How we can help
Life can be difficult for everyone at times, and often it is useful to speak to someone about things that are worrying you and affecting your life.
Here at the Brent Centre for Young People we help many young people who are dealing with a range of different issues including feeling low or depressed, having difficulties with their anger, violence, worries about eating, drug and alcohol use, and relationship problems.
Over the years we have worked with many young people using talking therapies to help them think about their feelings and any choices or changes they would like to make. Our therapists are here to help you, and anything discussed will be kept confidential.
We offer a range of services that are helpful and convenient to each young person that needs support. Some therapies will be short term, some long term, some will be just for you, and some could involve your family or peers.
Adolescent Exploratory Therapy (AET)
Most young people come to the Centre for individual sessions called Adolescent Exploratory Therapy. AET is a non intensive, short term talking therapy and is a good opportunity to explore your feelings and begin to understand what is worrying you. AET sessions are usually weekly but can be fortnightly and each session lasts 45 minutes. The therapist will think with you about what best suits your needs when planning your sessions.
Psychotherapy
Some young people come to the Centre for AET and after a while, make a decision to commit to something more long term. Psychotherapy can be offered for between 1-3 years. Psychotherapy sessions may be once, twice or three times a week, and each session will last 50 minutes. Psychotherapy is similar to AET but is more intensive and helps you to explore your feelings and worries in more depth.
Family Appointments
Some young people that come to the Centre are experiencing difficulties that are best addressed with their families or carers. They may be struggling with something outside of their home which has become so difficult that it is affecting their relationships with parents and siblings. Or something may have happened within the family that causes disruption and breakdown in relationships. If this is the case, often it is helpful for other members of your family to come to sessions with you so that you can think together with a therapist and begin to work on things you would like to change.
Mental Health Support and Engagement service
Many young people have practical issues they need to work through such as finding a job, writing a CV, finding somewhere to live and applying for benefits. At the Brent Centre for Young People, we try our best to offer every young person an initial appointment within two weeks of them contacting us. If you need help with practical issues, our staff can offer this alongside therapy. By coming to BCYP, young people can access help and support for both practical and emotional needs in the same place.
Outreach
Not everyone can or would want to come to the Centre for sessions, but still have worries that they would like to discuss with our staff. Our staff work in 8 different schools in Brent and the Brent Pupil Referral Unit, and see young people to talk and think about their anxieties. Our sessions in schools involve groups of young people discussing issues that affect their lives. Individual sessions are also available at schools. To find out if our staff are available in your school, please call us on 0207 328 0918.
Our therapists also provide sessions for young offenders at the Brent Youth Offending Service. These sessions run similarly to those within schools, giving young people room and time to think about anything that worries or affects them.
What happens next?
If you would like to speak to someone about any of our services, please call us on 0207 328 0918, send an email to clinicaladmin@brentcentre.org.uk, or visit us at Laufer House, 51 Winchester Avenue, London, NW6 7TT.
If you are a GP or other professional working with young people and would like to discuss a referral, please contact us.
We try our best to offer everyone an initial appointment within the first two weeks of them contacting us. This first appointment will be with a therapist who will spend time learning a bit about you and your reasons for coming to see us. They will also answer any questions you have about the Centre, tell you about our services and what will happen next.