Children, Teenagers & Families
Looking Beyond Behaviour
Helping children, young people and families feel heard, understood and supported.
As parents and caregivers, it can be difficult to know what to do when your child is struggling.
Perhaps they seem anxious, withdrawn or overwhelmed. Maybe school has become a challenge, emotions feel bigger than ever before, or you're finding yourself worried about changes in their behaviour.
Often, the behaviours we see on the surface are only part of the story.
At Sophie Bolam CBT, I believe meaningful change begins with understanding. Rather than focusing solely on symptoms or behaviours, I work collaboratively with children, young people and families to understand what may be contributing to their difficulties and what might be keeping them going.
Because every behaviour has a story.
When Might Therapy Help?
Children and young people can experience emotional difficulties for many different reasons. Sometimes these difficulties develop gradually, whilst other times they may appear following a significant life event or change.
Support may be helpful if your child is experiencing:
Anxiety and excessive worry
School avoidance or emotionally based school non-attendance
Low mood or depression
Panic attacks
Social anxiety
OCD and intrusive thoughts
Emotional regulation difficulties
Anger and frustration
Low confidence and self-esteem
Friendship difficulties
Perfectionism
Trauma or difficult life experiences
Neurodivergent-related mental health difficulties
Stress associated with transitions and change
You do not need to wait until things reach crisis point to seek support.
Looking Beyond Behaviour
Children often communicate distress through behaviour.
What we see may be:
Refusing school
Withdrawing from family and friends
Irritability or anger
Avoiding situations
Seeking reassurance
Emotional outbursts
Perfectionism
Appearing "fine" whilst struggling internally
Whilst these behaviours can be challenging, they are often attempts to communicate something important.
Together, we can explore what might be happening beneath the surface and develop a shared understanding of your child's experiences.
How CBT Can Help
CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy) is an evidence-based approach that helps children and young people understand the connection between their thoughts, feelings, physical sensations and behaviours.
Therapy can help young people to:
Better understand their emotions
Develop confidence and self-awareness
Learn practical coping strategies
Reduce anxiety and worry
Build resilience
Improve emotional regulation
Challenge unhelpful thinking patterns
Develop a kinder relationship with themselves
My approach is collaborative, compassionate and adapted to the individual needs of each child or young person.
Working With Teens
Teenagers don't always have the words to explain what's going on.
It might come out as tears, anger, avoiding school, refusing to leave the house, constant reassurance, perfectionism, shutting themselves away or saying, "I don't know."
For teenagers in particular, things can become harder to spot. They might seem irritable rather than anxious, spend more time in their room, stop joining in with things they used to enjoy or insist they're fine when you know something isn't quite right.
The aim isn't to change who they are. It's to help them understand what's happening, feel more able to manage it and get back to the parts of life that matter to them.
For teenagers who don't always want to talk about it
You might have been sent here by your parent, and perhaps you don't think you need therapy. Or you could you know you're struggling but have no idea how to explain it. Perhaps you're completely exhausted from pretending you're fine.
You might be worrying constantly, avoiding school or social situations, struggling with friendships, feeling under pressure to get everything right, dealing with intrusive thoughts or finding that everything feels like too much.
Therapy doesn't have to mean sitting in a room and being asked lots of questions about your feelings.
We'll start where you are, work out what's actually going on and find ways forward that make sense for you.
You don't have to become a different person. The goal is to help life feel more manageable and give you more space to be yourself.
Working With Families
Parents and caregivers play an important role in supporting a child's emotional wellbeing.
Where appropriate, I work closely with parents and carers throughout the therapeutic process, helping them to understand their child's difficulties and feel more confident in supporting them.
This may include:
Developing a shared understanding of difficulties
Exploring what may be maintaining the problem
Identifying helpful responses at home
Supporting communication within the family
Building confidence in supporting recovery
The aim is not only to support the child or young person but to support the wider system around them.
Neurodiversity-Affirming Practice
I have experience supporting autistic and ADHD children and young people, including those who may be awaiting assessment or exploring their identity.
I recognise that many emotional difficulties arise not because something is "wrong" with the young person, but because they may be navigating environments, expectations or experiences that do not fully meet their needs.
My work is neurodiversity-affirming and adapted to the individual.
Why Choose Sophie Bolam CBT?
BABCP Accredited CBT Therapist
Registered Mental Health Nurse
Extensive CAMHS experience
Experience working with children, young people and families
Neurodiversity-affirming practice
Compassionate, collaborative approach
In-person appointments across North East England
Online appointments available throughout the UK
Taking the First Step
Seeking support can feel daunting, both for young people and their families.
Whether you are concerned about anxiety, school attendance, emotional wellbeing or simply feel that something is not quite right, I offer a warm, supportive space to explore what is happening and consider how we can move forward together.
If you would like to discuss support for your child or young person, please get in touch to arrange an initial consultation.