Question 1

What is therapy?

Accepted Answer

Therapy is a safe space for you to talk about how you're feeling without worrying about being judged. By talking about your experiences and thoughts with a therapist, it might help you understand your feelings better. While Creative therapists use art, music, movement, drama, or play to help people express thoughts and feelings that might be hard to put into words. With that understanding, you can become better able to deal with difficult situations either now, or in the future. For example, you might be able to learn to stay calmer when you’re angry, or more confident when you’re scared. It’s also a good opportunity for you to learn more about yourself, for instance, through talking openly with your therapist, you might discover parts of yourself that were previously hidden to you.

Question 2

How does it work?

Accepted Answer

Therapy takes place as a series of weekly sessions between you and your therapist. You sit down in a private space to talk about what is on your mind. There is no right or wrong when it comes to what you want to talk about in your therapy sessions, and it might change from one week to the next. You are not here to be judged by your therapist, nor are they marking you like a test. They are simply there to listen and help guide you through your thoughts and the space is yours to talk about whatever you want to. You don’t have to talk about things you’re feeling upset or challenged by too, you can talk about your hopes for the future, things that bring you joy, or whatever you like really.

Question 3

What types of therapy are there?

Accepted Answer

You can just talk, or you can express your feelings creatively, such as through movement or painting. Your therapist will discuss this with you during your assessment. Make sure you let those at The Nest know if you have any preferences. We will do our best to fit you with the right therapist.

Question 4

Did I do something wrong?

Accepted Answer

Therapy is not a punishment. Everyone and anyone could benefit from talking about problems they face at one, or various points in their life.  It might be that something about your behaviour, such as being very angry or being very quiet, has meant someone has noticed that you need to talk.

That does not mean that you are broken or a bad person. It is only that you might benefit from new ways or taking care of your own feelings, like being given new tools to solve your problems.

Remember, it is your choice as to whether you start therapy or not. If you decide not to have therapy now, it doesn’t mean that you can’t come back to The Nest, or anywhere else that provides therapy when you feel ready.

Question 5

What is a therapist?

Accepted Answer

Therapists are people who have studied how people think and feel. They use that knowledge to help guide you as you talk about your feelings or express them through creative activities.

You may have also heard of the word counsellors or psychotherapists. These are all types of therapist we have at The Nest. You can always ask the person who is working with you what type of therapist they are.

Our therapists have professional qualifications, or are in their final year of studying, which means they have learnt about psychology, mental health, and how to help support people.

Question 6

Boundaries with your therapist

Accepted Answer

Your therapist is someone you can talk openly with because they are separate from other parts of your life such as school and family. This means that you might find it easier to talk to them as you will only see them for therapy.

They will not interact with you on social media, give hugs or tell you about their own life. The therapeutic space is for you and your experiences, and hearing about your therapist’s life might impact you and what you feel able to speak about it.

If you could talk to your therapist all the time, you might be left feeling like you need your therapist to cope, or you might feel overwhelmed. By containing your interaction with your therapist to your session, it can enable you to feel better able to manage challenging emotions outside of sessions.

Question 7

Is what I say kept secret?

Accepted Answer

Everything you say in your sessions with your therapist is confidential unless there is what we call a "safeguarding concern". Your therapist may talk with their supervisor for advice on some issues. All therapists have a supervisor to discuss their work, making sure that the therapist is doing their best to help you. Supervisors also keep all information confidential, unless there is a risk of harm to you or someone else.

Therapists would never promise to keep something secret because we don’t know what might be spoken about in sessions. But aside from the above, what you say in your sessions stays strictly between you and the therapist so you can feel free to open up and discuss whatever you would like to. Therapists do not report to your parents, carers, teachers or employers.

Question 8

What is a "safeguarding concern"?

Accepted Answer

Firstly, there is what we call a “safeguarding concern”. This is if there is a risk of harm to someone. An example of this would be if you mentioned that someone was threatening to hurt you, or if a friend was hurting themselves. In such cases, the therapist has a duty to act to protect whoever is at risk. This may involve speaking to a parent, school or someone else involved. Where possible, the therapist will discuss their response with you before they speak to someone else, and will always have your safety as a priority.  This can be a complicated area and if you have any worries about this, it is best to discuss it with your therapist at the start of your therapy.

Question 9

Should I tell people I am in therapy?

Accepted Answer

Some important people might have been told such as teachers so you can have the time to attend. But the choice of who you tell is yours. You don’t need to feel pressured to tell others, but neither is it something to be ashamed of (more than one in four of all people have had therapy at some point).

