Systemic Thinking and how I work

As a Family and Systemic Psychotherapist, working with children and adults, I am interested in the patterns in conversations between people. It is usual, if these conversations are unhelpful or are causing frustrations, or concerns, or leave people feeling their needs are not being met, people might choose to come to see a Family Therapist. The context of a conversation is vital to explore, as interactions can be impacted by some of these powerful organising themes, such as Power, Gender, Values, Education, Ability/Disability and Culture.

Anti-oppressive and Inclusive Practices

Changeworks is committed to inclusive and anti-oppressive practices. Changeworks recognises the unique needs of neurodiverse individuals and families and welcomes enquiries from parents and families that self-identify and/or have a formal diagnosis.
Changeworks is curious about relationships and context, evidence base practice and lived experience, with no one being given more priority than the other.
Changeworks is informed by mind and body practices and approaches that encourage play and playful curiosity, Narrative therapy, Story making and storytelling, Mindfulness and Somatic (‘the body’) experience.
I am comfortable working with verbal and non-verbal communication, either through ACC, word boards or individual communication methods and believe that both verbal and felt ‘sensation’ are vital to support and understand, during the therapy process.
My curiosity and work with Trauma is informed through the lens of Somatic Trauma Therapy Training run by Babette Rothschild and Somatic Experiencing, by Peter Levine.

Changeworks supports:

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Creating opportunities for people to communicate together about their lives.

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Encouraging children and parents to talk openly and honestly about their thoughts and feelings

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Creating a safe space where dilemmas can be identified and explored

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Developing opportunities for people to communicate together about their lives.

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Creating a safe space where dilemmas can be identified and explored

Find out more about family therapy

Referrals

Changeworks is based in Chichester, West Sussex. My offices are on the first floor, accessed via steps. The building does not have a lift. I welcome self-referrals alongside enquiries from GP’s or other Health and Social Care Professionals. If you would like to discuss support, or if you have any further questions you can contact me either by telephone on 07759 786715 or by email at lynsey@changeworkssussex.co.uk.

Services

Family and Systemic Psychotherapy

Supporting children and adults to communicate and explore their thoughts, feelings and actions.

Feel, write, FLY - Writing Workshops

Feel, write, FLY, a relaxed, weekly writing workshop, rooted in self-connection and curiosity.

Systemic Consultation and Reflective Practice

Bringing a systemically informed sense of curiosity for you and your work context or to a team or clinical situation with the aim of reflection and support.

Individual, Couple and Family Therapy

How will we talk together?

When I first meet new clients, I am interested to hear from everyone, what they think is going well, alongside what is not going well. Each person might have their own story or version about what is going wrong and what or who needs to change.

  • Communication might be a problem and individuals might feel their needs are not being met.
  • Parents might be concerned about a child’s behaviour
  • A couple might be arguing and becoming unable to talk together.
  • A parent might feel they often get drawn into arguments between their children and partner

The key to supporting conversations, is to ensure the space feels safe. I make clear my role is not to take sides, but to help bring forward conversations, or to interrupt and ask questions about the problem. I encourage people to be curious and respectful of each other, asking questions about what they hear and helping couples and families understand behaviours and exploring what impact they have on the relationship.
I use play and symbolic references such as toys and puppets and often invite people into a drawing or writing activity. I might draw out a family tree, showing who is in the family and invite families to help c0-create this visual image of their family. I also use drawing, writing and non-verbal tools to help children and adults understand each others thoughts and feelings, when words are sometimes not enough.

Book an appointment

Each Family Therapy session, for individuals, couples or families are 1 hour and are charged at £85.00.

If you have any questions please contact me or call 07759 786715

Contact me

Confidentiality

Changeworks is committed to safe and professionally accountable practice. Information will remain confidential unless, with client agreement, it is felt to be beneficial to share information with a GP or other identified professionals. If I have reason to believe that a child or adult is at risk of harm to themselves or to others then the information may need to be shared without consent.

Client feedback

When I've been with linzee, I feel helpful and relax – makes a difference
You (privileged that he was taking about me) are on my trust team
Time to reflect together, as parents, is so valuable before we go into conversations at home with the children

Reflective Practice & Consultation Services

Professional reflective practice for frontline workers

Over the years I have met many Health and Social Care Professionals who do not feel they have appropriate, supportive supervision and/or reflective practice.

Good support for others, begins with your own professional support

NICE, (2004) recommends the task of supervision to a level four professional.
As a qualified and experienced Family and Systemic Psychotherapist, (and retired Children’s Disability Social Worker) with NHS and Charitable sector experience, I am ready to provide individuals or a team, with a safe, structured and compassionate environment, where together we can explore the contexts and themes that inform your current work practices.

I bring advanced systemic skills and direct experiences of working with children and families, young people and adults with SEND, Neurodiversity, Illness and Loss and Bereavement.

If you are interested in individual reflective practice then please email me and we can chat about what you are looking for. For teams or groups please contact me with your specific requirements for a tailored quote.

contact me

Reflective Practice & Systemic Consultation can provide

  • Objective reviewing of information or problem
  • Different perspectives being considered and explored
  • New solutions uncovered
  • A space to share the personal impact of challenging work, which might be feelings of frustration, worry or sadness.

An example of a Systemic Consultation

Children's Hospice Service - Children's palliative care Nurses and Carers.

In leading the consultation, I invited everyone to help map out the family composition using information like age, marital status, and relationships to one another. I also used a pictorial tool called a Genogram and together we created a helpful diagram of the family members, their relationship to one another along with a summary of the presenting difficulty. I then invited each person in the group to make observations about how they saw the difficulty. We teased out several themes from the conversation and then focused on how we might go about addressing these.

The outcome from the consultation was a clear plan, with action points identified between the relevant professionals that were key working the case and an agreed date to bring this back to the group for ongoing feedback.

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Systemic Reflective Practice

One to one support for an NHS Consultant - reflection and support.

In leading the consultation, I invited everyone to help map out the family composition using information like age, marital status, and relationships to one another. I also used a pictorial tool called a Genogram and together we created a helpful diagram of the family members, their relationship to one another along with a summary of the presenting difficulty. I then invited each person in the group to make observations about how they saw the difficulty. We teased out several themes from the conversation and then focused on how we might go about addressing these.

The outcome from the consultation was a clear plan, with action points identified between the relevant professionals that were key working the case and an agreed date to bring this back to the group for ongoing feedback.

Show More

Feel, write, FLY - Journal writing workshops

Changeworks has developed Feel, write, FLY – guided journal writing workshops. Created and facilitated by Lynsey Waterhouse, Journal writer, Family therapist and Owner of Changeworks.

Feel, write, FLY provides all you need to develop a positive writing routine each week. Each ‘pay as you go’ workshop are packed with ideas and guided exercises that can help you learn more about yourself and expand your own wellbeing practices.

Journal writing can allow for reflection on an event or situation, a celebration of success, or an opportunity to focus on important wellbeing steps towards a healthier you.

View all events

Our location

Feel, write, FLY journal workshops can be delivered in person at
Changeworks Offices, 12 Northgate Chichester, PO19 1BA or online via Zoom.

Please note my office is on the first floor and there is no lift.

Directions

Contact me

Changeworks provides high quality, evidenced based therapeutic services.

Family Therapy helps people in close relationships talk and listen to one another. Changeworks can work with fee paying individuals, children and families and couples, and is contracted to support families, individuals and organisations. If you wish to make a referral or you have any questions about Changeworks services, then please contact me by email or use the contact form below.