Milly Ayliffe

I do not work:

Weekends or 

Evenings after 8pm.

I am an integrative children's and young people's therapist, working with ages 5-25 years old. I believe that having a safe space where you are attuned to and understood allows a child/young person to explore and understand their feelings and to recognise and change unhelpful patterns of behaviour.

As an integrative therapist I am:

• psychodynamic in my thinking i.e. I think about what is being communicated unconsciously as well as literally;
• interested in neuro-science to understand the mind's functioning;
• person centred in that I place a high value on the relationship between therapist and the client; and
• systemic in thinking about the child or young person in the context of his/her family.

I use play and creative materials to encourage and allow children/young people to explore and express their feelings. I believe in providing a safe space for a child/young person to explore their feelings alongside an adult who is able to listen and pay attention to what they are saying verbally and non-verbally. To be truly heard and emotionally met where you are at can be a powerful and restorative experience for most children and young people.

I am a fully qualified integrative therapist specialising in working with children and young people working in private practice. l have also previously worked for a low cost therapy unit, Rephael House, Finchley. Prior to this  I volunteered as a schools counsellor in 2 North London primary schools for 3 years.

Following completion of a law degree I joined city law firm Norton Rose Fulbright where I later became the firm’s first part-time partner.  I decided to give up work to spend more time with my children. Wanting to explore a different career I completed a foundation course in Counselling and Psychotherapy at Regents University.  Following the course I decided to focus on working with children and so trained as a volunteer counsellor with Childline where I worked for the next 8 years.  Passionate about children’s mental health and wanting to work with children in a long term setting I then undertook a BACP accredited Post Graduate Diploma training in counselling and psychotherapy for children and young people in schools through Place2Be, a leading provider of support for children's mental health.

I completed the Parent Practice Training for Trainer’s Programme and am a certified Parent Practice educator licensed to use their materials and methodology and to deliver their parenting courses. I offer one to one parent consultations to parents wanting support and strategies to enhance the way they parent and/or to parents wanting to better understand how they can support a child struggling with mental health issues such as anxiety. My approach is collaborative with the main focus on what values you as a family hold and then thinking about  how these are effectively communicated and implemented in your family.  Please see my parenting websitefor more details: www.northlondonparentcoaching.co.uk.

I have also completed Level 1 and 2 Certified Dyadic Devlopmental Practice, Pyschotherapy and Parenting.

I offer an initial 15 minute chat on the telephone for which there is no charge. If you are interested in coming to see me I then offer an assessment for up to 90 minutes for which I charge my standard fee of £70. For children under 18 I carry out the assessment with the parents. After the assessment we can have a further chat and decide together whether I am the right therapist for you (if you are over 18) or your child. If we decide to go ahead I will then meet with your child. I conduct an initial review as part of the 6th therapy session at which you or you and your child can decide whether you would like to continue with the therapy. There is no requirement to commit to 6 initial sessions but this is good point at which to assess whether the therapy is likely to be helpful. If you or your child do not want to continue with the therapy before the 6th session we will of course stop. 

If you are interested in working with me as therapist for you or your child please make initial contact by email and then we can arrange a convenient time to speak.