Meet the Team

DDP Level 1 and Trauma Informed (Beacon House), Centre for Healing. 

I’ve worked in schools since 2015. I started as a volunteer in a primary school listening to children of all ages read. I then became a Midday Supervisor's Assistant for 5 years, which meant looking after children during lunchtimes and out on the playground. I really enjoyed this role as I was able to be creative with the children through play. As my creativity had been unlocked I decided to train as a Children’s Counsellor.

I worked at The Acorn Centre previously as a Therapeutic Play Practitioner and I left this role to concentrate on my training. In July 2021, I qualified as an Integrative Children's Counsellor using the Arts, trained at The Institute For Arts In Therapy And Education in London.

I use play and Art to allow the children to open up and express themselves freely. The child is given a confidential space to manage their thoughts and big feelings in a safe way. By using 7 forms of Art to connect their mind and body, this visual language supports the child to safely explore their internal and external worlds, with the aim of improving their emotional well-being. I’ve had experience working with young people with Autism and children who have a variety of mental health issues including anxiety, depression, suicidal thoughts, bereavement, grief, loss, family breakdown, attachment disorders, trauma, abuse and self harm. The Counselling process offers a safe environment where these difficulties can be explored creating long lasting life changes and psychological shifts. 

I am also a registered SandStory therapist, trained by Lara Kasza and enjoy using this medium to allow children to express themselves. SandStory Therapy is a very gentle therapeutic approach enabling the child to tell their story in the sand, combining the therapeutic use of sand, water and symbols to support the child through their therapeutic journey. Story telling is a way of connecting with the child’s unconscious and can be very powerful especially with children who find talking and expressing themselves difficult.

To summarise, I am an Integrative Creative Child Counsellor who works primarily with primary-aged children at The Acorn Centre. My practice is Trauma-Informed and grounded in the belief that 'behaviour' is a form of communication, where for a child, words are often hard to find. 

Using creative, relational, and child-led Art-based approaches, to support the child to express themselves. I aim to support our children to feel safe, seen, heard, and understood, helping the child to make sense of their emotions, experiences, thoughts and encouraging them to listen to the messages from their bodies. 

My work typically draws on a 'Bottom-Up' approach to regulation, recognising that children often need to experience safety and co-regulation before they can access reflection, self-awareness, self-regulation, and learning. 

I am also a Parent-Child Practitioner, trained with Trauma-Informed Schools UK (TIS) and I am passionate about supporting the wider family relationships around the child. I run our parent groups each week at The Acorn Centre at our Acorn and Oaks sessions. 

The child is at the centre of everything I do, and it is my belief that when a child feels safe, both within themselves and in their relationships at home and school, change becomes possible. 

I feel very privileged to be part of the team at The Acorn Centre.