How we help

Therapy for children and young people

We provide therapeutic support for children and young people aged 4–18 who have experienced sexual abuse or assault across Bristol, North Somerset, South Gloucestershire and Bath and North East Somerset.  

We offer a range of therapeutic interventions, including creative outdoor group therapy, online therapy, and creative arts-based therapy. Services are delivered from our main centre in St Pauls, Bristol, as well as from several outreach locations across our catchment area, ensuring support is accessible to those who need it.  

Who can make a referral?  

We accept referrals from parents and carers, professionals, and young people themselves, provided the young person has given their consent.  

If you are aged 16 or over, you can refer yourself to us up until the day before your 18th birthday. If you are under 16, please ask a parent, carer, or professional supporting you to complete a referral with you.  

What will my therapy sessions be like?  

Every child or young person’s therapy journey is unique, so sessions may look different for each person. What happens in therapy is led by the child or young person and what feels most helpful.  

Some young people choose to use our creative resources, such as art, play or other activities, to explore their thoughts and feelings. Others may prefer to spend their session talking with their therapist. Some young people use a combination of both.  

The most important part of therapy is that children and young people have a voice, feel heard, valued and respected. 

Why use creativity in therapy?  

Creative activities can make it easier to explore feelings and work through difficult and traumatic experiences that are difficult to put into words.  

As a creative therapy service, we use art, play, and other creative approaches alongside talking therapy to help children and young people express themselves in ways that feel comfortable and meaningful to them. We value the many ways children and young people communicate and recognise that sometimes words alone are not enough.  

A note about ‘Pre-Trial’ Therapy

You can still have support and therapy about your experiences of sexual abuse, even if there is a Police investigation going on. This is known as ‘pre-trial therapy’. The Green House has done a lot of work in this area. For more information about that, click here: Bluestar link and here.

Resources

If you’ve got questions, we have created a range of resources to help children, young people, parents, carers and professionals understand more about therapy at The Green House and what to expect from the process.  You can find them here.