged 11

If I could cast a spell to make Mum come back I would, but things don't work like that in real life, so instead I'll keep her with me in my head, she can be my patronus and protect me that way instead, she'd be a labrador, she loved them.

Contact Me

To get in touch, please complete the form below, I aim to respond to all enquiries within a 48 hour period

Adult Therapy

For more information on Adult Counselling services, please visit our sister site using the link button below.

For children/young people aged between 9 and 16, sessions usually last for 50 minutes.

Younger clients aged between 4 and 8 will usually have shorter sessions lasting for 45 minutes