Highgate, North London
A calm private consulting room at 62A Highgate High Street, London N6 5HX.
Child and adolescent psychotherapy when school and everyday life have become difficult
ACP-registered Child and Adolescent Psychotherapist
Your child may be anxious, exhausted, or struggling with the everyday demands of life. You may already have tried therapy or other support, but their world still seems to be shrinking and you feel stuck.
I offer psychotherapy for children and teenagers in North London, with a particular focus on young people who are neurodivergent, living with chronic health conditions, highly socially anxious, or who have found traditional therapy difficult to engage with. I also run a specialist EBSA clinic for families whose children have stopped, or are struggling, to attend school.
As seen in
Child and adolescent psychotherapy when school and everyday life have become difficult
ACP-registered Child and Adolescent Psychotherapist
Your child may be anxious, exhausted, or struggling with the everyday demands of life. You may already have tried therapy or other support, but their world still seems to be shrinking and you feel stuck.
I offer psychotherapy for children and teenagers in North London, with a particular focus on young people who are neurodivergent, living with chronic health conditions, highly socially anxious, or who have found traditional therapy difficult to engage with. I also run a specialist EBSA clinic for families whose children have stopped, or are struggling, to attend school.
As seen in
Child and adolescent psychotherapy when school and everyday life have become difficult
ACP-registered Child and Adolescent Psychotherapist
Your child may be anxious, exhausted, or struggling with the everyday demands of life. You may already have tried therapy or other support, but their world still seems to be shrinking and you feel stuck.
I offer psychotherapy for children and teenagers in North London, with a particular focus on young people who are neurodivergent, living with chronic health conditions, highly socially anxious, or who have found traditional therapy difficult to engage with. I also run a specialist EBSA clinic for families whose children have stopped, or are struggling, to attend school.
As seen in
Child and adolescent psychotherapy when school and everyday life have become difficult
ACP-registered Child and Adolescent Psychotherapist
Your child may be anxious, exhausted, or struggling with the everyday demands of life. You may already have tried therapy or other support, but their world still seems to be shrinking and you feel stuck.
I offer psychotherapy for children and teenagers in North London, with a particular focus on young people who are neurodivergent, living with chronic health conditions, highly socially anxious, or who have found traditional therapy difficult to engage with. I also run a specialist EBSA clinic for families whose children have stopped, or are struggling, to attend school.
As seen in
Child and adolescent psychotherapy when school and everyday life have become difficult
ACP-registered Child and Adolescent Psychotherapist
Your child may be anxious, exhausted, or struggling with the everyday demands of life. You may already have tried therapy or other support, but their world still seems to be shrinking and you feel stuck.
I offer psychotherapy for children and teenagers in North London, with a particular focus on young people who are neurodivergent, living with chronic health conditions, highly socially anxious, or who have found traditional therapy difficult to engage with. I also run a specialist EBSA clinic for families whose children have stopped, or are struggling, to attend school.
As seen in
Why work with me?
I am Sagal Hassan, DPsych, an ACP-registered Child and Adolescent Psychotherapist with more than a decade of experience across NHS CAMHS, paediatric hospital services and schools. My specialist training included three years of preclinical study followed by the four-year clinical training programme in child and adolescent psychotherapy. I am qualified to work with ages 0–25; my private practice focuses on adolescents and young adults. My work is particularly informed by the interaction between emotional wellbeing, physical health, neurodivergence, school and family life. I keep a deliberately small caseload so that treatment can remain attentive, consistent and responsive around each child and family.
What may be bringing you here
Your child’s difficulties are unlikely to fit neatly into one category. There may be one main difficulty, but several areas of everyday life can be affected, alongside low mood, anxiety, self-harm or suicidal thoughts.
Your child’s difficulties are unlikely to fit neatly into one category. What often connects them is that school attendance has become the clearest sign that something is seriously wrong, but the rest of their world has also shrunk. Family life becomes strained, your child withdraws from friendships or loses the confidence and resilience they once had.
