This Christmas, will you be there for children like Daniel?

Daniel struggled to connect with his peers at school.

When Daniel’s teachers noticed that he was often absent from school, was always alone, and seemed to be low in confidence, they referred him to the Place2Be counsellor at the school.

Thanks to the kindness of supporters like you, our mental health support services can be there to help children and young people at school when they need it most.

The safe and trusting relationship that the Place2Be counsellor was able to build with Daniel helped him understand that there were adults who would listen to him and understand, without judging him.

After ten sessions, it was clear that Daniel’s confidence had grown and he was happier.

How we support children and young people

Every pupil at a Place2Be partner school has access to our mental health services, including:

• Place2Talk drop-in sessions with a trained Place2Be counsellor
• whole-class resources and activities to help pupils understand mental health and wellbeing better.

We also offer one-to-one counselling to pupils like Daniel, which provides individual therapy sessions to support pupils struggling with their mental health

Your donation could help us provide this support for more children like Daniel.

How does one-to-one counselling work?

1. Building a strong therapeutic relationship

In the Place2Be therapeutic approach, all relationships are two-way. We all need safe and nourishing relationships to grow, develop and heal.

2. Creating self-awareness

Our counsellors are specially trained to be self-aware. This means they’re able to be receptive and responsive to the needs of the children in their care.

Self-awareness is central to being a good therapist. In turn, our therapists support the child’s understanding of themselves so they can develop a confident sense of who they are in their world.

3. Getting creative through play

Children and young people instinctively use play to understand their worlds. Whether it’s actual play or a playful attitude, being creative helps us unlock a child’s thoughts and feelings.

Daniel’s Place2Be counsellor was able to work on building the therapeutic relationship through activities they could do together, like play Jenga, which created trust between them.