I have been working with children and their families for over 25 years.  I qualified as a Children and Families Social Worker in 2002, then as a Play Therapist and Theraplay Therapist in 2009.  Enjoying the adult work, I trained in DDP and Guided Meditation, and most recently EMDR.

I set up my private practice therapy room in summer 2019 and am grateful that my client base grew quickly simply through word of mouth.

I work with both private referrals as well as families referred by Social Care Teams, such as Adoption Support Teams, where the therapy is funded by the Adoption Support Fund. 

I have 2 children and a dog.  Although not an official therapy dog, she can make an appearance for a stroke or treat giving if so desired!

I believe strongly in the power of play, but also in the importance of working with families together to bring positive change.  The systemic approach has always made the most sense to me as it takes into account the context - the family and environment the child is in.  

Alongside this I firmly believe in the power of 'bottom up' therapy (body to brain, rather than brain to body).  While 'top down' brain to body approaches, such as Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, have their benefits, I will often use them alongside other 'bottom up' approaches, such as breathing, meditation, grounding and movement work.  'Bottom-up' therapy approaches for trauma focus on calming the nervous system and releasing stored physical tension.  By targeting the body’s sensations and survival responses (fight/flight/freeze), these methods help restore a sense of safety.

Please see my blog if you wish to read more background info.