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Sagal Hassan Child and Adolescent Psychotherapist logo

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Sagal Hassan Child and Adolescent Psychotherapist logo

Book

Sagal Hassan Child and Adolescent Psychotherapist logo

Book

Sagal Hassan Child and Adolescent Psychotherapist logo

Book

Difficulties I help with

ACP-registered Child and Adolescent Psychotherapist · More than a decade of experience across NHS CAMHS, paediatric services and schools · Highgate, North London

Parents rarely arrive with one neat explanation. They arrive because something has changed: school has become impossible, fear is spreading, friendships feel unsafe, pain or fatigue has taken over, or a child who used to cope is suddenly unable to continue.

I offer long-term, low-demand psychotherapy for children and teenagers in Highgate, North London. My work includes neurodivergent young people and complex emotional difficulties, where lasting change needs time, trust and a deeper understanding of what is going on.

Portrait of Sagal Hassan, ACP-registered Child and Adolescent Psychotherapist in Highgate, North London

As seen in

Sagal Hassan’s Metro author page
Read The i Paper’s article quoting Sagal Hassan
Sagal Hassan’s letter in The Guardian
Sagal Hassan’s expert commentary in Hip & Healthy

Difficulties I help with

ACP-registered Child and Adolescent Psychotherapist · More than a decade of experience across NHS CAMHS, paediatric services and schools · Highgate, North London

Parents rarely arrive with one neat explanation. They arrive because something has changed: school has become impossible, fear is spreading, friendships feel unsafe, pain or fatigue has taken over, or a child who used to cope is suddenly unable to continue.

I offer long-term, low-demand psychotherapy for children and teenagers in Highgate, North London. My work includes neurodivergent young people and complex emotional difficulties, where lasting change needs time, trust and a deeper understanding of what is going on.

Portrait of Sagal Hassan, ACP-registered Child and Adolescent Psychotherapist in Highgate, North London

As seen in

Sagal Hassan’s Metro author page
Read The i Paper’s article quoting Sagal Hassan
Sagal Hassan’s letter in The Guardian
Sagal Hassan’s expert commentary in Hip & Healthy

Difficulties I help with

ACP-registered Child and Adolescent Psychotherapist · More than a decade of experience across NHS CAMHS, paediatric services and schools · Highgate, North London

Portrait of Sagal Hassan, ACP-registered Child and Adolescent Psychotherapist in Highgate, North London

Parents rarely arrive with one neat explanation. They arrive because something has changed: school has become impossible, fear is spreading, friendships feel unsafe, pain or fatigue has taken over, or a child who used to cope is suddenly unable to continue.

I offer long-term, low-demand psychotherapy for children and teenagers in Highgate, North London. My work includes neurodivergent young people and complex emotional difficulties, where lasting change needs time, trust and a deeper understanding of what is going on.

As seen in

Difficulties I help with

ACP-registered Child and Adolescent Psychotherapist · More than a decade of experience across NHS CAMHS, paediatric services and schools · Highgate, North London

Parents rarely arrive with one neat explanation. They arrive because something has changed: school has become impossible, fear is spreading, friendships feel unsafe, pain or fatigue has taken over, or a child who used to cope is suddenly unable to continue.

I offer long-term, low-demand psychotherapy for children and teenagers in Highgate, North London. My work includes neurodivergent young people and complex emotional difficulties, where lasting change needs time, trust and a deeper understanding of what is going on.

Portrait of Sagal Hassan, ACP-registered Child and Adolescent Psychotherapist in Highgate, North London

As seen in

Difficulties I help with

ACP-registered Child and Adolescent Psychotherapist · More than a decade of experience across NHS CAMHS, paediatric services and schools · Highgate, North London

Portrait of Sagal Hassan, ACP-registered Child and Adolescent Psychotherapist in Highgate, North London

Parents rarely arrive with one neat explanation. They arrive because something has changed: school has become impossible, fear is spreading, friendships feel unsafe, pain or fatigue has taken over, or a child who used to cope is suddenly unable to continue.

I offer long-term, low-demand psychotherapy for children and teenagers in Highgate, North London. My work includes neurodivergent young people and complex emotional difficulties, where lasting change needs time, trust and a deeper understanding of what is going on.

As seen in

What parents notice

When pushing your child towards school increases their distress, but stepping back seems to make returning even harder, it can feel as though every response is wrong. A parent consultation can help you understand what may be making attendance feel impossible, decide how to respond at home and identify the most appropriate next steps with school.

School attendance difficulties and EBSA

Read more about school attendance

When your child has spent so long holding everything together that ordinary demands like school now lead to shutdown, distress or collapse, simply asking less of them may not be enough. A parent consultation can help you begin to distinguish between anxiety, sensory overload, demand-related distress and exhaustion, so that pressure can be reduced thoughtfully and the right support identified.

Autism, ADHD, masking and burnout

Read more about masking and burnout

When pushing your child towards school increases their distress, but stepping back seems to make returning even harder, it can feel as though every response is wrong. A parent consultation can help you understand what may be making attendance feel impossible, decide how to respond at home and identify the most appropriate next steps with school.

