Nicola Rivers ~ Child and Adolescent Psychoanalytic Psychotherapist
Experience:
I have over eighteen years of experience working with children, young people, families, and adults. This is across various statutory agencies, front-line community services, and clinical settings. During this time, I worked for many years as a practitioner in the criminal justice system and local authority children's social work teams, which provided me with valuable insights into these organisational systems. Additionally, I have worked in a specialised psychiatric day unit for children with complex social, emotional, and mental health difficulties. I have also worked with local-based initiatives with troubled children and their families in the community.
I have extensive experience working within an NHS Community Child & Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS), offering psychotherapy to children and young people with a wide range of mental health and emotional difficulties, including depression, anxiety, suicidal ideation, self-harm, eating disorders, attachment difficulties, and trauma. I am experienced in all aspects of the work, including assessment, long-term intensive psychotherapy, weekly psychotherapy, time-limited therapy, parent work, parent-child psychotherapy and working with Looked After children.
My particular areas of interest are (though not limited to):
Working with children, young people, and young adults who have experienced sexual violence - sexual abuse, rape, sexual assault, sexual harassment.
Supporting young people through adolescence to young adulthood.
Children and young people who attend boarding school.
Supporting children and young people through transitions in life (between schools, transition to university)
Working with university students.
Working with parents supporting with all aspects of parenting and during challenging times such as bereavement.
Consulting to professional networks and providing supervisory support to staff who work with children and young people who are at risk of becoming, or already involved in, the criminal justice system or display destructive and harmful behaviour. Providing therapeutic support to the children and young people who access these services (where appropriate).
Working with Looked After Children and their carers, foster, adoptive parents, and the professional network.
Teaching
I am a Visiting Lecturer, Tutor and Supervisor at the Tavistock and Portman Centre in London ~ University of Essex. I teach postgraduate students Work Discussion, Psychoanalytic Theory, and Child Development Research. I also supervise postgraduate students in both individual and group supervision.
I have also taught locally at Wessex Counselling and Psychotherapy Service based in Frome.
Education
University of Essex - Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust
- MPsych Child and Adolescent Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy (5 years full-time)
- Distinction(s) ~ including qualifying paper.
- Professional Doctorate (in progress): “Bridging the Gap: Thinking about child sexual exploitation in a work discussion group”
University of East London - Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust
- Post Graduate Psychoanalytic Observational Studies
University of Edinburgh
- MSc Criminology and Criminal Justice
- Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) Studentship Award
Middlesex University London
- BA (Hons) Criminology
- First Class (1:1)