Clover House Therapy - The Complementary Therapy Centre for Children

James finishes his apple juice and starts thumping the glass against his leg. Quietly at first, but with more and more force. Mum gently takes the glass away and he’s still for a moment until he starts digging a fist into his arm.

Sarah laughs nervously through her ever-present grin that looks as if she’s about to dissolve in tears.

Ryan jumps around the room, hyper and fidgeting while dad watches him with concern. He found him on the window ledge for the fourth time this week.

All these children have different backgrounds, families and personalities. But they all have two things in common: they are all suffering in some way and they all came to Clover House for help.

Clover House is a clinic for children with behavioural, physical or emotional difficulties – and if that sounds a little broad to you, you’re absolutely right. Their holistic approach is what makes Clover House so successful. And successful they are – 86% of children who come through their doors report improvement in the goals they set. But when I was looking for volunteer experience for my studies in psychology, it wasn’t this impressive statistic that grabbed my attention. It was their claim that with some guidance, children can heal themselves.

“Our modern medical system has completely deprived us of our own healing abilities, and this is especially true for children,” says Jill Gill, co-founder and practice manager for Clover House. “A doctor has 7 minutes to meet you, hear your case history and prescribe you a quick fix – usually medication. At best this suppresses symptoms; it’s not going to fix any problems.”

Childhood is supposedly a care-free and problem-free time, but overwhelming evidence shows this isn’t the case today:

- 1 out of 4 children has asthma - National Survey

- 1 out of 3 girls age 10 is overweight - British Heart Foundation

- 1 out of 2 primary school children say they’ve been bullied – Childline

- 1 out of 4 children’s parents will divorce before they’re 16 – Childline

- prescriptions of anti-depressants and other mind altering drugs for children are among the highest in the world - Childhood Medical Journal

And the problems are still increasing.

Clover House has helped children from the age of 3 to 19 with a huge range of problems:

- Adjustment difficulties to family changes like divorce or bereavement;

- Struggles at school;

- Aggressive behaviour;

- Chronic constipation;

- ADHD;

- Insecurity and anxiety;

- Depression;           

- And many more!

When I first came to the clinic I was surprised by what I found. Far from the sterile and frightening environment the word ‘clinic’ brings to mind – this is Jill’s home. When the families walk through the door, they sit down to talk in a cosy sitting room over a cup of tea or apple juice. In the initial meeting, the family gets a chance to explain their difficulties to the therapists and make some goals to work on. There’s friendly dogs, a pile of toys, a lovely garden and a relaxed atmosphere. The therapists take steps to get to know the child, even showing them magic tricks to build a rapport and put them at ease. Parents often comment on how helpful the, “friendly but professional atmosphere” is.

The innovative Clover House approach offers:

- Nutrition

- Massage

- Imagery therapy

The combination struck me as very original, but completely common-sense. After all, what’s the point of giving a child a massage to calm them down when a diet of sugar and additives is making them hyper?

Not only does this approach work, it works fast.

Most children only come for three sessions, but they can have more if they like. I couldn’t believe that was enough to make a lasting change. In fact, I don’t think I did believe it until my second week there when I saw children return for their second visit. In just one week, the initial session and work at home had turned the children around. A few simple diet changes and some vitamin supplements. A couple relaxing massages to help with sleep and strengthen the bond between parents and children. Some neuro-imaging games the children learned to banish fears or increase confidence. The children look calmer; they smile a little more and chat comfortably with the therapists. And there are a few less creases around mum’s eyes and dad’s mouth. They look….relieved.

In a world of conflicting diagnoses of mental and physical conditions, Clover House only sees a child suffering in his or her own way. With nourishing food, strategies to deal with troubles and above all, love, a child can and will heal.

I only saw one thing I didn’t think was right during my time at Clover House –they only have enough funding to treat children one day a week. What does Jill do the other four days? Fundraise to keep the clinic’s doors open for that one day. Each session costs Clover House £350, but they only ask parents to pay what they can, at least £35. The rest comes from charitable trust donations, as they receive no government funding.

 “The most sustainable investment we can make in healthy populations is to take proper care of our children’s health.” - Kofi Annan

You can make a difference in a child’s life. You can give them a bright, new future.

Please contribute to Clover House, every donation helps.

Thank you

Laura Johnston

Page updated 13/09/08