When pushing your child towards school increases their distress, but stepping back seems to make returning even harder, it can feel as though every response is wrong. A parent consultation can help you understand what may be making attendance feel impossible, decide how to respond at home and identify the most appropriate next steps with school.
Scroll to read ↓
When your child has spent so long holding everything together that ordinary demands like school now lead to shutdown, distress or collapse, simply asking less of them may not be enough. A parent consultation can help you begin to distinguish between anxiety, sensory overload, demand-related distress and exhaustion, so that pressure can be reduced thoughtfully and the right support identified.
Scroll to read ↓
When pushing your child towards school increases their distress, but stepping back seems to make returning even harder, it can feel as though every response is wrong. A parent consultation can help you understand what may be making attendance feel impossible, decide how to respond at home and identify the most appropriate next steps with school.
Scroll to read ↓
When your child has spent so long holding everything together that ordinary demands like school now lead to shutdown, distress or collapse, simply asking less of them may not be enough. A parent consultation can help you begin to distinguish between anxiety, sensory overload, demand-related distress and exhaustion, so that pressure can be reduced thoughtfully and the right support identified.
Scroll to read ↓
When pushing your child towards school increases their distress, but stepping back seems to make returning even harder, it can feel as though every response is wrong. A parent consultation can help you understand what may be making attendance feel impossible, decide how to respond at home and identify the most appropriate next steps with school.
Scroll to read ↓
When your child has spent so long holding everything together that ordinary demands like school now lead to shutdown, distress or collapse, simply asking less of them may not be enough. A parent consultation can help you begin to distinguish between anxiety, sensory overload, demand-related distress and exhaustion, so that pressure can be reduced thoughtfully and the right support identified.
Scroll to read ↓
When pushing your child towards school increases their distress, but stepping back seems to make returning even harder, it can feel as though every response is wrong. A parent consultation can help you understand what may be making attendance feel impossible, decide how to respond at home and identify the most appropriate next steps with school.
Scroll to read ↓
When your child has spent so long holding everything together that ordinary demands like school now lead to shutdown, distress or collapse, simply asking less of them may not be enough. A parent consultation can help you begin to distinguish between anxiety, sensory overload, demand-related distress and exhaustion, so that pressure can be reduced thoughtfully and the right support identified.
Scroll to read ↓
When pain, fatigue or functional symptoms have narrowed your child’s life, it can be difficult to judge when to encourage participation and when to protect their limited capacity. A parent consultation can help you understand the emotional and relational factors surrounding the symptoms, respond without minimising their physical reality and identify a realistic next step alongside medical care.
Scroll to read ↓
When reassurance only helps briefly and avoidance is beginning to shape family life, it can be difficult to know whether to comfort, encourage or hold a boundary. A parent consultation can help you understand what may be maintaining the anxiety and develop a calmer, more consistent way of responding without inadvertently reinforcing the fear.
Scroll to read ↓
When pain, fatigue or functional symptoms have narrowed your child’s life, it can be difficult to judge when to encourage participation and when to protect their limited capacity. A parent consultation can help you understand the emotional and relational factors surrounding the symptoms, respond without minimising their physical reality and identify a realistic next step alongside medical care.
Scroll to read ↓
When reassurance only helps briefly and avoidance is beginning to shape family life, it can be difficult to know whether to comfort, encourage or hold a boundary. A parent consultation can help you understand what may be maintaining the anxiety and develop a calmer, more consistent way of responding without inadvertently reinforcing the fear.
Scroll to read ↓
When pain, fatigue or functional symptoms have narrowed your child’s life, it can be difficult to judge when to encourage participation and when to protect their limited capacity. A parent consultation can help you understand the emotional and relational factors surrounding the symptoms, respond without minimising their physical reality and identify a realistic next step alongside medical care.
