Our Services
01.
Congratulations on your pregnancy, your body is doing something amazing but this might not be how you are feeling. You may have already experienced loss and it is difficult to now trust your body. You may be struggling with feelings of anxiety, feel terrified of being pregnant, and this can be all-consuming, with it feeling difficult to distract from these thoughts, rationalise them, or lean into your pregnancy and the wider aspects of your life.
Attached Psychology offers therapeutic approaches that support your connection with your baby and deepen your attachment to them. We appreciate that this can feel terrifying and we strive to offer a supportive space, developing trust in the therapeutic relationship, to help you overcome your fears and deepen your bond with your baby prior to their arrival.
Congratulations, your baby has arrived! Gosh, what a whirlwind life has become!
Whilst highs and lows are a completely natural part of adjusting to the parenting journey, for many of us we have experienced anxiety, low mood, and indeed trauma, prior to our baby arriving, during their arrival, or since welcoming them into our family. These experiences can be isolating, with societal pressures suggesting we should be feeling happy and overwhelmed with joy, when behind closed doors and within our own bodies and thoughts, we are feeling terrified, overwhelmed, and struggling to connect with our new little human.
Whatever age your baby may be, and whatever your experience, Attached Psychology aims to learn more about your journey to see if we might be the right fit to support you to heal and deepen your relationship with your baby. This support may be individual sessions for you, direct work with you and your baby, or a group context with parents with similar experiences.
02.
Whilst it is really common for parents to want their children to be seen by a therapist, what we know to be most impactful is when a parent/carer is in the room and a part of their child’s therapeutic journey and healing. Whether it feels like it or not at the moment, You are the most important person in your child’s life, and the biggest shifts can happen when the focus of the work is on your relationship as well as the other difficulties that may be present. Therefore, a key therapeutic offer from Attached Psychology are attachment-informed therapies, such as Developmental Psychotherapy (DDP)-informed work and Theraplay®. We also have experience of working in Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) within the NHS, so are able to draw on many evidence-based therapeutic approaches (such as Cognitive Behavioural Therapy) to best meet the individual needs of a child and their family. We pride ourselves on being able to quickly create a safe therapeutic space where we can sensitively explore, make sense of, and overcome, the challenges and struggles.
"We don't stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing"
George Bernard Shaw
03.
Sometimes young people feel the need for a space away from their parents/carers and their family, to be able to explore the difficulties that they might be struggling to share with anyone. Whilst we like to involve parents/carers as much as possible because we believe family relationships are at the heart of healing, we also respect the need for young adults to have a space that is separate to their families. Adolescence is a time of exploration, with huge challenges being faced in relation to our own identity and where we belong. At Attached Psychology we pride ourselves on being able to create a therapeutic space for young people, to support them on their journey.
"Isn't it odd, we can only see our outsides but nearly everything happens on the inside."
Charlie Mackesy
04.
Are you feeling lost in your relationship with your child? Does it feel like nothing you do or try is making a difference? Are they pushing your buttons? Are you struggling to know how to help them?
It can be so hard to see our children struggle, to worry about them, to feel hopeless and helpless, when we feel we should know them best and should know what to do. Attached Psychology aims to create a safe space where these feelings can be heard and understood, finding a way forwards for you and your child. Whilst it can be helpful for children to be seen on their own in therapy, or with a parent / carer alongside them in sessions, it can also be extremely helpful to offer parents / carers a space away from their children, to make sense of the difficulties, why things are feeling so hard, think about possible strategies, and ultimately re-connect the parent-child relationship.
Attached Psychology offers online or face-to-face sessions for parents / carers. This work could be a stand-alone piece of work, or could be part of a therapeutic package in which children / young people are also seen (either directly as an individual, or in joint work with a parent / carer present).
05.
Dr Jessica Cardy has many years of experience working with adoptive children, looked after children, children in Kinship Care, or under a Special Guardianship Order, and their families. Please make use of our free 15-minute consultation if you are interested in this support, and Jessica can give you more information to help you access this support.
Alongside this work, Jessica has developed a passion working with birth children who have an adoptive sibling. The challenges they face can be quite distinct to different family set-ups, yet there are little to no specialist support services for these children and young people. Therefore, Attached Psychology is proud to offer a space for these children / young people and their families. For more information get in touch and we will happily talk through what this might look like.