Counselling Relationship with children

and adolescents (considerations)


“Young people hate being talked down to. As a young person’s

counsellor you have to be open and honest and give your clients time to
open up. When my clients leave they thank me, but I tell them that they
have done the hard-work as it isn’t easy talking about the big things that
are worrying them.”


Relate Counsellor






- The relationship is built on trust and confidentiality and this makes the
difference between ‘good’ and ‘bad’ session. 




- The counsellor would never impose their own views and beliefs onto
the client, and will remain impartial and non-judgemental.

- In order to develop a healthy therapeutic relationship, a counsellor has

to provide a safe environment that would provide confidentiality,
whereas the counsellor themselves would offer empathy,
understanding, and respect towards the client.

- Because you will be dealing with children and adolescents it is really


important to let them know that they are in a safe environment
with you and whatever would be said in that room will stay there
too. Children and adolescents especially when they had a
previous experience of being abused or even lied to by adults,
they will have a deep feeling of mistrust towards the adults. And
this is why it is essential to reassure them that they are in a very
safe environment where they can share all their problems and
concerns.