School Therapy
Many schools in Merseyside use our School Therapy Service for young people with – or without – a diagnosis of a neurodiverse condition. Read on for all of the frequently asked questions around the service.
Who can access the sessions?
Young people with a diagnosis of a neurodiverse condition, or on the pathway to a diagnosis, can access specific support or strategies in relation to this. The Therapy Team tailor the sessions to you as much as possible, and discuss neurodiversity in a supportive and non-judgemental environment.
Your school will have asked your guardians for consent to refer you to our therapy service - we hope you’ll have had the opportunity to give your consent to come, too!
What happens in the first session?
A first session is used to get to know each other and check if the therapy feels right for you. Although our therapists specialise in neurodiversity, they may use different ‘models’ of therapy when working with you, such as CBT or mindfulness. This is explained in the first session, when you will verbally contract with your therapist about the sessions.
One of the key pieces of information given in the first session is that therapy offers a confidential space for you to talk about your feelings. However, if the therapist feels you are at risk of harm in any way, they will have to inform your school of this. The therapist will always tell you if they need to do this, as your wellbeing and safety is of the utmost important to us.
When will I have a session?
School Therapy sessions usually run every week, over one half term. Different schools offer a different maximum number of sessions, such as 6, 8 or 10.
Sessions usually run during lesson time, at a maximum of 50minutes. This gives you time to process the session and get to your next lesson calmly. It also gives the therapist time to prepare for the next pupil.
What happens in an average session?
Most therapy sessions are based around talking. However, we know not everyone finds this comfortable, so creative activities and games can also be used. Questionnaires or goals will be used to monitor how you are feeling throughout the sessions. Our therapy service is very strength-based and we aim for young people to ultimately feel better in their wellbeing by the end of the sessions.
What happens if I can’t complete the session?
If you ever feel like you can’t stay for the whole session, it’s fine to finish sooner. Just let your therapist know if this is the case.
What if I don’t want to continue the sessions?
Please discuss this with your school and therapist if you ever feel this way. If you can, it’s helpful to have a quick final check-in with your therapist to round off any work done, no matter the end point.
Will the things I say be kept confidential?
Therapy offers a confidential space for you to talk about your feelings.
However, just as with your teachers in school, if the therapist feels you are at risk of harm in any way, they will have to inform your school of this. The therapist will always tell you if they need to do this, as your wellbeing and safety is of the utmost important to us.
Therapists may also keep confidential notes about the work on a protected online platform, such as session dates and themes.
What happens in a final session?
The final session is used to review work done during the sessions and bring the therapy to a close. It’s important to have this session so that the therapeutic relationship is properly ended.