Can anyone recommend a great child physcologist in west london or central london?

[omy]

13 year old daughter. I don't want to say much as her privacy is important but I am quite worried about her state of mental health. General issues are: stress and worry, self harming tendencies, anger and how to deal with it, upsetting images in her head and how to deal with them. So far I have resisted seeking professional help as it would confirm to her that she is 'not normal' (her words), but I wonder if struggling on alone is really the best option. Many thanks in advance.

The first step is really your GP who can refer to CAMHS (Child and Adolescent Mental Health). They can offer very good support. They may give you as parents guidelines on how to deal with it first to see if that works or they may see her and possibly give her a short course of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy which can work very well in young people.

It sounds like she needs some help. She also needs your full support. Try not to panic about the self harm, it is a coping strategy, not a sign that something is majorly wrong with her so try to be matter of fact about it if yo can.

Try telling her that how she feels is not normal, ie she doesn't have to struggle on her own like this, but that how she feels is at the same time very common, many clever, smart, beautiful, famous, hardworking, loving, sports mad etc people have felt the same.

And find an outlet for your own worries too - talk to friends if you can.

Sorry maybe this is more than you wanted, but it is a combination of my own experience and the treatment the 10 year old daughter of very close friends received recently when she had the same issues.

you may face the problem that at 17 she is verging on adult services - rather than CAMHS - and they may insist on ehr consent... but you need to ask GP.

but look up tavistock centre in london nw3 and anna freud centre

cestlavie the op says 13 not 17

sorri cant read!!

Google for Lin McAllister she is excellent. I have trained with her and she is highly regarded. She is down in the Egham area is that is of help.

Have you seen this:

Anna Freud Centre telephone help

Thanks so much for all your advice. I will get onto it. I find it so upsetting to see her distress and I do realise we need some help. I am trying to be very calm and matter of fact and not show my distress too much though!

Struggling on alone definitely not the best course of action, whether for her or you or the rest of your family. Good luck omy.

Viveka in St JOhns Wood has a number of people who fit the bill. Details here.