About me
I am a HCPC and BAAT-registered Art Psychotherapist with over 17 years of experience working across mental health, community, and educational settings with people throughout the lifespan. I work with children, young people, adults, parents, and carers, offering a safe, supportive, and non-judgemental space to explore emotional difficulties and life challenges.
I support individuals experiencing a wide range of issues, including anxiety, low mood, behavioural and emotional difficulties, self-esteem and identity concerns, trauma, life transitions, and relationship challenges. I have extensive experience working with neurodiversity, including autism and other neurodevelopmental differences, both professionally and personally. I also work with adults who are navigating the impact of trauma, neurodiversity, or long-term health conditions on their emotional wellbeing, relationships, and quality of life.
My integrative approach draws on a range of psychological perspectives, enabling me to tailor therapy to your individual needs. I am influenced by psychodynamic and person-centred principles and have a particular interest in trauma-informed practice and neurodiversity-affirming approaches. I believe that each person's experience is unique and welcome openness about what you would like to focus on in therapy.
I work at a pace that feels comfortable for you, offering both creative and verbal approaches to help deepen understanding of your thoughts, feelings, and experiences. Through therapy, you may reconnect with parts of yourself that have become disconnected over time, developing greater self-awareness, resilience, and self-compassion.
Art therapy offers a range of creative ways to communicate and process experiences that can sometimes be difficult to put into words. Alongside drawing, painting, and sculpture, I may incorporate clay work, sand tray therapy, creative play, and other sensory-based approaches where appropriate. No previous artistic experience is required.
My professional background includes work within CAMHS, LAC intervention, mainstream and specialist educational settings, long-term community mental health services, women's and children's refuges, domestic abuse services, substance misuse inpatient units, and services supporting homeless adolescents.
This breadth of experience enables me to work sensitively with a diverse range of individuals and circumstances, supporting people to move towards greater understanding, healing, and wellbeing.
Training, qualifications & experience
Qualifications & Professional Registration
- MA Art Psychotherapy
- BSc (Hons) Community Health and Social Sciences
- Registered Art Psychotherapist with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC)
- Registered Member of the British Association of Art Therapists (BAAT)
- Specialist Training & Continuing Professional Development (CPD)
2026
- Haptic Perception in Art Therapy: Using Clay for Implicit Repair of Developmental Deficits
- Bilateral Drawing and Haptic Perception
2025
- Keeping Children Safe Framework – Local Authority Children's Services
Safeguarding Children (Group C) – Local Authority Children's Services
2024
- Trauma and Attachment Training (PACE Approach) – Three-Day Training, Phoenix
- Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy (DDP) and Polyvagal Theory Training
- Positive Approaches to Challenging Behaviour – Three-Day Training (George Panayi)
- Clinical Supervision Training – Two-Day Training (Dr Val Huet & Mary Rose Brady, BAAT)
- Trauma-Informed, Trauma-Infused and Trauma-Responsive Supervision and
- Reflective Spaces (Dr Karen Treisman)
- Mentalization-Based Art Therapy: Introduction Day (Alex McDonald, Jake Shaw & Samantha Chilvers, BAAT)
- Emergency First Aid at Work, Including Anaphylaxis Training
2023
Child Development and its Significance in Art Therapy Across the Life Cycle – Two-Day Training (Mary Rose Brady, BAAT)
2022
- Therapeutic Treasure Box: Theory and Creative Techniques for Facilitating Resilience and Affect Regulation in Children with Relational and Developmental Trauma –
- Three-Day Training (Dr Karen Treisman)
- BAAT Annual Conference: Art Therapy, Trauma in Society and Social Activism
Areas of Ongoing Professional Interest
- Trauma-informed practice
- Attachment and developmental trauma
- Neurodiversity-affirming practice
- Mentalization-based approaches
- Polyvagal-informed therapy
- Creative and sensory approaches, including clay and haptic perception
Clinical supervision and reflective practice
Member organisations
school Registered / Accredited
Being registered/accredited with a professional body means an individual must have achieved a substantial level of training and experience approved by their member organisation.
The HCPC are an independent, UK-wide health regulator. They set standards of professional training, performance and conduct for 16 professions.
They keep a register of health professionals who meet their standards, and they take action if registered health professionals fall below those standards. They were created by a piece of legislation called the Health Professions Order 2001.
Registration means that a health professional meets national standards for their professional training, performance and conduct.
Areas of counselling I deal with
Other areas of counselling I deal with
Main Areas of Specialism
- Trauma and developmental trauma
- Childhood adversity and adverse childhood experiences (ACEs)
- Looked-after children and care-experienced young people
- Domestic abuse and the impact of abusive relationships
- Substance misuse and recovery
- Neurodiversity, including autism and other neurodevelopmental differences
- Chronic health conditions, long-term illness, and disability
- Learning disabilities and learning difficulties
- Anxiety and emotional wellbeing
- Attachment difficulties and relational trauma
Therapies offered
Fees
£70.00 per session
Additional information
Fees
Art Therapy
Individual Art Therapy Sessions: £70 per 60-minute session
Sessions are typically offered every week.
Clinical Supervision
Clinical Supervision: £75 per 60-minute session
Reduced rates are available for student therapists.
Reports and Professional Consultation
Clinical Reports: £125–£150 (depending on complexity and time required)
Attendance at professional meetings, consultations, or multi-agency meetings can be arranged by prior agreement and may incur an additional fee.
