Sonja Turner - Therapist

In recent years, I have been working in a local secondary school academy, with a number of students who, for various reasons are not getting the most from their school experience. Some of the students have been experiencing learning difficulties, for example Dyslexia or difficulty focusing and concentrating during lessons (which can in turn lead to behavioural problems, which then result in inter-personal challenges with teaching staff. This can cause the student to have a negative outlook on their entire experience of school). Others have been struggling with more personal challenges.

 

Some examples of these challenges are:

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• Bereavement due to the loss of a close family member

• Phobic responses to traumatic events

• Feeling unaccepted on a deep level because they are 'different' in some way

• Sudden, unexplained panic attacks and anxiety which causes the student to feel too overwhelmed to attend lessons with other students

• Overwhelm due to the pressure of exams and course work deadlines

• Feeling emotionally unsettled as a result of foster care provisions

 

I work therapeutically with students so that they can feel more empowered, sharing with them certain 'tools' and processes that they can use for themselves anytime, anywhere. This in turn allows the student to feel more confident in their own ability to deal with the challenges of life. I have seen some amazing transformations take place with almost all of the students I have worked with. I have also worked therapeutically with university students in similar ways.

 

As well as equipping them with certain 'state-changing' processes, I also coach the students to manage their attitudes and responses towards their workload, thus enabling them to become more organised and pro-active in their approach to school, college and university demands. Many of the students have seen major improvements in their grades as well as marked increases in attendance for some. Overall, many students enjoy a more fulfilling, positive education experience as a result of working with me.