Scroll to read ↓
When reassurance only helps briefly and avoidance is beginning to shape family life, it can be difficult to know whether to comfort, encourage or hold a boundary. A parent consultation can help you understand what may be maintaining the anxiety and develop a calmer, more consistent way of responding without inadvertently reinforcing the fear.
Scroll to read ↓
When pain, fatigue or functional symptoms have narrowed your child’s life, it can be difficult to judge when to encourage participation and when to protect their limited capacity. A parent consultation can help you understand the emotional and relational factors surrounding the symptoms, respond without minimising their physical reality and identify a realistic next step alongside medical care.
Scroll to read ↓
When reassurance only helps briefly and avoidance is beginning to shape family life, it can be difficult to know whether to comfort, encourage or hold a boundary. A parent consultation can help you understand what may be maintaining the anxiety and develop a calmer, more consistent way of responding without inadvertently reinforcing the fear.
Scroll to read ↓
Young people can often feel too ashamed to admit they are lonely, socially excluded or being bullied; they may hide what is happening, withdraw or insist that everything is fine. A parent consultation can help you recognise the less obvious signs, approach the subject without making them feel interrogated or exposed, and decide how best to support them—including whether and how to involve their school in a sensitive and collaborative way, or whether safeguarding needs to be considered.
Scroll to read ↓
When achievement matters deeply within a family, even loving encouragement and high expectations can unintentionally intensify a young person’s fear of failure. A parent consultation can help you understand how expectations and family messages about success, effort and mistakes may be affecting them, and develop an approach that preserves ambition while reducing pressure and making room for rest, uncertainty and imperfection.
Scroll to read ↓
Young people can often feel too ashamed to admit they are lonely, socially excluded or being bullied; they may hide what is happening, withdraw or insist that everything is fine. A parent consultation can help you recognise the less obvious signs, approach the subject without making them feel interrogated or exposed, and decide how best to support them—including whether and how to involve their school in a sensitive and collaborative way, or whether safeguarding needs to be considered.
Scroll to read ↓
When achievement matters deeply within a family, even loving encouragement and high expectations can unintentionally intensify a young person’s fear of failure. A parent consultation can help you understand how expectations and family messages about success, effort and mistakes may be affecting them, and develop an approach that preserves ambition while reducing pressure and making room for rest, uncertainty and imperfection.
Scroll to read ↓
Young people can often feel too ashamed to admit they are lonely, socially excluded or being bullied; they may hide what is happening, withdraw or insist that everything is fine. A parent consultation can help you recognise the less obvious signs, approach the subject without making them feel interrogated or exposed, and decide how best to support them—including whether and how to involve their school in a sensitive and collaborative way, or whether safeguarding needs to be considered.
Scroll to read ↓
When achievement matters deeply within a family, even loving encouragement and high expectations can unintentionally intensify a young person’s fear of failure. A parent consultation can help you understand how expectations and family messages about success, effort and mistakes may be affecting them, and develop an approach that preserves ambition while reducing pressure and making room for rest, uncertainty and imperfection.
Scroll to read ↓
Young people can often feel too ashamed to admit they are lonely, socially excluded or being bullied; they may hide what is happening, withdraw or insist that everything is fine. A parent consultation can help you recognise the less obvious signs, approach the subject without making them feel interrogated or exposed, and decide how best to support them—including whether and how to involve their school in a sensitive and collaborative way, or whether safeguarding needs to be considered.
Scroll to read ↓
When achievement matters deeply within a family, even loving encouragement and high expectations can unintentionally intensify a young person’s fear of failure. A parent consultation can help you understand how expectations and family messages about success, effort and mistakes may be affecting them, and develop an approach that preserves ambition while reducing pressure and making room for rest, uncertainty and imperfection.
Scroll to read ↓
An intentional pathway
Going into psychotherapy is a big commitment for both you and your child. This is why I offer a steady and phased approach into treatment. At each step, we reflect on goals and evaluate progress.
