Lisa Visram Therapy

20/04/2026

Sometimes for children and adolescents life can feel overwhelming and all those little ni**les can build up to become unmanageable, it becomes more than we as parents can support, this is where therapy can help.
I am a child and adolescent therapist, I use a combination of different techniques such as play therapy, talking, CBT, and person centred to support my clients in a way that best suits their needs.
I am currently taking on new clients with availability Mondays and Fridays, online or in person.
Please feel free to contact me for more information, or check out my profile on the counselling directory website.
https://www.counselling-directory.org.uk/counsellors/lisa-visram?_gl=1%2A129y6c3%2A_up%2AMQ..%2A_ga%2AMTcyMDcxMzA0Ni4xNzc2Njg5NTA0%2A_ga_BMWGCG64PD%2AczE3NzY2ODk1MDQkbzEkZzEkdDE3NzY2ODk1MjkkajM1JGwwJGgw

13/04/2026

We often hear, or tell ourselves and our children, that happiness is a choice, that we choose our own pathway, however, this "toxic positivity" can leave us or our children, feeling that we are the problem, that we are not trying hard enough.
On days when it feels hard, when you are unable to see a way through, take it slowly, allow yourself some time to feel sad, to cry.
Trying to spot one small positive within the day may help, while recognising the need to rest and to look at the progress you or your child has made, could help you to see the bigger picture.
While also thinking about how we feel, and what helped us to feel that way, on our good days can help us to identify what is needed in the low moments.

30/03/2026

Sometimes we can be really tough on ourselves, with a list of “shoulds” in our mind, this could lead to shame and to feelings of inadequacies, that others are doing better.
Let’s try to look at the “shoulds” we carry and reframe them with some self-compassion. Let’s acknowledge that we are doing the best we can in the moment, and sometimes that looks like taking great strides while other times we need to take things minute by minute, and that is ok.

23/03/2026

Anxiety can become such a big part of ours or our children’s lives, what may start of as a small ni**le could build to feel like it is taking over everything we do. It may not feel like it, but anxiety is there to protect us, it is our alert system to potential danger, but what happens when this alert system sees danger everywhere and evokes such a response that it takes over our body.
Some things that may help are:
To firstly acknowledge the anxiety, to remind ourselves that it is trying to protect us, maybe say out loud if it helps, “oh this is my anxiety it has spotted danger”.
Reassure your anxiety that there is no danger here, thank it for trying to look out for you, “thank you anxiety for protecting me, there is no danger here”
Use a grounding and breathing technique could help.
This is by no means a quick fix, it will take lots of practice and repetition for a nervous system to alter, so be kind to yourself, don’t expect results straightaway, it takes time, and that’s ok!

16/03/2026

Our world can seem so binary when it comes to feelings, it’s right or it’s wrong, it’s good or it’s bad, yet the reality is much more complicated. The grey in the middle, the combination of both are often unseen, this can lead to children unsure how they feel, or how they “should” feel. Allowing our children to understand that two feelings can co-exist could help them make sense of their emotions. To know that it’s ok to grieve but still have a good day, that you can feel worried about something new whilst also a bit excited about it, that you can love your best friend but not want to play with them all the time. Knowing this could create acceptance in our children, knowing that they can feel opposing emotions at the same time could help to alleviate guilt.

08/03/2026

06/03/2026

With the sun making an appearance this week I have found myself feeling brighter. It had me thinking about how easy it can be to get stuck in a negative cycle, to sit on that negative track. This can be true for children too, it can be hard to see the positives, the glimmers. Sometimes it can help to take time to look for these glimmers together, to sit with your child and each name two or three positives from the day, they can be small or big. From feeling the sun on your face, to completing something that you’ve being putting off for ages, from someone smiling and saying hello to you, to getting star of the week. Looking for these small glimmers can often help us to notice more, making these glimmers/positives important could help us to see how much of an impact these seemingly small things can have on us.

02/03/2026

Thinking of all those who are finding out their secondary school placements today.

27/02/2026

Emotions can be tough to navigate, and often for us parents some of them can be tough to accept in our children or ourselves. However, all emotions are needed, and they all need space to be felt and seen, if they are pushed down it can be harder for us to identify or accept them later in life. Sometimes, the emotions that we don’t allow ourselves to feel can make themselves felt in other ways, manifesting into physical symptoms.

Noticing and naming our emotions when we feel them is the first step towards emotional awareness, practicing this with your children can help them to also notice and name their own feelings.

As a parent naming how you are feeling can also relieve anxiety in your child, they will know if you are in a bad mood or upset, and if it is not named they can often assume they are the cause, naming it, saying “oh I’m feeling grumpy today, I didn’t get enough sleep” not only models emotional awareness and acceptance to your child, but allows them to know that they are not the cause of your grumpiness.

20/02/2026

It can be hard knowing what to do as a parent, sometimes we want our children to like us, to be their friend in the hopes that they will turn to us if they have a problem. However, this can lead to us not setting consistent boundaries, which can then lead to our children not feeling safe or unsure where they stand, it can be confusing for them.
As parents we are always learning, learning how to best deal with new situations, new experiences and along side this, our children are also learning, this can at times become messy, we will get things wrong, as will our children, and that is ok. When we are able to accept this, it can help to relieve some of the pressure, we may put on ourselves and our children. That pressure to always get it right, to always know what to do, to always be well behaved and to have all the answers. Sometimes knowing that these expectations are myths, are not real, helps us to let go of them a little and to give ourselves some compassion, we are doing the best we can, and that’s all we can do, it is enough.
You as a parent are doing the best you can, and that is enough!

13/02/2026

13/02/2026

This week has been Children's mental health week, the theme has been "my space", with a focus on helping children to feel they belong. Feeling a sense of belonging has such an impact on children and adolescence, it helps them feel safe, connected, and accepted as themselves.
One way we as parents can help our children feel that they belong is to give them TIME, our time, time to grow at their own pace, our attention, time to be themselves, to choose what they do in that time with us observing and joining in, so they can see that we value and accept them.
Resources from Place2Be and Anna Freud