My work in schools utilised all my experience and skills to good effect as children and families within the school community have presented with a spectrum of mental health behaviours requiring expert knowledge and therapeutic practice from  anxiety, low mood, stress, self-harm, eating issues, body image, friends and relationship difficulties, family breakdown, domestic abuse, online abuse, bullying, school refusal,   bereavement, addiction, and learning needs.  The onsite therapeutic services that I managed, were regularly accessed and integrated successfully within the school’s provision of well-being and mental health support.  It was important to provide knowledge and understanding to children, staff and parents on all aspects of mental health and well-being with a focus on prevention and, the importance of creating a better environment for learning, teaching and building resilience.

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In supporting children and young people, I am trained in non-directive play therapy.  This way of working uses the medium of play to allow and encourage children to communicate with the therapist both verbally and non-verbally.  The play and art making within the sessions offers a variety of purposes: to express feelings, to act out an experience that has troubled or traumatised them or to play out difficult thoughts, images and dreams.  The counselling sessions provide a creative space where the individual is autonomous and free to explore whatever they want to bring safely with the therapist.  As a result, children are able to learn strategies to help them deal with their problems, to improve their self-esteem and resilience and to gain a sense of self.  Consequently this frees up their energies and focus, to enable them to concentrate on learning, enjoying school life, building relationships with family and friends.