School attendance difficulties and EBSA

Read more about school attendance

When your child has spent so long holding everything together that ordinary demands like school now lead to shutdown, distress or collapse, simply asking less of them may not be enough. A parent consultation can help you begin to distinguish between anxiety, sensory overload, demand-related distress and exhaustion, so that pressure can be reduced thoughtfully and the right support identified.

Autism, ADHD, masking and burnout

Read more about masking and burnout

When pushing your child towards school increases their distress, but stepping back seems to make returning even harder, it can feel as though every response is wrong. A parent consultation can help you understand what may be making attendance feel impossible, decide how to respond at home and identify the most appropriate next steps with school.

School attendance difficulties and EBSA

Read more about school attendance

When your child has spent so long holding everything together that ordinary demands like school now lead to shutdown, distress or collapse, simply asking less of them may not be enough. A parent consultation can help you begin to distinguish between anxiety, sensory overload, demand-related distress and exhaustion, so that pressure can be reduced thoughtfully and the right support identified.

Autism, ADHD, masking and burnout

Read more about masking and burnout

When pushing your child towards school increases their distress, but stepping back seems to make returning even harder, it can feel as though every response is wrong. A parent consultation can help you understand what may be making attendance feel impossible, decide how to respond at home and identify the most appropriate next steps with school.

School attendance difficulties and EBSA

Read more about school attendance

When your child has spent so long holding everything together that ordinary demands like school now lead to shutdown, distress or collapse, simply asking less of them may not be enough. A parent consultation can help you begin to distinguish between anxiety, sensory overload, demand-related distress and exhaustion, so that pressure can be reduced thoughtfully and the right support identified.

Autism, ADHD, masking and burnout

Read more about masking and burnout

When pain, fatigue or functional symptoms have narrowed your child’s life, it can be difficult to judge when to encourage participation and when to protect their limited capacity. A parent consultation can help you understand the emotional and relational factors surrounding the symptoms, respond without minimising their physical reality and identify a realistic next step alongside medical care.

Functional symptoms, chronic illness, pain and fatigue

Read more about physical symptoms

When reassurance only helps briefly and avoidance is beginning to shape family life, it can be difficult to know whether to comfort, encourage or hold a boundary. A parent consultation can help you understand what may be maintaining the anxiety and develop a calmer, more consistent way of responding without inadvertently reinforcing the fear.

Anxiety, worries and phobias

Read more about anxiety

When pain, fatigue or functional symptoms have narrowed your child’s life, it can be difficult to judge when to encourage participation and when to protect their limited capacity. A parent consultation can help you understand the emotional and relational factors surrounding the symptoms, respond without minimising their physical reality and identify a realistic next step alongside medical care.

Functional symptoms, chronic illness, pain and fatigue

Read more about physical symptoms

When reassurance only helps briefly and avoidance is beginning to shape family life, it can be difficult to know whether to comfort, encourage or hold a boundary. A parent consultation can help you understand what may be maintaining the anxiety and develop a calmer, more consistent way of responding without inadvertently reinforcing the fear.

Anxiety, worries and phobias

Read more about anxiety

When pain, fatigue or functional symptoms have narrowed your child’s life, it can be difficult to judge when to encourage participation and when to protect their limited capacity. A parent consultation can help you understand the emotional and relational factors surrounding the symptoms, respond without minimising their physical reality and identify a realistic next step alongside medical care.

Functional symptoms, chronic illness, pain and fatigue

Read more about physical symptoms

When reassurance only helps briefly and avoidance is beginning to shape family life, it can be difficult to know whether to comfort, encourage or hold a boundary. A parent consultation can help you understand what may be maintaining the anxiety and develop a calmer, more consistent way of responding without inadvertently reinforcing the fear.

Anxiety, worries and phobias

Read more about anxiety

When pain, fatigue or functional symptoms have narrowed your child’s life, it can be difficult to judge when to encourage participation and when to protect their limited capacity. A parent consultation can help you understand the emotional and relational factors surrounding the symptoms, respond without minimising their physical reality and identify a realistic next step alongside medical care.

Functional symptoms, chronic illness, pain and fatigue

Read more about physical symptoms

When reassurance only helps briefly and avoidance is beginning to shape family life, it can be difficult to know whether to comfort, encourage or hold a boundary. A parent consultation can help you understand what may be maintaining the anxiety and develop a calmer, more consistent way of responding without inadvertently reinforcing the fear.

Anxiety, worries and phobias

Read more about anxiety

Young people can often feel too ashamed to admit they are lonely, socially excluded or being bullied; they may hide what is happening, withdraw or insist that everything is fine. A parent consultation can help you recognise the less obvious signs, approach the subject without making them feel interrogated or exposed, and decide how best to support them—including whether and how to involve their school in a sensitive and collaborative way, or whether safeguarding needs to be considered.

Bullying, friendships and social anxiety

Read more about friendships

When achievement matters deeply within a family, even loving encouragement and high expectations can unintentionally intensify a young person’s fear of failure. A parent consultation can help you understand how expectations and family messages about success, effort and mistakes may be affecting them, and develop an approach that preserves ambition while reducing pressure and making room for rest, uncertainty and imperfection.

