Emma Cousland

Having worked as a Child Protection Social Worker and Therapeutic Social Worker in London for over 10 years, my clinical experience is diverse and extensive. I have worked with children, adults and families in crisis facing a plethora of struggles. I have retrained as an Emotionally Focused Therapist which has further deepened my understanding and capacity to work with individuals core feelings and beliefs that may be negatively impacting their lives. I currently work with children and adolescents (aged 3-18), parents who need support and guidance, Couples and Families.

In my work with couples, I utilise the Emotionally Focused Therapy which is a research-proven approach that views disagreements between couples as a result of insecure attachments that lead to negative cycles of communication. The aim of the work is to enable clients to experience, accept, and transform negative emotions and patterns into positive emotions and bond-enhancing interactions. EFT is useful for couples caught in a never-ending battle with the same outcome every time where both parties feel distanced.

With individual clients I seek to identify cycles of emotional suppression, avoidance, and reactive escalation that individuals may be caught in. Through the work I support clients to find their emotional balance, step out of these cycles, and be guided into and through their most vulnerable moments. This kind of therapy enables clients to be more open and engaged with their inner experience and with other people.

When working therapeutically with children and adolescents I utilise a creative and empathetic approach to help them to communicate and regulate their feelings. I believe that having a positive relationship is essential to engagement, and I always work with a great deal of flexibility and creativity to ensure my sessions are fun, engaging but also orientated towards the end of goal of improved mental health. In conjunction of working with children and adolescents, I am passionate about supporting parents to regulate their own feelings and enhance their understanding of their child’s development and emotional wellbeing to secure their bond with their child. I aim to offer reassurance and guidance to parents whilst exploring their own triggers that may be impacting how they parent and relate to their child.

In all my work I always seek to work collaborative with individuals and families, and I believe that clients are the real experts on their own experiences. As clinicians we are simple there as guides and as a source of support.