About me
When your child is struggling, it can be difficult to know what is really going on underneath the behaviour and even harder to know what will actually help.
You may have tried talking to your child, changing your approach or seeking advice, but still feel that you are missing something. Perhaps your child is anxious, angry, withdrawn or unusually controlling, or you feel that the relationship between you has become difficult.
My passion is to offer children a safe space where they can think and explore in the most natural way that they know. Through playing they can be supported to make sense of what they are feeling and what they have experienced and can become more able to manage in their everyday lives. Some of the children we support have experienced early traumatic care and this has impacted their feeling of safety and their development. Some children are impacted by neurodevelopmental differences and find everyday life very hard, or even frightening. Play Therapy supports development, emotional regulation and recovery from trauma in a child-centred way. It works because change happens developmentally. Children experience feeling and thinking differently and these new perceptions and skills become something that is part of how they are.
I have a particular interest in helping parents understand what may be happening for their child and how this is affecting their relationship, and then finding practical ways forward. Sometimes it is helpful to assess how a child understands and copes in relationships - perhaps trying to please everyone, or by being angry and defensive by default. I can offer a Child Attachment Play Assessment (CAPA) to explore this. Some children respond best to individual Play Therapy and others benefit from therapeutic time with their parents. Filial Therapy offers a space where parents can learn therapeutic play skills, initially supported in the play therapy room but then taking this home to continue it in everyday routine.
I am a BAPT Registered Play Therapist® with extensive experience working therapeutically with children and families. I am also qualified as a reliable coder of story-stem attachment assessments (CAPA).
If you are unsure whether your family needs an assessment, Filial Therapy or something else, you don't need to work that out before getting in touch. We can start by talking about what is happening and what you are hoping will change.
I work alongside experienced colleagues who can provide additional specialist support for children, young people and families, including Play Therapy, Animal-Assisted Play Therapy® and family support. Where appropriate, we can consider the wider picture and help you find the combination of support that best fits your family.
Training, qualifications & experience
I am a BAPT Registered Play Therapist® qualifying in 1997 at Roehampton University in London. My practice is grounded in specialist play therapy training, attachment-informed practice and a strong interest in helping parents become more confident in understanding and supporting their children.
To build skills in working alongside parents & carers in therapy, I have trained in both Filial Therapy and Child-Parent Relationship Therapy, and more recently became a reliable coder for the Child Attachment Play Assessments (CAPA) which offer a non-intrusive assessment of attachment patterns in children aged 3 -11 using story stems.
Member organisations
The British Association of Play Therapists was founded in 1992 by a group of now respected practitioners who introduced and pioneered Play Therapy within Britain. Accredited by the Professional Standards Authority.
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
£70.00 per session
When I work
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Further information
I work as part of the Mara Play Therapy team in the South of Edinburgh. We have two playrooms in a lovely old building surrounded by fields - a surprising space in the city. There is a free car park. Watch out for the occasional mischievous goat in the car park!
