Dr Ali Cliffe
Child and adolescent psychoanalytic psychotherapist
Based in Bath, Somerset
Psychoanalytic psychotherapy for babies, children, teenagers and young adults up to 25, with support for the parents and carers who look after them.
I have worked with children, young people and families for over thirty years and am a registered member of the Association of Child Psychotherapists (ACP)
You might be here because
Parents often get in touch when something has been building for a while and nothing they have tried has shifted it.
Your child seems anxious, withdrawn, or simply not themselves
School has become a daily struggle, or they have stopped going
Something has happened that they cannot find words for
There is anger or distress at home that you do not know how to reach
Your adopted or fostered child's early experiences are surfacing in ways that are difficult to understand or manage
Your teenager or young adult feels stuck, and you are finding it difficult to reach them
Your child or adolescent would like someone to talk to about what is troubling them
If none of these quite fits, that is common too. You do not need a diagnosis or a referral to make contact
How I work
I work with each child at their own pace and in the way that suits them best. For younger children that usually means play and creative work. For teenagers and young adults it is more often through conversation. For babies and children under five, we work together with a parent or primary carer in the room.
Psychoanalytic psychotherapy takes seriously what a child cannot yet put into words. Rather than focusing only on behaviour, it seeks to understand what may lie underneath it, including feelings and experiences that may be difficult for a child to express.
Parents and carers are part of this work. I meet with parents regularly alongside the child's own sessions, because understanding what is happening at home is as important as understanding what happens in the room.
About Ali
I am a Child and Adolescent Psychoanalytic Psychotherapist registered with the Association of Child Psychotherapists (ACP), the professional body for child and adolescent psychotherapy in the UK. I completed my six-year training with IPCAPA in 2024, including the Jungian pathway.
For over thirty years I have worked with children, young people and their families across schools, nurseries, local authority children's services and NHS CAMHS. My experience includes working with children and young people from birth to eighteen who have experienced anxiety, depression, trauma, relationship difficulties, and the effects of abuse, loss, or physical illness.
I hold a research doctorate from University College London and the Anna Freud Centre. I also teach infant observation and Jungian child development at Birkbeck, University of London, and am a certified Theraplay trainer.
Particular areas of experience
Alongside general child and adolescent psychotherapy, I have particular experience working with:
Children who have experienced sexual abuse and developmental trauma
Looked-after and adopted children, and the families caring for them
Children living with chronic physical conditions or disabilities
Practical information
Who I see
I work with babies and their caregivers, children, teenagers and young adults up to the age of 25, as well as with parents and carers.
Where
I see children and young people in a private therapy room at 33a James Street West, Bath, BA1 2BT.
Sessions with children and young people take place in person. Parent and carer sessions can be held online where appropriate.
Sessions
Sessions with children and young people are 50 minutes and usually take place weekly.
An initial consultation lasts up to 90 minutes.
Termly parent reviews are often part of the work, and parent sessions can be more frequent if needed.
Fees
The fee is £80 per 50-minute session.
The initial 90-minute consultation is £120.
1
Get in touch
Send a short message or call. You do not need to explain everything, just enough for us to arrange a conversation.
2
An initial conversation
We speak first, usually without your child present, so you can tell me a little about what has been happening and ask any questions you may have. There is no obligation to go further.
If I am not the right person, I will say so and help you find someone who is.
3
Assessment
If it seems right to continue, I meet with your child over a small number of sessions to get to know them and understand what they might need. We then talk together about what might be helpful and agree next steps.