Ages 3 to 18 · Manchester
A teenager who won't talk to you may still talk to someone outside the family, if that person is easy to talk to and keeps things private.
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Young Minds Grow offers counselling for teenagers in Manchester, at our north Manchester clinic, in school or online by video, which many teenagers prefer. Sessions are mostly conversation, at the teenager's pace, about whatever is weighing on them, from anxiety and low mood to friendships, exams and family. What they say stays private, apart from safeguarding concerns. Parents are involved through regular reviews.
Teenagers decide what they bring. Some talk from the first minute, others need a few weeks. Gitta doesn't fill the silences with questions.
Alongside talking, we work on ways of handling anxiety, panic and anger that a teenager can use on the bus, in an exam or at 2am.
Many teenagers find it easier to talk by video from their own room. They can switch to in-person sessions later if they want.
At the first session we explain exactly what stays private and the rare situations where we would need to share something.
Counselling for teenagers is a regular, private conversation with a trained counsellor about whatever is making life hard. At Young Minds Grow sessions last 50 minutes and happen at the same time each week, at our clinic in north Manchester, in school or online by video.
With younger children we work mostly through play. With teenagers it is mainly talking, though plenty of 14-year-olds still like to doodle, fiddle with clay or hold something while they speak. Gitta Strassman has worked with children and young people for 25 years, and she is used to teenagers who arrive saying they don’t know why they are there.
Teenagers come to counselling in Manchester for all sorts of reasons. Common ones are anxiety, panic attacks, low mood, anger, falling out with friends, pressure around exams, worries about how they look, things that happen online, and arguments at home. Some come after a bereavement, a parent’s illness or a separation.
A good number of the teenagers we see are autistic or have ADHD, sometimes diagnosed late. Many have spent years copying what other teenagers do to fit in, and arrive exhausted. For them, a place where they don’t have to keep that up for an hour can be a relief in itself.
Privacy matters more to teenagers than to almost anyone. What a young person says in counselling stays between them and Gitta. Parents hear how things are going in general terms, but not the content.
There is one exception. If we believe a young person, or someone else, is at serious risk of harm, we have to act. We explain this clearly at the first session, in plain terms, so nothing comes as a surprise. Where we can, we tell the young person before we share anything and talk with them about how it will happen.
Many parents call us about a teenager who has refused point blank. That is normal, and it doesn’t mean counselling won’t work. Things that often help:
We also meet parents on their own before sessions start, and again every six sessions or so. Those meetings are a chance to talk about what is happening at home and what you can do to help, even before your teenager has agreed to anything.
Counselling is right for many teenagers, but not for every situation. If your teenager needs psychiatric care, a medication review or an assessment for an eating disorder, start with your GP, who can refer to CAMHS. If they are at immediate risk, call 999 or go to A&E.
Teenagers come to our clinic from across Manchester, Salford, Bury and Whitefield, and from further away for online sessions.
At our clinic in north Manchester, in your child's school (arranged with the SENCO or pastoral team), or online by video anywhere in the UK. Times are flexible, including after school. Gitta is MBACP registered (no. 406991), DBS checked and fully insured, with 25 years' experience working with children and young people.
Not the detail. Teenagers need to know their sessions are private, or they won't speak openly. We will keep you updated on how things are going, and if we are worried about their safety we act on it, usually telling them first what we're going to do.
Forcing it rarely works. It often helps to suggest one session to see what it's like, or to offer an online session from their room. Some parents start by booking the parent meeting alone, and we can talk about how to raise it.
Counselling can help a teenager understand and cope with the feelings behind self-harm. Any self-harm should also be discussed with your GP. If an injury needs treatment or your teenager is at immediate risk, call 999 or go to A&E.
At our clinic in north Manchester, in your teenager's school by arrangement with the pastoral team, or online by video anywhere in the UK. After-school slots are available so lessons aren't missed.
Fees depend on where sessions happen and how often. We go through them on the free 15-minute call, and there is no pressure to book.
Yes, if they want to. Some teenagers like to hear the person's voice before they agree to anything. Others are happier for a parent to make the first call.
Consider counselling when a change in your child's mood or behaviour has lasted weeks and gets in the way of school, sleep or friends. Signs to look for by age.
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The CAMHS waiting list in Manchester can run to months. What to ask your GP and school, where to find local support, and how to help your child meanwhile.
Tell us what's been happening and ask whatever you like. If we don't think we're the right people to help, we'll tell you who might be.
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