STEPHANIE ADAMSON BINNIE
Child, Adolescent and Family Therapist
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CHILD, ADOLESCENT, ADULT AND FAMILY THERAPIST
Stephanie Adamson Binnie
I am a child, adolescent and adult counsellor and family psychotherapist.
All of us can experience times when we feel unsettled or consumed by difficult feelings. Sometimes we know the cause and at other times we are confused or unsure what is happening. Feeling such as saddness, loss, anxiety and anger can be so overwhelming they impact our ability to carry out our daily life. At such time talking therapies can be vital to bring understanding and healing. Children may be unable to express their feelings verbally but through play, arts, crafts and sandtray they can come to make sense of their emotions and experiences.
ABOUT ME
I have worked with children and families for over 35 years. This includes 10 years as a social worker; in children’s homes, child protection and as an adoption and fostering senior practitioner working directly with children and families.
11 years as a specialist teacher working in schools with children and adolescents with neurodevelopmental conditions such as dyslexia, ADHD and ASC. For the last 10 years I have worked as a child, adult and family therapist providing counselling and therapeutic support to individuals and families who are struggling to cope with challenging emotions and life events.
PROFESSIONAL QUALIFICATIONS
MBACP
DDP level 1 and 2
MA Child Adolescent and Family Psychotherapy
One Year Infant Observational Study
One Year Pre-school Child Observation Study
Diploma Sandplay Studies
Diploma in Special Educational Needs
PGDip Social Work
CQSW
BSc Psychology
SCOPE OF WORK
OUTLINE OF WORK - young people
I specialise in working with children and adolescents who are experiencing difficulties. Sometimes family change can cause a child or young person to feel insecure or unsettled; for example, family separation, divorce, illness, loss or bereavement or moving house or school.
On the other hand, a child’s behaviour can change or they are unhappy and parents are unsure why. Similarly the transition into adolescence can be challenging for families and young people.
My aim is to help the child or young person to understand what they feel and make sense of their experiences.
SUPPORT - adults and children
Family separation or divorce
Contact difficulties
Bereavement and loss
Family illness
Alcoholism and other addictions
Adoption
Looked after children
Attachment
Poor self esteem
Anxiety and stress
Abuse and violence
Trauma
Bullying
Social integration
Anger management
Relationship and friendship difficulties
Behavioural issues
ADHD
ASD
Sleep issues
Food and eating issues
MY PRACTICE
My Practice is located in Lingfield, Surrey. I provide long and short term counselling and psychotherapy for children, adolescents and adults. When I work with children, I like to meet parents and where appropriate, involve them in the process as facilitating family communication and harmony is a key principle for my work. It may be decided that this is less applicable, for example for some adolescents.
CHILDREN
CHILD THERAPY
Depending on the age and developmental stage of the child I use play, arts and crafts, story telling, drama, sand tray work and conversation to enable the child to reveal their inner world and tell their story.
The process of understanding the child's perspective occurs at their pace and in their unique way. They are supported through painful or uncomfortable emotions. They may reveal some falsehoods or unhealthy beliefs which are harmful to their wellbeing. Changing these may be necessary to assist the child’s emotional stability. This can take time and be challenging. A long term aim of therapy is often to facilitate integration between thoughts, emotions and behaviours. Similarly holding a consistent and meaningful narrative about life experiences is crucial to healing and a sense of well-being. This can ultimately improve the child’s confidence.
ADOLESCENTS
ADOLESCENT THERAPY
When working with adolescents it is important to be respectful of their views and the pace at which they want to work. I am open-minded and non-judgemental.
I recognise that young people are under considerable pressure for example from peer groups, social media, and school, and this can make life challenging to navigate. With this age group my approach and working method will not be the same as for a child.
My hope is that in sessions adolescents can explore their fears and worries and in turn focus on their hopes and dreams and appreciate their personal qualities. I encourage them to discover their ‘true self’ and explore their uniqueness. Psychotherapy can greatly facilitate this process.
For ease of reading and to avoid repetition on this website I sometimes use the generic term ‘child’ to refer to anyone that is aged between 2 and 18 years of age. I appreciate that adolescents are not children and my approach would be adjusted according to the individual’s stage of development.
OTHER SERVICES
PARENT/CARER AND CHILD WORK
I have experience of working with families in crisis and understand the impact of developmental trauma. Work can include facilitating parent-child attachments relationships which can be interrupted for example following illness, separation and loss.
I specialise in working with ‘looked after’ children in foster placements and in adoptive families. I have Level 1 and 2 DDP Training and use these principles to repair mis-attunement, that can occur in early life, and to facilitate attachment relationship between child and parent or carer.
SANDPLAY THERAPY
Sandplay Therapy is similar to Art Therapy as it can offer an outlet for thoughts and feelings. The process of creating sand trays alone can be therapeutic and can prompt discussion and reflection. On the other hand, some individuals use no words or conversation but prefer deep concentration. Sandplay is used with all age groups and is a window into the world of the unconscious and collective unconscious.
WHAT TO EXPECT
I meet with parents for an initial consultation and together decide if counselling sessions would be useful. This is an opportunity to ask questions and exchange information. Children’s sessions are generally at the same time each week and last 50 minutes. In some cases it may be decided that more frequent sessions are required.
After a period of assessment further sessions with parents may be appropriate. The number of sessions required will depend upon the individual child and the circumstances.
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