Exam stress, academic pressure and perfectionism

Read more about exam pressure

Young people can often feel too ashamed to admit they are lonely, socially excluded or being bullied; they may hide what is happening, withdraw or insist that everything is fine. A parent consultation can help you recognise the less obvious signs, approach the subject without making them feel interrogated or exposed, and decide how best to support them—including whether and how to involve their school in a sensitive and collaborative way, or whether safeguarding needs to be considered.

Bullying, friendships and social anxiety

Read more about friendships

When achievement matters deeply within a family, even loving encouragement and high expectations can unintentionally intensify a young person’s fear of failure. A parent consultation can help you understand how expectations and family messages about success, effort and mistakes may be affecting them, and develop an approach that preserves ambition while reducing pressure and making room for rest, uncertainty and imperfection.

Exam stress, academic pressure and perfectionism

Read more about exam pressure

Young people can often feel too ashamed to admit they are lonely, socially excluded or being bullied; they may hide what is happening, withdraw or insist that everything is fine. A parent consultation can help you recognise the less obvious signs, approach the subject without making them feel interrogated or exposed, and decide how best to support them—including whether and how to involve their school in a sensitive and collaborative way, or whether safeguarding needs to be considered.

Bullying, friendships and social anxiety

Read more about friendships

When achievement matters deeply within a family, even loving encouragement and high expectations can unintentionally intensify a young person’s fear of failure. A parent consultation can help you understand how expectations and family messages about success, effort and mistakes may be affecting them, and develop an approach that preserves ambition while reducing pressure and making room for rest, uncertainty and imperfection.

Exam stress, academic pressure and perfectionism

Read more about exam pressure

Young people can often feel too ashamed to admit they are lonely, socially excluded or being bullied; they may hide what is happening, withdraw or insist that everything is fine. A parent consultation can help you recognise the less obvious signs, approach the subject without making them feel interrogated or exposed, and decide how best to support them—including whether and how to involve their school in a sensitive and collaborative way, or whether safeguarding needs to be considered.

Bullying, friendships and social anxiety

Read more about friendships

When achievement matters deeply within a family, even loving encouragement and high expectations can unintentionally intensify a young person’s fear of failure. A parent consultation can help you understand how expectations and family messages about success, effort and mistakes may be affecting them, and develop an approach that preserves ambition while reducing pressure and making room for rest, uncertainty and imperfection.

Exam stress, academic pressure and perfectionism

Read more about exam pressure

Begin with the part you can see

School attendance difficulties, school anxiety and EBSA

For children and teenagers whose attendance has become intermittent, reduced or impossible, for reasons related to emotional or psychological wellbeing, neurodiversity or chronic illness, including distress before school, shutdown, exhaustion, avoidance and fear of returning.

When school feels impossible

Anxiety, worries and phobias

For fear, panic, separation difficulty, repeated reassurance, physical signs of anxiety and avoidance that is gradually making life smaller.

When anxiety starts to take over

Autism, ADHD, masking and burnout

For autistic, ADHD and otherwise neurodivergent young people experiencing sensory or relational overwhelm, post-school collapse, demand intolerance, shutdowns, identity strain or burnout.

When holding it together costs too much

Functional symptoms, chronic illness, pain and fatigue

For young people living with real physical symptoms, medical uncertainty and disrupted education, identity or independence, including FND, PoTS, EDS, ME/CFS and Long Covid.

When illness begins to organise life

Exam stress, academic pressure and perfectionism

For fear of failure, impossible standards, procrastination, repeated redoing, sleep loss and self-worth that has become tied to achievement.

When achievement no longer feels safe

Bullying, friendships and social anxiety

For exclusion, friendship rupture, peer harm, loneliness, fear of judgement and school becoming socially unsafe.

When socialising no longer feels safe

Home life, routines and family relationships

For families where mornings, bedtime, devices, conflict, separation, loss or changing roles have become difficult to understand without blaming the child or the adults around them.

Read more about family life and relationships

Written and clinically reviewed by Sagal Hassan, ACP-registered Child and Adolescent Psychotherapist. Last reviewed 31 August 2026.

Frequently asked questions

No. You can bring a mixed or incomplete picture, and the Parent Consultation can help clarify the most proportionate next step.

They cover school attendance, anxiety, neurodivergent burnout, functional symptoms and chronic illness, academic pressure, bullying and social distress, and difficulties around home and family life.

It may provide enough guidance on its own or lead to assessment, another service, practical changes or no further intervention.

Support around the pathway

Parent and family work — how parent appointments, parent-focused guidance and occasional parent-child work support psychotherapy without replacing the child’s private therapeutic space.

Read more about parent and family work

Professional liaison — focused communication with schools, SENCOs, GPs, paediatricians and other professionals when clinically useful and agreed.

Read more about professional liaison

When another service should lead — clear limits for urgent help, risk support, diagnosis, safeguarding and medical care.

Read more about when another service should lead

Parent Consultation

A 40-minute online appointment for parents, offering specialist guidance without an obligation to continue.

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