Children and young people are free to express themselves through words and/or through the medium of play using the toys, sand, art, clay and music available. Within the safety of a trusting relationship, non-directive techniques are used to support and empower children and young people to process their stories of domestic abuse and facilitate their own healing.

We offer a minimum of 8 to 10 counselling/play therapy sessions, each of which is 50 minutes long.
Our one to one services for children and young people aged from 4-18 can include:

  • Art Therapy
  • Counselling
  • First Response Crisis Support Service – for children and young people aged 11+ who are experiencing domestic abuse at home or within their own relationships
  • Flexible drop-in support
  • Music Therapy
  • Play and Youth Work
  • Play Therapy
  • Solution Focussed Practice

We deliver this work from our two premises in North Shields, and in schools and other community settings throughout North Tyneside and Northumberland. Don’t worry if you are not sure which service would be of benefit to you/your child – we will discuss this with you when we speak to you.

We offer lots of additional services for children and young people including group programmes, therapeutic groups and free family activities. We regularly hold different types of events, including an Introduction to Acorns Coffee Morning, which explains a bit more about who we are and what we, and where we can answer questions you may have. To see when our next events are being held, visit our Events page.

Some of our services for children and young people may not be available or may be offered remotely, depending on where you live, but we can give you up to date information when we speak to you.

While the support of the child or young person’s main carer is highly valued and regular reviews with them take place, therapy sessions are kept private and confidential unless harm to the child or someone else is disclosed.

All of our counsellors and play therapists are qualified and DBS-checked and adhere to professional standards for ethics, clinical supervision and ongoing training.