Every child deserves to feel safe, seen and valued for who they are.

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I'm a Registered Counsellor, Play Therapist and Early Childhood Specialist with over 20 years' experience supporting children and families. My path started in 2001 as a teaching assistant and has since moved through classrooms, early childhood settings, special education, and therapeutic practice. That multidisciplinary background lets me see children from several angles at once, and work alongside parents, teachers and other professionals in support of the whole child.

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I hold qualifications in Counselling, Play Therapy, Special Needs Education, Teaching and Early Childhood Education, and continue ongoing professional development in child development, attachment and play therapy.

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My work is neurodiversity-affirming, trauma-informed and grounded in evidence-based practice. I focus on building each child's strengths and sense of self-worth, looking beyond behaviour to understand what their emotions and actions are communicating and supporting them to advocate for their needs.

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My approach​

Every child is welcome here. Their experiences and their ways of communicating and navigating the world are respected and valued. I design play therapy interventions around each child's interests and what they enjoy doing, supporting them to recognise their strengths, build on what they already do well, and grow in a way that fits who they are.

 

Play, movement, routine, special interests, and even repetition can all be valid, meaningful ways a child communicates and connects. I follow the child's lead rather than working to a fixed script, and their sensory needs and body autonomy are respected throughout.

 

My practice is integrative. I draw on Child-Centred Play Therapy, AutPlay®, Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Somatic Approaches, underpinned by Attachment Theory, Polyvagal Theory and Interpersonal Neurobiology.

 

Alongside play, I support children to build awareness of what's happening in their body, sensations, tension, energy, and cues of safety or threat, as a foundation for developing lasting self-regulation, rather than regulation being managed for them from the outside.

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The relationship we build together is central to this work. When a child experiences acceptance, trust and emotional safety, they're better able to process challenges, build new skills and grow in confidence at their own pace, on their own timeline. Self-worth, self-advocacy, identity awareness and autonomy are the building blocks of that growth.

 

My background as both teacher and therapist also helps me bridge home, school and therapy, so the important adults in a child's life can work together more effectively.

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Specialised training

 

AutPlay® Therapy

A neurodiversity-affirming, integrative model for child and play therapy that adapts theory and technique to fit each child's neurotype, rather than fitting the child to the model.

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DIR Floortime® Certified

DIR Floortime helps me understand a child's unique strengths, interests, sensory needs and developmental profile. By following a child's lead and joining them in their world, we build relationships that support emotional development, communication, problem-solving and self-regulation.

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Tuning in to Kids® (TIK) Facilitator

Tuning in to Kids® is an evidence-based emotion coaching program that helps parents recognise, understand and respond supportively to their child's emotions — building children's emotional intelligence and strengthening the parent-child relationship.

 

Circle of Security®

Circle of Security® is an internationally recognised, attachment-based program. It helps parents understand their child's emotional needs and recognise when their child is seeking comfort, reassurance, support or independence, offering practical tools for building secure, connected relationships.