About Me, My Training and Areas of Experience
Bio: Previous to my therapy training, for 15 years I was working in the voluntary sector, supporting many families who where providing education for one or more of their children otherwise than at school in Cornwall. I enjoyed many aspects of this community work across the county, however there were many issues for some of these children. The positive emotional changes I witnessed in these children and families on their life paths inspired me to access training in counselling, play therapy and parenting-child work.
Training and CPD: In order to offer clients a sort of therapy that would suit them, I have undertaken training in both talking therapies (Diploma in Person-Centred Counselling and Therapy) and then at masters level, a Post Graduate Certificate in Therapeutic Play Skills followed by a Post Graduate Diploma in Play Therapy (also referred to as creative arts therapy for older clients) with on-going Continuing Professional Development (CPD) in relevant new research and information to stay updated (see Portfolio for more information), including Taking Therapy Outdoors. Both my core professional trainings had experiential elements involving 350 hours of supervised client work within the therapeutic frameworks of Carl Rogers and Virginia Axline, whose guidelines for positive therapeutic change are enhanced with the Ethical Framework of the BACP and PTUK. My approach integrates theories from talking and non-verbal processes, in indoor or outdoor settings. Parenting/child work is informed by Filial Play Coaching, Theraplay (R) Levels 1 &2 and Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy Levels 1&2 CPD. Supervision work is underpinned by training in Play and Creative Arts Therapy Clinical Supervision and Child, Adolescent and Adult Counselling and Psychotherapy Supervision CPD at Post graduate level. I am also a Integrative Child and Adolescent Psychotherapist in an advanced stage of training, which brings consolidation and a wider theoretical and practical base to all my work and an opportunity to integrate neurodiversity at masters level, from my own studies and practice-based evidence.
Further Professional Requirements: My work is underpinned across this range of therapeutic interventions with evidence-based good practice, being a member of two professional bodies, the British Association for Counsellors and Psychotherapists (BACP) and Play Therapy UK (PTUK), adhering to both of their Ethical Frameworks, and ethical research, having monthly supervision sessions with two supervisors for counselling and for play and creative arts therapy; alongside this I am also on two Professional Standard Authority Registers for Counselling and Play Therapy and keep my professional indemnity, (CRB)/DBS certification and Multi-Agency Safeguarding Training up to date. I subscribe to three divisions of the BACP, for Counselling Children and Young People (CCYP), the CYP Practice Research Network (CYP PRN) and also Private Practice division. I evaluate the work with standard tools such as the Goodman SDQ, ASQ-SE and the YP/Adult/Learning Difficulty CORE system as well as any agency evaluations. I am preparing my application for accreditation with the BACP.
Experience of working with issues such as : Bereavement and loss, childhood abuse (neglect, physical, emotional, sexual), family separation, family changes, new family structures, domestic abuse, illness, disabilities, learning difficulties, sexuality issues, adult trauma, childhood trauma, dissociation, self-harm, alcohol and substance misuse, adult children of alcohol and substance mis-users, young carers, depression, anxiety, self-esteem, anger, emotional , behavioural and social issues, relationships, body issues, PTSD, Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD), ADHD,OCD, PDA, ODD, FII, Conduct Disorder, Global Developmental Delay, dyslexia, dyspraxia, dissociation. Wellbeing experience in group and individual sessions for siblings of disabled children, ASD, socialisation, additional needs, parent and child work, including looked after, adopted and SGO children.
Therapeutic Approach I work in a relational way from an integrative perspective based on the person-centred approach with additional underpinning from attachment theory, trauma theory, neuroscience, neurodiversity and child development, thus linking counselling and play therapy with psychological theories from many perspectives. More recent work has been into the field of neuro-diversity for practitioner, clients and their families, socialisation and places of education, training, leisure and work, aiming for safer practice for neurodivergent people.
Events: see Crooked Thicket page for information of previous trainings for counsellors and therapists. New events will be available later this year.
Training and CPD: In order to offer clients a sort of therapy that would suit them, I have undertaken training in both talking therapies (Diploma in Person-Centred Counselling and Therapy) and then at masters level, a Post Graduate Certificate in Therapeutic Play Skills followed by a Post Graduate Diploma in Play Therapy (also referred to as creative arts therapy for older clients) with on-going Continuing Professional Development (CPD) in relevant new research and information to stay updated (see Portfolio for more information), including Taking Therapy Outdoors. Both my core professional trainings had experiential elements involving 350 hours of supervised client work within the therapeutic frameworks of Carl Rogers and Virginia Axline, whose guidelines for positive therapeutic change are enhanced with the Ethical Framework of the BACP and PTUK. My approach integrates theories from talking and non-verbal processes, in indoor or outdoor settings. Parenting/child work is informed by Filial Play Coaching, Theraplay (R) Levels 1 &2 and Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy Levels 1&2 CPD. Supervision work is underpinned by training in Play and Creative Arts Therapy Clinical Supervision and Child, Adolescent and Adult Counselling and Psychotherapy Supervision CPD at Post graduate level. I am also a Integrative Child and Adolescent Psychotherapist in an advanced stage of training, which brings consolidation and a wider theoretical and practical base to all my work and an opportunity to integrate neurodiversity at masters level, from my own studies and practice-based evidence.
Further Professional Requirements: My work is underpinned across this range of therapeutic interventions with evidence-based good practice, being a member of two professional bodies, the British Association for Counsellors and Psychotherapists (BACP) and Play Therapy UK (PTUK), adhering to both of their Ethical Frameworks, and ethical research, having monthly supervision sessions with two supervisors for counselling and for play and creative arts therapy; alongside this I am also on two Professional Standard Authority Registers for Counselling and Play Therapy and keep my professional indemnity, (CRB)/DBS certification and Multi-Agency Safeguarding Training up to date. I subscribe to three divisions of the BACP, for Counselling Children and Young People (CCYP), the CYP Practice Research Network (CYP PRN) and also Private Practice division. I evaluate the work with standard tools such as the Goodman SDQ, ASQ-SE and the YP/Adult/Learning Difficulty CORE system as well as any agency evaluations. I am preparing my application for accreditation with the BACP.
Experience of working with issues such as : Bereavement and loss, childhood abuse (neglect, physical, emotional, sexual), family separation, family changes, new family structures, domestic abuse, illness, disabilities, learning difficulties, sexuality issues, adult trauma, childhood trauma, dissociation, self-harm, alcohol and substance misuse, adult children of alcohol and substance mis-users, young carers, depression, anxiety, self-esteem, anger, emotional , behavioural and social issues, relationships, body issues, PTSD, Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD), ADHD,OCD, PDA, ODD, FII, Conduct Disorder, Global Developmental Delay, dyslexia, dyspraxia, dissociation. Wellbeing experience in group and individual sessions for siblings of disabled children, ASD, socialisation, additional needs, parent and child work, including looked after, adopted and SGO children.
Therapeutic Approach I work in a relational way from an integrative perspective based on the person-centred approach with additional underpinning from attachment theory, trauma theory, neuroscience, neurodiversity and child development, thus linking counselling and play therapy with psychological theories from many perspectives. More recent work has been into the field of neuro-diversity for practitioner, clients and their families, socialisation and places of education, training, leisure and work, aiming for safer practice for neurodivergent people.
Events: see Crooked Thicket page for information of previous trainings for counsellors and therapists. New events will be available later this year.
