About

I am a qualified Social Worker and Psychotherapist. I have experience of working with young people and in mental health services and I am also an experienced adopter of two children, who are now both teenagers.

Since adopting my children I have developed my knowledge and experience of the differences (and often difficulties) of parenting children with a background of trauma and/or loss. Over the past decade I have established my own training business working in schools training teachers how to recognise issues of attachment and trauma and how to support children to reach their emotional, social and educational potential. I am also a Parent Consultant with Adoption UK, providing emotional and practical parenting support to families who are struggling to make sense of and manage their adoptive children’s behaviour.

Over the last three years I have become an accredited AdOpt facilitator. This is an adoption specific sixteen week parenting course. Finally, I have a private psychotherapy practice. I work with a range of clients, however, I specialise in providing therapeutic support and counselling to adopters. My interest in re-training as a psychotherapist came about after struggling to find a counsellor for myself who really understood the differences and stresses involved in parenting adopted children, compared to birth children. And the impact that this can have on our own stress and mental health as well as how it can impact on our partnerships and relationships with family and friends.

I am also a qualified Mental Health First Aid Instructor, accredited by Mental Health England.

I am registered with the HCPC and UKATA (UK Association of Transactional Analysis). I have a recent DBS certificate and have professional and public liability insurance.