Who we help
Our multidisciplinary team is equipped to support children, young people, families, couples and adults from all backgrounds and experiences.
Patient information
During 2021/22:
psychotherapy clients supported
clinical sessions provided
Social Services or Adoption Support Fund commissions
Book your appointment now or keep reading to find out more.
Client stories
The work we deliver helps children, families, and individuals overcome complex issues. Here are the stories of just a few of the people we have worked with. We have changed names and removed any identifiers to uphold confidentiality and protect identities.
A child’s story
After experiencing the separation of her family and losing contact with her father, Millie became increasingly angry at home and at school. She experienced bullying and her behaviour had become unmanageable. Without specialist intervention, the likely outcome would have been to exclude Millie from school.
Millie began weekly specialist psychotherapy sessions to help her better manage her emotions. Six months on, her confidence had increased significantly; she was more comfortable and skilled at managing her emotions and became more resilient. Millie was less angry at home, more open in class, became more creative in her learning and enjoyed the experience of school much more.
A young person’s story
Joe experienced a range of major health issues as a young child and frequently had to miss school. His grandfather, who he was very close to, died when Joe was eight, and his best friend moved away to live in another country when Joe was 10. He found the transition to secondary school difficult and struggled to make friends, and became increasingly anxious and isolated.
Through weekly therapy Joe began to make links between how he feels now and some of the things that had happened to him in his life. Joe became able to talk about his fears about life and death, especially his fear that anyone he is close to will leave him. He became more able to start to make friends and also to talk more openly to his parents about his worries in general. After a year of weekly therapy Joe felt ready to stop.
An adult’s story
David had a difficult childhood. An alcoholic father, by turns absent and violent, and a mother who suffered from depression. From a young age he learnt to supress his negative feelings, to avoid provoking his father or burdening his fragile mother. As an adult he often felt empty, doubting his decisions – he moved from job to job and found himself in unsuitable relationships that didn’t last. He maintained a coping, cheerful front, but underneath felt hopeless and disconnected from those around him.
When he came to therapy he was at the end of his tether – depressed, with an overwhelming sense that life was meaningless. Slowly, with the help of his therapist, he was able to see the roots of his difficulties. Cutting himself and others off from his feelings had made sense in the difficult emotional world he was born into. But this childhood strategy was now stopping him grow – depriving him of important information about people and situations, and disconnecting him from others and the emotional texture that gave life meaning.
After 18 months of weekly therapy, while things remained difficult in many ways, David had a new feeling of hope and a sense that he could trust himself to navigate life better. David’s work-life became more stable – he had the sense of following a path, rather than moving randomly from job to job. He started a relationship with someone he had known for many years, which he felt hopeful about.
What our clients say about our work
A parent’s perspective
“The Bridge Psychotherapy Service helped our family at one of our most vulnerable periods; supporting my daughter to continue her fight to overcome her life-threatening eating disorder.
She was matched with a psychotherapist specialised in children and adolescents, and with experience of supporting with eating disorders in young people. Fast forward to one year of fortnightly therapy sessions later and she was further into her recovery and the significant stability in her relationship with her therapist meant that she felt able to go off to university with no further therapeutic support in place – something that we had never imagined to be possible, but of course always hoped for.
What I have seen since her Bridge journey is the emergence of a young woman who has more emotional wisdom than someone my age, who – when things are tough, and old, destructive patterns loom – has this big toolbox of understanding that empowers her to deal with her mental health challenges.
I am incredibly proud of her.”
An adult’s perspective
“When I was offered help, I thought someone would give me some tips about how to treat my hyperactive son. In the first session, I was asked about how I was feeling, and thought this was an unnecessary question because I was fine and it was my son who needed help. But then I realised how wrong I was.
During the sessions I had the opportunity to focus on myself for maybe the first time in my life. Nearly every session brought out pain, which I was keeping in me for a long long time.
I was able to speak to the therapist about everything. Even the secrets I have never been able to speak to anyone before. My journey made me understand the real reasons for my behaviours.
Understanding myself better led to better relations with my family. I became happier, more patient and stronger. I am thankful for the help.”
Need help?
If you need emergency support right now or feel a crisis building please speak to your GP or phone the NHS crisis lines. You can find more resources to help here.
