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Anna Field

HPD, DSFH, AfSFH, MNCH (Reg)

Plymouth & Online

If you’d asked me years ago what I’d be doing today, I’m not sure I would have imagined having the privilege of supporting children, young people and families through some of life’s more challenging moments. Yet here I am, doing a role that I genuinely love.

As both a parent and a therapist, I know that childhood and the teenage years aren’t always easy. Anxiety, confidence, school pressures, friendships and worries about the future can sometimes feel like a lot. I think every young person deserves somewhere they can talk, be themselves and feel genuinely listened to.

My Approach

I’m warm, compassionate and very much solution focused in the way I work. One of the things I love about this approach is that it helps young people recognise the strengths and abilities they already have – even when they might not be able to see them for themselves.

Children and young people often tell me they like the fact that sessions feel relaxed and informal – a space where they can be themselves without fear of judgement or pressure. We don’t spend all our time going over what’s wrong. Instead, we look at what’s going well too, what they would like to be different and the small steps that could help them move in that direction.

For me, a big part of the work is helping young people recognise that they are more capable than they perhaps give themselves credit for, and helping them build confidence in themselves along the way.

A Bit About Me

Long before becoming a therapist, much of my working life involved young people in one way or another.

I’ve worked with hundreds of apprentices over the years through independent training providers, colleges and universities. That meant getting to know young people at a really important stage in their lives, as they were finding their feet in education, training and work and starting to think about what came next.

I’ve also been involved in creative youth projects through Creative Alliance and have worked with schools and senior leadership teams through my work in education technology. So I’ve been lucky enough to work with young people in lots of different settings and at different stages of their lives.

And, of course, I’m a parent too. I know what it’s like to be on the other side when your child is struggling and you’re wondering what you can do to help. I think that perspective is really important and is something I naturally bring to my work with young people and their families.

I’m really proud to be part of The Youth Fairy team and offer sessions from my home in Plymouth, as well as online.

What I Work With

I work with children and young people experiencing a range of challenges, including:

ADHD
Anger
Anxiety
Disordered eating
Emotionally Based School Non-Attendance (EBSNA)
Emetophobia
Exam stress and performance anxiety
Fears and phobias
Health anxiety
Low confidence and self-esteem
Low mood
Perfectionism
School anxieties
Self-harm
Sleep difficulties
Social anxiety
Sports performance
Stress
Trauma
Transitions, such as moving to secondary school or college

I also particularly enjoy working with young people around emotional wellbeing, resilience, motivation and those times when thoughts and feelings can simply become a bit overwhelming.

Alongside my individual work with children and young people, I can also support school wellbeing programmes in primary, secondary and post-16 settings.

Ultimately, I want the young people I work with to feel heard and understood, but also to start recognising their own strengths and just how capable they can be. I feel very lucky to be able to do the work I do.