Psychological Support for Children & Teenagers

At The Tunbridge Wells Psychologist we have a specialist team of Clinical Psychologists dedicated to working with children, teenagers, and their families.

We understand that young people face unique emotional, social, and psychological challenges, and our experienced clinicians provide tailored support to help them navigate difficulties, and improve their well-being.

How we can help

We offer evidence-based psychological therapy for a wide range of difficulties, including:

Anxiety, phobias, and excessive worries
Low mood and depression
School-related stress, including exam anxiety and school refusal
Social difficulties, low self-esteem, and confidence issues
Emotional regulation difficulties, including overwhelm and frustration

Trauma and post-traumatic stress
Behavioural challenges
Family changes and transitions, such as parental separation or loss
The emotional impact of physical health conditions and chronic illness
Support for children with neurodiversity, including those with ADHD and autism

We recognise that neurodivergent children and young people may experience the world differently, and we tailor our approach to their unique strengths and needs.

This can include support for emotional regulation, anxiety, self-esteem, social relationships, and the challenges that can arise in education or daily life.

Supporting Parents & Families

When a child or teenager is struggling, the whole family can feel the impact. Our Clinical Psychologists work closely with parents and carers to understand what’s happening beneath the behaviour, emotion or worry you’re seeing. We offer space to think together about what your child needs, how best to respond, and how to support change at home. Many parents tell us that having expert guidance helps them feel calmer, more confident, and better able to support their child’s wellbeing.

A Personalised Approach

Therapy begins with an initial assessment attended by the child or young person usually together with their parent(s)/guardian(s). In this meeting, we listen to your child’s story, understand your family’s perspective, discuss goals and think together about how paretns might be involved in ongoing sessions. From there, we co-create a personalised plan, tailored to your child’s age, strengths and goals, clearly outlining who participates, how often, and what our focus will be going forward.

We use well-established, research-based modalities - such as CBT, ACT, CFT, and EMDR - adapting them for each child or teenager’s age, needs, personality and learning style. Throughout, we aim to build trust, security and openness. Whether sessions are in person or online, your child is encouraged to express themselves in ways that feel natural: through talk, drawing, storytelling, play or mindfulness. Our goal is to make therapy feel accessible, supportive and empowering.