Teenage Counselling in Brighton and Hove

Online and face-to-face counselling for teens, parent & child and adults

Teenage Counselling

The teenage years are often a  challenging time with many complex emotional experiences to navigate. I provide counselling for teenagers and young people within a safe, supportive and confidential space both online and face-to-face in the Brighton and Hove area.

Parent-Child Counselling

Sometimes we need help with family relationships, conflict and life changes and learn to communicate our thoughts and emotions in ways which respect each individual’s needs and values. Duo counselling for parent and child can help you resolve difficulties and find solutions together. 

Adult Counselling

Looking after our mental health is an essential act of self care. Individual therapy can be helpful for so many problems and difficulties. I am an experienced counsellor offering a non-judgmental space to work through challenges and experiences, whatever they might be.

Clinical Supervision

Supervision should always leave you feeling supported and energised for your client work. My focus is on working with you collaboratively, exploring different avenues and enhancing your skills using a variety of modalities as appropriate.                                                                              

“Out of your vulnerabilities will come your strength”.

Sigmund Freud

Trans and LGBTQI+

Whether you are trans, non-binary, are part of the LGBTQI+ community or questioning your gender identity or sexuality, I can support you on your journey. Coming home to who we are can involve a long process of discovery with many challenges and road blocks along the path. I work supportively and sensitively, to help you navigate the complexity of your individual experiences at a pace that feels right for you.

Good to meet you....

My name is Kirsten Pick and I am an experienced counsellor working in the Brighton and Hove area. One of the most important things I’ve learned in the course of my life and through providing counselling and psychotherapy over the last 12 years, is that many of us seek counselling when we feel stuck or need help finding a way through one of life’s myriad of changes.

Entering adulthood, discovering our sexuality, health difficulties, relationship changes, becoming a parent, losing a loved one, finding our purpose – these are just a few of the changes that most of us will face at some point. Some of these can be exciting, but often changes bring up challenging feelings such as overwhelm, sadness, anger and despair. In times like these our instincts guide us to seek out guidance and support to work through our difficulties, often with a therapist or counsellor.

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Wherever you are in your life journey, my approach to counselling is tailored to your unique experiences, thoughts and feelings. We sometimes know where we want to be (or at least where we DON’T want to be) but we don’t know the route to get there. My aim is to help you find the path that feels right for you as an individual. I am warm, empathic and non-judgmental and provide a safe, supportive space for you to explore what is going on for you, re-discover your strengths and learn new ways to cope with life’s obstacles.

“The only constant in life is change”

Heraclitus

Issues & Difficulties Covered

Credentials and Experience

I qualified with a Postgraduate Diploma in Psychodynamic Therapeutic Counselling from the University of Brighton in 2012. Since then, I have continued to study in other modalities such as Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) enabling me to tailor my services to the individual needs of my clients.

Through my work at various agencies, I have gained experience working with multitude of ages (between 4-80) and many different issues. 

Experience

Mid Sussex Counselling Centre (long term work with adults)
CRI (substance misuse services)
Patched (families and carers of substance misusers)
Dialogue (children and young people)
Your Space Therapies (children and young people)

Continuing Professional Development (CPD)

I attend regular CPD workshops and training, such as
Assist (suicide prevention),
Duo counselling (working with couples),
Self-harm in young people;
learning different therapeutic interventions.

I am a member of the Brighton and Hove Therapy Hub.

I work within the British Association of Counsellors and Psychotherapists ethical framework and a Registered BACP Member.

Common Questions About Counselling

Counselling is about exploring your dilemma rather than giving advice. It’s about helping you find the right path for you as you know yourself best and will have the answers within you. Together we can discover these answers and enable you to experience positive change.

Confidentiality

Counselling is a confidential service (unless you or someone else is at risk of serious harm). Your name and any identifying data will be stored securely and a pseudonym will be used to ensure your identity is kept confidential.

How Long Will I Need Counselling For?

Sometimes resolution of a problem can happen in as few as 6 – 12 sessions, but often clients need counselling for longer to work on deeper issues. It is a healing process that requires participation and investment from both the counsellor and client or clients in the case of duo counselling. Gradually making small changes to self-defeating behaviour and learning to cope with feelings of sadness, fear and pain can bring life-altering results. As you come to understand yourself better and figure out your values and priorities, you will discover new coping strategies, and your attitudes and feelings towards life situations, and yourself, will change alongside.

Generally we meet on a weekly basis. It is recommended that we work towards an ending rather than ending suddenly –  sometimes we might taper off by meeting fortnightly or monthly, especially if we have been working together long term.

Supervision

My supervision times are adapted to your needs, I use BACP recommendation as my guideline of one and a half hours per month. I am also able to facilitate small peer supervision groups.

Client Feedback

5/5

“Kirsten has been really helpful and has given me some practical ways of dealing with anxiety day to day. I find it easy to talk to her and am left feeling a lot calmer after our sessions”.