About
My name is Caroline Piers, and I work as an integrative counsellor with children, adolescents, young adults and parents in North London. Having worked for over 25 years in Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services in a number of different specialities and geographical locations, I am passionate about the role that a counsellor can have in helping young people recover from difficulties they may be having, maximising their potential in life and giving them a positive experience of seeking help from another.
An integrative approach allows the counsellor to draw on a number of different therapeutic modalities when working with a young person, rather than being limited to one way of working. At the heart of my work is the absolute importance of the young person and counsellor developing a relationship where the client feels listened to, trusted and understood. In my experience, it is when this relationship is attended to and developed that meaningful changes can occur in the work, and in the young person’s life. My training and clinical experience includes play and using the arts in therapy, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, trauma-informed attachment-based approaches, family based systemic work, psychodynamic thinking and a number of other modalities. My approach is evidence-based, and I have a deep commitment to the ongoing improvement of my own skills and practice through continuous professional development opportunities,
I have had significant experience of working with children and teenagers of all ages, as well as parents and wider family members, in the NHS and independent sector, and in addition I offer my services to the older teenage/young adult bracket. My services include parental therapeutic sessions, which can be of enormous value in the often significant challenges of supporting children through different stages of their lives.
I warmly welcome you to contact me using the details provided for more information on my services, or to discuss the possibilities of working together.
My Background
Inpatient Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services: in my original professional discipline as a paediatric nurse, I have had lengthy experience working in Birmingham, London and Kent in a number of different inpatient services in the NHS and independent sector (CAMHS). This included Ward Manager/Director of Nursing roles. This included both general CAMHS inpatient services, and lengthy experience as ward manager of a hospital for young people with eating disorders.
Eating Disorders: I worked as ward manager of a young person’s eating disorders hospital for many years. Subsequent to this I developed my expertise with this client group by working in a specialist community eating disorders service for children and young people. This allowed me to develop skills in the Maudsley Family Therapy for Anorexia Nervosa modality, alongside group and individual therapy trainings.
Paediatric Liaison: I have a passion for working with children and young people who are experiencing physical health symptoms that may be connected to their emotional health. This has included working with clients who have medically unexplained symptoms, chronic fatigue, and long term paediatric conditions that can have significant impact on school attendance, social opportunities and overall experiences of being a developing child and teenager. I enjoy and am confident in working with children and young people with diagnosed and undiagnosed profiles of neurodiversity.
NHS Leadership: I have most recently held a senior Lead Nurse position in an inner London NHS CAMHS service. This has given me opportunities to work in the senior team to develop services that responded to the needs of a diverse, multi-ethnic population. It also gave me opportunity to work clinically with young people with a broad range of mental health symptoms, including anxiety, depression, Emotionally Based School Avoidance and other difficulties.
Training includes:
Bachelor of Nursing, Registered Children’s Nurse, University of Birmingham
Bachelor of Science (Mental Health Studies) and Specialist Practitioner in Child and Adolescent Health, University of Central England
Post-graduate Diploma in Solution Focused Brief Therapy, University of Birmingham
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Association for Psychological Therapies
Family Therapy for Anorexia Nervosa, South London and Maudsley NHS Trust
Post-graduate Certificate in Child, Adolescent and Family Mental Wellbeing: Multi-disciplinary Practice, Tavistock and Portman NHS Trust
Post-graduate Certificate in Counselling Children, Institute for Arts in Therapy and Education
Post-graduate Diploma in Counselling Children, Institute for Arts in Therapy and Education