Elena Popa
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This professional is accepting new clients but may have a waitlist. Please enquire with them directly to discuss availability.
This professional is accepting new clients but may have a waitlist. Please enquire with them directly to discuss availability.
About me
Hi,
I am Elena, a play therapist serving the Cardiff and Newport areas, and I provide play therapy for children aged 3 to 11, who have been or are going through issues such as anxiety, low self-esteem, trauma, loss, family changes, social difficulties, emotional regulation, and behavioural challenges.
My approach is grounded in child-centred play therapy, attachment and trauma-informed practice. Whether a child is experiencing anxiety, emotional overwhelm, behavioural challenges or navigating a difficult life event, I work at their pace, using play as their natural language, helping them develop coping skills, confidence and emotional understanding. Play therapy can be especially supportive for children who struggle to express themselves in words, who tend to keep their feelings inside, or who find it hard to talk about difficult experiences. My therapy room offers a wide selection of carefully chosen toys that help children express themselves and engage in the therapeutic work.
I work closely with parents and schools, ensuring that each child gets supported on all levels. My goal is to help children feel safe, confident and capable to discover their inner strength and make sense of their difficulties.
I am a School Project Manager with Place2Be, a leading children’s mental health charity, working within a primary school in Cardiff. My role includes delivering targeted workshops on areas such as friendships, bullying, emotional wellbeing, self‑esteem, race, and belonging. Alongside this, I provide one‑to‑one therapeutic support for children, offer guidance to parents, and work collaboratively with schools and external professionals through multi‑agency meetings to promote positive mental health outcomes.
I also provide supervision to counsellors on training.
Training, qualifications & experience
I hold a MSc in Play Therapy (2015) from the University of South Wales, a qualification accredited by the British Association of Play Therapists (BAPT). I am also currently registered with the British Association of Counsellors and Psychotherapists (BACP).
I have extensive experience working in school settings, both through my previous role as a Teaching Assistant, Play Therapist and in my current role as School Project Manager with Place2Be, a children’s mental health charity that supports schools in providing counselling services to their pupils. Through this work, I have developed a strong understanding of the challenges children can face in school, as well as the difficulties parents may experience when their child finds the school environment overwhelming.
Member organisations
BACP is one of the UK’s leading professional bodies for counselling and psychotherapy with around 60,000 members. The Association has several different categories of membership, including Student Member, Individual Member, Registered Member MBACP, Registered Accredited Member MBACP (Accred) and Senior Registered Accredited Member MBACP (Snr Acccred). Registered and accredited members are listed on the BACP Register, which shows that they have demonstrated BACP’s recommended standards for training, proficiency and ethical practice. The BACP Register was the first register of psychological therapists to be accredited by the Professional Standards Authority (PSA). Accredited and senior accredited membership are voluntary categories for members who choose to undertake a rigorous application and assessment process to demonstrate additional standards around practice, training and supervision. Individual members will have completed an appropriate counselling or psychotherapy course and started to practise, but they won’t appear on the BACP Register until they've demonstrated that they meet the standards for registration. Student members are still in the process of completing their training. All members are bound by the BACP Ethical Framework and a Professional Conduct Procedure.
Accredited register membership
The Accredited Register Scheme was set up in 2013 by the Department of Health (DoH) as a way to recognise organisations that hold voluntary registers which meet certain standards. These standards are set by the Professional Standards Authority (PSA).
This therapist has indicated that they belong to an Accredited Register.
Areas of counselling I deal with
Therapies offered
Photos & videos
Fees
Up to £50.00
Concessions offered for
Additional information
- Free 30-minute initial consultation with parents/carers
- £50 play therapy session with child
- £35 supervision for counsellors in training/ students/ play therapists
- Workshop fees can vary
Parents/carers are invited to attend review meetings at five-week intervals to discuss the child’s overall progress and any changes observed at home or school. These are free of charge and 1 hour long, face to face or via videocall.
If you have any concerns about your child’s wellbeing or would like to explore play therapy, please feel free to get in touch; concession fees are available and can be discussed to ensure support is accessible.
When I work
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Further information
Services provided:
- Play therapy with children and young people
- Supervision for counsellors and psychotherapists working with children and young people
- Emotional literacy workshops for schools
- Group work for children
- Consultation for parents and carers
- Consultation for school staff members
My therapy room is based at 35 Stow Park Circle, Newport, NP20 4HF. I currently have availability for new clients on Thursdays and Saturdays. Where appropriate, I am also able to offer play therapy sessions within your child’s school, providing a flexible option to support families’ needs.
