Stella Sookun

During Covid 19' health and safety measures, I am only able to provide phone calls or zoom sessions/calls/messaging with young people 13+ or carers/ parents of children. Please note any sessions will require all the usual online safeguarding and parent consent measures.

Term time and school holidays

Tuesdays:  3.30pm -6.00pm

Thursday: 3.30pm - 6.00pm

Fridays: 3.30 - 6.00pm

Mondays: 3.30pm - 6.00pm

Wednesday: 3.30 - 6.00pm

There is the opportunity for daytime sessions on Mondays and Wednesdays' with young people who are not in mainstream school, 6th form provisions or in employment * please contact for more information*

My work as a Child and Young Person's Counsellor is a practical, safe, and creatively focused therapeutic service for children and young people in difficulty. 

I understand that some children have big feelings or overwhelming experiences that they have yet to make sense of. I also know many adults will approach a counsellor during times of high anxiety and worry. Counselling can help children to start to process their experience or feelings, and  in time, support them to rediscover their resilience.

I always start from where a child or young person is today.

 Whilst diagnosis or behaviour can be important factors for  getting more help,  I also believe that every child is unique, and no two children or life experiences are the same.

Developmentally appropriate sessions 

In my experience, no two children of the same age present in exactly the same way. For this reason, and if developmentally appropriate, I may start to build a relationship with a child through a mixture of invitations including; aspects of art, play, drama, music or talk therapy. 

Why do you use the arts as an intervention for distress?

Working with images, sand tray or play uses non-intrusive ‘metaphors’ to gently help children to safely build a therapeutic relationship with me without the pressure of using 'words' alone.

Sessions can be fun, empowering and creative

In time, some of the goals of working in a reflective way can enable children to;

● Rediscover their social skills in a calm and reflective manner

● Feel more able to listen, follow instructions and learn new things with others 

● Feel worthy of experiencing happiness as well as  all of their emotions , as we are made up of different parts most of the time.

The process for working with me:

Prior to us booking in a schedule of work ( and the first session with a child) - I will invite significant adults around a child to meet with me in person for information gathering session. 

This will usually run for 50 minutes and allows me to gain a deeper understanding of your child, your family history and what your hopes are for any child or young person you are concerned about. This meeting is essential for giving you the  time and support to think with me about your child, and answer any questions you may have.

There is never obligation to progress to sessions at this point. Taking the time to think about this decision and commitment is advised. As I will book a confidential space for this session and will prepare for it, there is a charge for this session.

Next steps: 

Should we both feel that working together could be useful, I will  arrange  to meet the  child/young person in the therapy space, so that they are included in the starting process. 

To recap, the usual steps to working me are as follows:

1. We speak via a short phone - free of charge

2. We arrange to meet for a fuller information gathering session. 

3. If both parties are happy to proceed, we move to a scheduled piece of work together and sign a contract for the sessions and responsibility of both parties ahead.