Children & Teenagers
I want to empower young people to express and process their difficulties so they can live their lives undefined and unburdened by their experiences; instead growing round them to develop strength and resilience.
I have over 20 years experience supporting children and teenagers’ mental health, primarily as a teacher before retraining as a registered Creative Arts & Therapeutic Play Practitioner and Trauma & Mental Health Practitioner, working in schools across London and Gloucestershire. I have spent the last two years working with TIC+ providing counselling for young people from 9 -25 years, in addition to being the school based counsellor at a Stroud secondary school for one year working across year 7 to year 13.
"You are not the darkness you endured. You are the light that refused to surrender"
John Mark Green
Adults
My therapeutic work with parents and carers inspired me to train as a counsellor so I can support people of all ages to navigate life’s challenges. Your experiences as a young person may have shaped your view of yourself in problematic ways that create obstacles in your otherwise successful adult life. I want to help you gently peel back the layers so your past experiences no longer control your present and you can live more peacefully.
As you age, you will invariably encounter increasing losses and can struggle to find space to process your grief within the demands of your adult life leaving you feeling stuck and unable to move forward. I want to support you to process your grief and find ways to grow around it, creating space for living your values and reconnecting to yourself to bring a sense of wholeness. I can support you to connect to your loved one so you find them within and carry them with you as you move forward with love.
I have had various types of counselling over my life time and though it can sometimes daunting and challenging it's also been a deeply rewarding and empowering process. The growth I’ve gained has been immensely freeing and rippled into all areas and relationships in my life. I feel privileged to hear your story and support you on your own journey of empowerment.
I live in Stroud, Gloucestershire with my husband and two teenage children. Alongside my private practice, I work as a Parent Support Facilitator for TIC+ (Teens in Crisis) as I believe supporting parents/carers is crucial to helping young people achieve emotional wellbeing.
As an accredited member of National Counselling & Psychotherapy Society (NCPS) I follow their code of ethics and confidentiality. I undergo monthly clinical supervision to ensure my work is maintained at a professional and ethical standard.
I regularly engage in continuing professional development to keep up to date on research, theory and techniques to improve my knowledge and skills including training on complex & developmental trauma, suicide prevention, and traumatic grief & loss.
Qualifications
- Diploma Therapeutic Counselling in Adults, Children and Young people
- Diploma Trauma & Mental Health Informed Schools and Communities
- Post Graduate Certificate Therapeutic Play Skills
- Post Graduate Certificate Education (Primary)
- BA (Hons) Fine Art
- Solution-Focused Brief Therapy
- Acceptance & Commitment Therapy (ACT)
- Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
- Cert Autism Awareness
Relevant Experience
- Parent Support Group Facilitator, TIC+ 2023 ongoing
- School counsellor, Stroud secondary school 2023 - 2024
- Professional Parent Advisor, Young Minds 2022 - 2023
- Creative Arts & Therapeutic Play Practitioner, primary & secondary schools across Gloucestershire and London 2016 - 2024
- Trauma & Mental Health Informed Practitioner, providing advisory support, training for education staff and parents, therapeutic support for pupils in schools in Gloucestershire and London 2020 - 2024
- Group Support Co-ordinator, Operation Diversity Academy 2018 - 2019
Professional Affiliations
- Accredited Member NCPS
- Registered Member of Professional Standards Authority
- Member ICO
- Enhanced DBS
- Full Public Liability & Professional Indemnity Insurance
Relevant Training
- Complex Trauma Certification Training (current, PESI)
- Traumatic Grief: Cognitive, Behavioural & Somatic Approaches (J. Eric Gentry)
- Suicide Prevention (Papyrus)
- Working with Bodies to Heal Minds (Prof. Helen Payne)
- Helping Children with Bereavement & Traumatic Loss (Grief Encounters)
- Working Effectively with Developmental Trauma & Highly Defended Teenagers (Dr. Dan Hughes)
"You being my counsellor was meant to be. It was perfect, I can't imagine doing this with anyone else. I hope the next person that walks through that door walks out the way I am feeling"
Client
Testimonials
"From the beginning, Emma has been exceptionally warm and welcoming and our son feels so comfortable and supported by her. He really looks forward to his session each week and has benefitted so much. We feel so lucky to have someone like Emma supporting us with all these challenges. Amazing!"
Parent
"She was lovely and always listened, we also worked on everything I wanted to but also what she thought would help and this worked really well…I really enjoyed having the confidentiality when talking to my counsellor as it allowed me to talk about things I wouldn't talk to most people about. Just being able to talk about some things helped a lot"
Client
"When my son first started sessions, he was so angry, sad and lonely. I really didn’t think it was going to help as I thought, ‘how can play change him?’…He has come out the end of this a different boy…He has even gained confidence something that I never thought I would see in him"
Parent
Testimonials
"I felt it was really good because she listened to me and gave me options going forward which really helped me. There was also stress toys I could use which helped me explain well without me stuttering"
Client
"Feelings felt valid and understood always. Helped me to understand reasons behind my thoughts better"
Client
"Feeling able to cope with everything using strategies I was taught and knowing I had a safe space to share my feelings and be listened to"
Client