Question 10

Where do I have to go to?

Accepted Answer

We hold most of our sessions at The Nest in Peckham. It’s a quiet place with rooms that have some cosy seats, toys to fidget with if you want to and some art materials. We also have a little reading corner in the waiting area. If you’d like to know more, we have a guide to the space (called a visual story) that you can ask for if you haven’t been given it already. There are also other locations we sometimes hold sessions.

Therapy can also happen on your computer through a Microsoft Teams video call. This will depend on your situation, as for some people this can be harder to talk about some more difficult topics than if you are in person. For some people, they might prefer online sessions as it might be difficult to travel to Peckham, or you might feel more comfortable in your own space.

Question 11

Do I need to prepare?

Accepted Answer

There is nothing you need to do before. Just come with an open mind. Some people do find it useful to write about how they’re feeling in a journal beforehand. For art therapy, you might want to wear clothes you don’t mind getting messy in.

After the session, you might want to have some time to yourself, for example to go for a walk in a park,  to think about what you’ve talked about, or done in session. You could also journal, draw, paint or sculpt about how you feel after the session to reflect. This is down to what you find helpful.

Question 12

When does it start working?

Accepted Answer

Therapy isn’t about something “working” or immediate change. When improving your mental health, your journey isn’t always in a straight line. Sometimes feelings can get worse before they get better, but when they do, you might feel that you are able to understand your feelings more and cope with situations better than before. Often simply turning up for each appointment is what helps you in the long term. The changes you feel might come after you’ve finished therapy as you apply what you’ve discovered about yourself or simply feel like your story has been heard.

We offer 6-12 sessions here and while that might not be enough time to explore everything in depth, it can offer a meaningful starting point to begin understanding and working through some of the important areas in your life.

Question 13

What happens next?

Accepted Answer

The first time you come in, we have a chat where a therapist will ask about what is happening in your life. This might be how you feel about school, family, work, friendships or close relationships, or whatever is happening in your day. This will be so we can understand what your needs are.

After this you’ll begin weekly 50-minute sessions for 6-12 weeks. This will be with the same therapist each week, on the same day & time each week, who will get to know you and help you talk through what is on your mind.

By the end, you should have a better idea of how to deal with uncomfortable situations and your own thoughts. Your therapist will help you come up with a plan for looking after yourself and, if necessary, tell you about other places you can ask for support if you need it.

Question 14

Do I need to accompany my child to their sesions?

Accepted Answer

You are welcome to bring your child here and wait in our waiting area during the session, but it is not required if you are happy for them to come to The Nest alone.

Question 15

Can I sit in on the session with my child, or will you tell me what has been discussed?

Accepted Answer

An important part of therapy is a confidentiality between the therapist and client. This allows your child to be open and honest about their thoughts and feelings. Therefore, if you arrive with your child, you would be asked to sit in the waiting area away from the therapy rooms to give the session some privacy.

There are times when we will speak to you or others, such as your social worker, about what has been discussed. These would be safeguarding concerns where the therapist believes there is a risk of harm to your child, or someone else.

Question 16

My child is reluctant to attend

Accepted Answer

Consent and engagement is important for them to benefit from therapy. As a result, if the therapist feels that your child doesn't want to be there, then they would be unable to continue. We suggest you ensure they are engaged with the idea of attending well before we offer appointments. If they are not, it would be better to let us know and you can re-refer at a later date if they would like to start then.

Question 17

How can I get support for myself?

Accepted Answer

We offer some parental support that is listed on our website https://thenestsouthwark.org.uk/ and if you are looking for advice we suggest speaking to Young Mind's parental helpline: https://www.youngminds.org.uk/parent/parents-helpline/

Question 18

Can I wait in The Nest while my child is in their session?

Accepted Answer

You are free to sit in our waiting area until your child's session is over. We do ask that you stay in the area with the turquoise sofas and keep your voice down. This is so as not to disturb clients in session and to respect their privacy.

Question 19

Can I use the WiFi?

Accepted Answer

Please use the network Southwark-Free-WiFi (no password needed). You are welcome to use a nearby charging port for your phone.

Question 20

Can I work while I wait?

Accepted Answer

You can work on your laptop provided it is not disruptive. This is a therapeutic space and it is not appropriate to take work calls or watch films while you are in The Nest.

Question 21

Is the space accessible?

Accepted Answer

The Nest is fully wheelchair accessible, and we have an accessible toilet on site.

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