WELCOME TO
OLIVE TREE
COUNSELLING
ONLINE & IN-PERSON
Olive Tree Counselling offers therapy for 6-19-year olds online (U.K)
It specialises in helping children/young people to manage and re- connect with their feelings.
They may be experiencing depression, disassociation, anxiety, gender dysphoria, panic-attacks or low self-esteem.
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Creative-arts counselling can tap into the unconscious parts of us that words alone can’t always reach. Child counselling provides a space for the child to self-discover, process difficult feelings and develop in their well-being.
Why the name Olive Tree?
At the heart of the Olive Tree sits a thick and unique looking trunk.
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We can see its hard work and the journey it's been on in order to build a resilience to any kind of rot or sickness.
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If a child is given the space to process stress and be supported therapeutically to recover from trauma, then great, thick resilience can grow.
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We now know that there are links between emotional trauma in child and adolescent years and long-term mental health issues.
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Children’s brains are still developing which makes them much easier to heal and rewire than adult brains.
The Olive Branch is a symbol from ancient Greek mythology of peace.
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Olive Tree Counselling provides a therapeutic relationship.
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Your child can practice their vulnerable self and learn new ways of being that can help set them up for healthier relationships in the future.
About Me
I am a qualified Child & Adolescent Counsellor who trained at the Institute of Art, Therapy and Education for three years.
I base what I do on Theraplay principles and offer attachment based work for children and their care givers.
I offer support for gender dysphoria and have undergone training with the organisation Mermaids supporting trans children.
I offer Trauma-Informed-Training for schools and parent consultations.
I am employed as a school counsellor.
I am trained in using Minecraft Therapeutically.
I am a registered counsellor with BACP (British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy) and undertake weekly supervision from a highly experienced child psychotherapist.
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I regularly partake in a wide range of CPD courses to develop in my professional practice, including continual Online Safety Awareness.
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I am fully insured and carry an enhanced DBS check.
My therapeutic model is integrative, which means that I can call upon a variety of modalities that would best suit the needs of the individual client.
The work is child-lead and creative-arts based with the application from a variety of theories and neurosciences.
Alongside working in private practice I am employed as the primary School Counsellor based in Swindon.
Before working in private practice, I acted as a volunteer counsellor for a charity in Croydon working with young people. I was a volunteer creative-arts therapist in a primary and secondary school in south west London.
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I have volunteered with child-refugees and female victims of human trafficking in central London as a therapeutic support worker.
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I spent three years volunteering with a charity in the Philippines as an outreach and residential worker, supporting street children, teenage victims of sexual abuse, substance misuse, family/sibling separation and loss.
I spent five years as an international private nanny, working with play, attachment, child-observations, promoting the message of 'The Good Enough Parent', supporting children through loss and creating my own children's stories.
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Qualifications:
Theraplay Level One (Adoption Plus) (In-Process of completion)
Certified Online & Telephone Counsellor (Counselling Tutor)
Post Graduate Diploma in Child Counselling (I.A.T.E)
Foundation Course in the Therapeutic and Educational Application of the Arts (I.A.T.E)
Certificate in Counselling Skills Continued (I.A.T.E)
Certificate in Therapeutic Mentoring (Trauma Recovery Centre, Bath)
Child Counselling
MINECRAFT
I use Minecraft to meet children in a safe online space that is fun, engaging and creative.
I very quickly learn about your child; how they think, face difficulties, relate to others and project their inner world into an outer one.
Using similar tools from in person meeting to online.
Your child will be invited into a world that I create, save and own.
WRITTEN WORD
A child can bring their own written word to a session to help construct and verbalise their feelings to the therapist.
Or writing a poem together.
Lyrics from a song or words written by a figure on social media can be a way for children and young people to find validation and understanding.
PLAY THERAPY
Play allows the child to explore parts of themselves that may be hidden or stuck. Experimenting with different personalities and feelings can be an important part of their healing journey. Role playing as another character can be fun and activates the same chemicals in the brain that play does.
THERAPEUTIC BOOKS/STORYTELLING
By using therapeutic books and creating stories a child can feel truly heard and understood.
This can allow them to carry on with struggles in life with an added element of ease and acceptance.
ONLINE/IN-PERSON CHARACTERS
Exploring an avatar/character that the child is playing online or in-person, gives an opportunity to explore the child's fantasy and online world.
It can help children work things out from the past and/or imagine what another world/life could be like.
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IN-PERSON SAND TRAY
Your child/young person can explore what is going on in their subconscious by placing chosen objects in the sand tray.
Objects in the sand become a very powerful tool for processing as their role takes place, alongside the help of the therapist.
Next Steps
I offer a free 20 minute consultation over Zoom. This would be a chance for you and your child/young person to see what working with me would look like.
It would also be a time for me to find out more about why your child/young person wishes to receive counselling at this time and if I would be the right counsellor for them.
Sessions are £50.
If you are on a low income I offer concession rates.
If you would like to find out about current availability, please contact Natalie by phone, email or in the Contact Me box below.
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Sessions are weekly (this is open to change) at the same time, 50 minutes in duration and are open ended depending on what is best for the child/adolescent.
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If you are a child/adolescent and interested in getting counselling for yourself please contact Natalie by either email, Facebook or Instagram links at the top of the page.
You will need to have a parent/carer that agrees for you to have counselling with Natalie in order to go ahead.
I look forward to hearing from you.
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Created by child that had online counselling using Minecraft (2022)
Testimonials
‘Natalie helped my son understand his emotions and develop his confidence and self esteem. She was kind, engaging and they developed a great relationship. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Natalie to any parent.’
Parent who's child had online counselling (2022)
