Mentoring is a way of providing support for your child. Families have never been so busy throughout our history as they are today and childhood disorders, issues, self-harm, suicide rates seem to forever be rising and rising. No matter what you and your child might be experiencing mentoring is a way of building a secure, nurturing relationship. A place to be seen, heard and to make sense of, explore however they might be experiencing their world today.

Experience

I have worked with children educationally and therapeutically for over 10 years now. Trained originally as a primary school teacher, I am also a qualified play therapist and most recently worked as SENCO for a democratic educational setting. I work directly with families and children to provide support for all sorts of reason:

  • Lack of confidence

  • Low self-esteem

  • Poor relationships with family members, peers, teachers.

  • Reluctant learners

  • Emotional/behavioural Difficulties

  • ADHD, Autism, Selective Mutism, Down Syndrome, OCD, GAD and more…

  • School avoidance/anxiety

  • Addiction

  • Anxiety

As a lover of children’s books, especially picture books and a published author I am particularly interested in creative writing.

Parent Feedback:

We’re really grateful to Joe for the work he did with our son, whose anxiety meant he was struggling to attend school. As our son had recently been diagnosed with ADHD, we felt he needed some expert support in addition to that which we or the school were able to provide, in order to make sense of his feelings and his diagnosis. Joe met with him weekly via Zoom over the summer holidays and was able to make a strong and trusting connection. Joe’s calm and easy-going manner clearly belies a wealth of knowledge and experience and this combination was exactly what our son needed to feel able to return to school in September

I contacted Joe as I was looking for for a therapist to who worked with adolescents and who practiced Compassionate Inquiry, as I know its an effective approach for people with adhd and addiction issues.  I wanted someone that my 17 year old son could trust, open up to, and feel supported by, without any judgment and Joe was exactly that.  Before working with Joe my son had been telling me that he couldn't feel anything, emotionally.  He had shut down.  After the first session he came away really enthusiastic and positive, laughing he said 'it was like some kind of magic!' I could see how happy he was to have the support and understanding that Joe gave him.  We've had a some ups and downs over the last few months and through it all Joe has been consistently supportive, giving me the reassurance I needed to relax and trust the process.  He's been happy to speak with me on the phone and check in with us from time to time, while also honoring my sons privacy.  The difference in our child compared to just 3 months ago is huge, I feel like we have our boy back. When I asked him what I should write in a testimonial for Joe he said 'say that you can talk to him about anything and you can trust him.  He's really easy to talk to and you learn so much.  Not just about yourself but about everything, about the world!'  

I know how hard it is to be a 17 year old never mind the added issues that come with having adhd.  It's a lot to carry as parents when you have other children and elderly parents to care for in my case. I'm so thankful that we've found someone that our son can open up to outside of the family, and someone he will go back to in the future should the need arise.  I wouldn't hesitate to recommend Joe to anyone looking for a therapist for their child

My Mentoring Style is Influence by:

  • Play Therapy

Play is the natural way that children use to communicate their feelings and emotions.  It is in this space that unconscious processes can be worked through, explored, solved and mastered.  As a former play therapist in schools I am aware and attuned to the variety of ways that children communicate and am able to build relationship and rapport usually very quickly with children that I work with. This experience can help me to understand how the potential for child development is unfolding and explore any blocks that they may have.

  • Psychology

My psychological background and child-centred approach to cultivating relationships can be a breath of fresh air for children.  In my experience the most fruitful partnerships have been the ones in which a positive, understanding, empathetic relationship can be formed quickly and create a space where children can be seen and understood in whatever they might be experiencing.

  • Compassionate Inquiry

Compassionate Inquiry is a psychotherapeutic approach developed by the world renowned author and physician Dr. Gabor Maté that reveals what lies beneath the appearance we present to the world. I am a Certified Compassionate Inquiry Practitioner and it is a useful approach to help with understanding the complex processes of the child and how they are presenting themselves. Through Compassionate Inquiry, the client can recognise the unconscious dynamics that run their lives and how to liberate themselves from them.

  • Neufeld Institue

Dr Gordan Neufeld is a world renowned Developmental Psychologist who maps out and shares psychological developmental research, how current education systems and parenting beliefs/strategies are at odds with much of the developmental research and how we are just so focussed on behavioural outcomes. I’ve trained at the Institute and continue to learn and let his teachings guide my approach to working with children.

 QUALIFICATIONS:


PGcert - Primary School Teaching (University of Roehampton 2009)

PGcert - Addiciton Pyschology and Counselling (South Bank University 2008)

Diploma - Play Therapy (Canterbury Christchurch University 2014)

Certified Compassionate Inquiry Practitioner (2020)