The 5-18 Counselling Project

The 5-18 Counselling Project provides trained counsellors for children. We recognise that in difficult family situations our counsellors are able to actively listen to children to help bring their concerns to the surface.


Due to the young age of children, we appreciate that they rarely volunteer information about their worries or concerns. Nevertheless, our counsellors appreciate that such worries and concerns indeed exist. We can then help children who may have feelings of anger, confusion or rejection. These feelings are normal in such situations and our counsellors are responsive and show empathy towards what the child is saying.

If you require further information please contact us using the contact information on the left. Further useful information may be found at Parentline Plus. Follow the link below:

Case Study - Nicole's story

Nicole is a 9 year old girl who was referred for counselling two years after her parents had separated.

Nicole told the counsellor that she was feeling sad, that when her parents split up it felt like her heart had been split in two and that dad had one half and mum had the other. She didn’t want her mum and dad to split up and she brought in a photo from the last family holiday that they had had together and she talked about the good times they spent.

She had experienced a lot of changes in the two years since her parents’ separation. Not only had her family changed but also the separation had meant that she had had to move house, which entailed a change in school, and her mum had had to go out to work.

Nicole was very angry with her dad because, to her, he had ‘run off with another woman’ and he was to blame for all the changes in her life. At the same time, Nicole missed her dad; she still saw him but she wanted to see him more often. Nicole was afraid to tell her mum as she was afraid to upset her mum. She felt confused because she wanted to see her dad and yet was angry with him. The counsellor helped Nicole to explore these feelings.

At the end of counselling Nicole said "I liked talking about my problems and someone actually listening."

Other local counselling services

A Time to Talk Counselling Service for Couples, Individuals and Adolescents