I have always loved spending time with children and getting to know their unique personalities! I have previous experiences of working as a Nursery, Reception and then Year 1 teacher where I enjoyed seeing the children grow and develop through play, my favourite moments being when I staged things like a broomstick crash or a penguin egg hatching and they had to do some investigative work, or had to figure out how to melt chocolate to help the Christmas elves with their advent calendars- cue chocolate being all over the radiators, hand driers, not to mention children’s faces!

I have since spent time working in a children’s residential home and also in private practice once I qualified as a Play Therapist, working specifically with children who were fostered or adopted. I have seen the importance of being consistently available, accepting of and patient with children who have experienced the things that these children have, and I have a huge love for play therapy because of how it meets all children where they are at rather than expecting them to meet an adult expectation or way of expression.

The last two years I have worked full time in CAMHS, with children and young people ranging from 7 to 18, using creative modalities to form a trusting relationship and help a range of needs which has included children with neurodevelopmental diagnoses, attachment difficulties, low mood and anxiety, and selectively mute young people. I have supported the wider families and support systems around each child.

In my free time, I love to read, to go to disco spin classes and to have themed fancy dress parties, and I am so excited to join the EQUiPT team and embrace my playful side even more!