Services
Child, Adolescent & Family Therapy
Children, teenagers & families often struggle as they grow individually & alongside each other. A psychodynamic child, adolescent & family therapist looks at behaviour as a communication, a way of expressing & managing an emotional struggle of some kind. Therapy can provide a safe relational place to think about these struggles so we can understand the meaning of any difficulties & work towards improving things.
What is Child, Adolescent & Family Therapy?
The therapeutic relationship offers a safe, non judgemental place in which any behaviours, developmental & emotional difficulties can be made sense of. It can involve playing, drawing, & creative approaches as ways of expressing feelings alongside any talking. The therapist will be seeking to understanding the internal world of the young person as well as holding in mind the interplay between this world & their external world. Though there are no quick & magical fixes therapy hopes to help the child, young person & family recognise & express their emotions, build self-awareness & generally seeks to improve ways of relating.
Following the initial assessment psychodynamic therapy is a free flowing & organic process led by the person themselves. The psychotherapist is seeking to understand any unconscious feelings which may be driving any behaviours & distress. The relationship between therapist & the child emerges in playful, curious & creative way, but it can encompass psycho-educational approaches such as mindfulness. or cognitive behavioural techniques when helpful. The therapy room has sand trays, art materials & toys to facilitate non verbal ways of communicating feelings. Alongside any individual work the therapist might also work with you as parents to think together about your child’s unique struggles & equip you to understand & manage these struggles. A psychodynamic therapist believes that all parents are doing their best, with what they have at any given time, & that being a parent can be demanding & hard. They recognise & respect that parents hold immense expertise, & relational knowledge of their children, & that it is a generous & considerable act to seek, finance & support their child to access therapy.
Meet our Child, Adolescent & Family Therapy Psychotherapist
Diana Catherine Wood
- MA
- MBACP
- BPC
- Psychotherapist
I am a Child, Adolescent & Family Psychodynamic Therapist who trained at the Tavistock & Portman NHS Trist, a renown worldwide institution which has a rich history of helping families, children and young people. I qualified with a Distinction in my Masters studies & am registered with the British Psychoanalytic Council as well as the BACP. I have been working as a therapist for over 25 years in G.P surgeries, for charities, for the NHS & in schools.
Accreditations:
Some examples areas I have worked with are :
- Anxiety & school phobia.
- Self-harming behaviours & suicide ideation.
- Anger & destructive behaviours.
- OCD
- Low mood & depression.
- Developmental conditions (diagnosed & undiagnosed) e.g. autism & ADHD.
- Developmental trauma & attachment difficulties.
- Loss, separation &/or bereavement.
- Disordered eating & struggles with body image.
- Gender issues & body dysmorphia.
- Parenting issues.
Need Help?
Please get in touch & we can arrange to speak in person. It can help to talk & we can suggest the next steps for you.
Welcome to the Child, Adolescent & Family Room
Following the initial free telephone consultation, it would be my pleasure to meet with you, &/or your child in person, so you can get a sense of me as a psychotherapist. It’s important to trust your gut feeling as to whether I am the right therapist for your family, or son/daughter as we explore things further. I trust that children & young people will also have a strong instinct about who they feel comfortable with & that this can sometimes be different to their parents’ ideas. It is important to respect their choice as research shows that it is actually relationship between the therapist & the person seeking help (rather than the actual approach/method itself) that promotes change & healing. There is absolutely no pressure to proceed further after this initial meeting.
Why Trust Mahony & Wood?
We’re a small team of highly qualified & experienced therapists, drawn together through a shared passion & belief in people, their ability to change, and their right to live the happiest version of their life.
Professionally Certified
Over 25 Years Experience
We do not share your information
Frequently Asked Questions
Just contact one of our therapists or leave a message on the website and we will be happy to talk you through the next steps.
Each of our therapist charge differently, so please contact us. We would be happy to discuss this with you. Mahony & Wood pride themselves on their transparency & will never charge anybody for any service without an explanation of costings & your agreement.
Psychotherapy is a general term that refers to talk therapy, counselling, psychosocial therapy, cognitive and behavioural therapies. It’s an over-arching term that describes psychological evidence-based approaches to therapy that have been based on research into the best way to help those with psychological/ behavioural problems. Psychotherapy allows the Client and therapist to enter a therapeutic alliance, to bring about relief and wellbeing through insight, techniques and understanding of the issues.
Yes, you can. All our therapists see people face-to-face and offer online therapy upon request and agreement that the issues can be treated effectively in this manner. Some of our therapists also offer phone therapy, but again this will have to be with the therapist’s agreement. Some therapies do require a face-to-face element and some disorders and conditions do not lend themselves to remote working. However, our therapists are experienced and well placed to advise you on this matter.
Contact Us
To book an appointment or ask any questions please leave your details below , we would love to hear from you.
Please leave as much details as possible and we will endeavour to reply at the earliest possible oportunity. However, we understand that some information maybe of a confidential nature which maybe more comfortably disclosed directly to a therapist during any agreed session.