Brief Therapy Referral Process

Brief Therapy is a free to access service for young people in Hertfordshire aged 11-19 years (up to 25 years for those with learning difficulties/disabilities) provided by Services for Young People.

Brief Therapy is a short term, solution focused approach that focuses on the future and solutions rather than the past and problems. It aims to empower young people to deal with difficulties and to think through the positive changes they wish to make in their life and how they could achieve these.

The young person would meet with a brief therapist for six to ten sessions, in a confidential place they feel comfortable with such as school/college or a Youth Connexions One Stop Shop.

Some of the issues young people discuss in their Brief Therapy sessions include; anxiety, depression, relationships and confidence.

To make a referral to Brief Therapy, a Single Service Request from must be completed and sent to the office via the contact details below.

·  Prior to making a referral, please contact Libby Childs on 01992 588796 to check that Brief Therapy is the most appropriate service and to find out if there is a waiting list.

·  The Young Person must have ‘multiple concerns’ and not a singular issue only:

-  For example, if the young person has a school issue such as exam stress, then this is not a suitable Brief Therapy referral as other services are more appropriate.

·  Please note:

-  Due to the scale of the county and the capacity of the Brief Therapists, the young person needs to be willing and able to meet the Brief Therapist in a suitable location outside of their local area if the Brief Therapist cannot make it to them or there are no suitable venues.

-  The Brief Therapists are no longer able to offer home visits.

-  In Dacorum, St Albans, Watford, Three Rivers, Borehamwood and Potters Bar, the service is available Monday-Thursday.

-  Client’s living in the Dacorum area (and/or who do not wish to be seen at school/college) must be able to attend appointments between 1-5pm at the XC when rooms are available to book.

-  For client’s living in the Borehamwood and Potters Bar areas, please contact Libby Childs.

·  Once agreed, complete a Single Service Request (SSR) form with the young person and email to

Handwritten forms can be sent to:

-  Libby Childs

Specialist Services

Postal Point CH0132

Room 159, County Hall

Pegs Lane, Hertford

SG13 8DF

·  Any individual school or referrer may only make a maximum of 2 referrals at any time.

·  If you have any queries regarding the status of the young person’s position on the waiting list, then please direct your call to Libby Childs on the number above.

Libby Childs, July 2015