Parent Consultation
40 minutes · Online · Parents only
A focused online appointment for parents to think through concerns and decide on helpful next steps. Your child does not attend. Includes a brief consultation letter containing recommendations, with no obligation to continue.
Psychotherapy Assessment
Three 50-minute appointments
Three 50-minute appointments to understand your child’s needs and experience of psychotherapy. Parents join the first appointment. A brief parent feedback telephone call is followed by a report summary letter.
Ongoing Psychotherapy
Regular 50-minute appointments
Regular weekly psychotherapy gives your child space to explore their feelings, experiences and relationships. Parent meetings and agreed professional liaison support the work around your child.
Ending
A thoughtfully planned ending, based on your child’s progress and goals, with time to reflect on what has changed and prepare to move forward.
Parent Consultation
40 minutes · Online · Parents only
A focused online appointment for parents to think through concerns and decide on helpful next steps. Your child does not attend. Includes a brief consultation letter containing recommendations, with no obligation to continue.
Parent Consultation
40 minutes · Online · Parents only
A focused online appointment for parents to think through concerns and decide on helpful next steps. Your child does not attend. Includes a brief consultation letter containing recommendations, with no obligation to continue.
Parent Consultation
40 minutes · Online · Parents only
A focused online appointment for parents to think through concerns and decide on helpful next steps. Your child does not attend. Includes a brief consultation letter containing recommendations, with no obligation to continue.
Psychotherapy Assessment
Three 50-minute appointments
Three 50-minute appointments to understand your child’s needs and experience of psychotherapy. Parents join the first appointment. A brief parent feedback telephone call is followed by a report summary letter.
Psychotherapy Assessment
Three 50-minute appointments
Three 50-minute appointments to understand your child’s needs and experience of psychotherapy. Parents join the first appointment. A brief parent feedback telephone call is followed by a report summary letter.
Psychotherapy Assessment
Three 50-minute appointments
Three 50-minute appointments to understand your child’s needs and experience of psychotherapy. Parents join the first appointment. A brief parent feedback telephone call is followed by a report summary letter.
Ongoing Psychotherapy
Regular 50-minute appointments
Regular weekly psychotherapy gives your child space to explore their feelings, experiences and relationships. Parent meetings and agreed professional liaison support the work around your child.
Ongoing Psychotherapy
Regular 50-minute appointments
Regular weekly psychotherapy gives your child space to explore their feelings, experiences and relationships. Parent meetings and agreed professional liaison support the work around your child.
Ongoing Psychotherapy
Regular 50-minute appointments
Regular weekly psychotherapy gives your child space to explore their feelings, experiences and relationships. Parent meetings and agreed professional liaison support the work around your child.
Ending
A thoughtfully planned ending, based on your child’s progress and goals, with time to reflect on what has changed and prepare to move forward.
Ending
A thoughtfully planned ending, based on your child’s progress and goals, with time to reflect on what has changed and prepare to move forward.
Ending
A thoughtfully planned ending, based on your child’s progress and goals, with time to reflect on what has changed and prepare to move forward.
Fees
Initial parent consultation · 40 minutes
£200
Clinical appointment · 50 minutes
£300
Where I work
Online
I offer parent consultations as an online-only service, as well as all of my services online where appropriate. Online psychotherapy is available to patients based anywhere in the UK. I also see internationally mobile families, supporting parents whose children are in UK-based boarding schools, but who themselves live abroad. I also offer hybrid services where necessary.
Frequently asked questions
Start with a Parent Consultation. It is a focused 40-minute online appointment for parents, and your child does not attend.
No. The first task is to make the situation clearer, not to commit your child to therapy.
Child and adolescent psychotherapy is offered in Highgate. Parent Consultations take place online.
Parent Consultation
A 40-minute online appointment for parents, offering specialist guidance without an obligation to continue.