Confidential Counselling Service

When children and their parents/carers need someone to talk to, we can refer them to our counsellor.

Achievement Bute’s Confidential Counselling Service, led by Ann Thompson, a highly experienced Clinical Child Psychologist, is available free of charge to families who have a child or young person with additional support needs.

In counselling, Ann has the time to listen and respond to whatever people bring to the sessions. This may involve any of the following:

  • Counselling and supportive work with a parent or parents soon after diagnosis of their child’s conditions or difficulties;

  • On-going counselling/supportive work with a parent(s), or at specific times, e.g. the transition from nursery to school, or the onset of adolescence.

  • Support at difficult or stressful time such as school meetings or social work meetings. An important role can be enabling or empowering a parent or child to express and communicate their views, feelings, and needs.

  • Behaviour management advice to cope with sleeping problems, tantrums and difficult behaviour, activity and concentration problems, and social skills and communication.

  • Individual child work “walking and talking” with:

    • a child with a disability or additional support needs

    • a sibling (or siblings) in a family where there is a child with a disability

  • Individual work - psychotherapy - with an adult;

  • Liaison and communication with other agencies - with parental consent.

How can counselling help?

If you would like to request an initial consultation please complete the form below. Even if you are unsure about how helpful this service could be for you, an initial meeting can clarify such uncertainties and there is no obligation to continue further.

Need Additional Support of a different kind? Our Family Support Service can provide support to children and young people with additional needs.

Complete this form to talk to us about Confidential Counselling

We aim to contact you within 2 weeks of receiving your enquiry.