About Me
Hi, I'm Gemma, an integrative child and adolescent psychotherapist, animal-lover, a try-my-best cook and baker and a traveler who's always looking for the next place to explore. Thank you for taking the time to learn more about me and my work.
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I love working with creativity, such as using images, metaphors, sand trays, drawing, painting and clay in therapy sessions. When creativity gets sparked, and captures the root of the problem and creates a shift in thinking and feeling, it can be magical. Sometimes the sayings are right, a picture paints a thousand words!
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I tailor my approach to suit you and your needs in each session. I am guided by you and what you want to get from your therapy sessions. There's no judgement or pressure - just a space to reflect, learn and grow.
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My previous roles include working in specialist schools and mainstream education settings, working as a senior in children's residential homes, and working in charities for neurodiverse young people, young people with learning difficulties and children in care. I've been a support worker for years before training to be a therapist and I know the challenges it can bring. This created my goal to create a business to provide support that is relatable, not 'expert focused' - but instead focused on building on the professionals current skills and knowledge to empower them to give the best of them without feeling burnt out.
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I have then gone on to work as an Assistant Psychologist in a large private children's residential company, alongside a consultant clinical psychologist and a consultant educational psychologist. My last role was working for the Emotional Health and Wellbeing Service for Children in Care in Derby and Derbyshire. These roles helped me to specialise into the trauma-informed, inclusive and confident therapist I am today.
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Please get in touch if you would like to know more or have any questions for me.
Education
2019-2024
Northern Guild for Psychotherapy and Counselling
Diploma in Child Psychotherapy
(BACP and UKCP accredited)
Diploma in Child and Adolescent Psychotherapeutic Counselling (BACP and UKCP accredited)
2013-2017
Aston University
BSc Psychology
Other short courses
At the Northern Guild I trained as an Integrative Psychotherapist learning about a variety of models. I am largely a relational, trauma-informed therapist and use psychodynamic, neuroscience, transactional analysis, humanistic and attachment theories to guide how I work. ​
I learned to work creatively with imagery and creative tools such as clay, painting and sand tray work. This can be a very helpful method to get to core of what might be going on or gain clarity on a situation.
I have over 600-hours therapy hours, and also completed an infant observation for two years and a variety of workshops including inner-child work. I also had my own personal therapy for over 4 years. These experienced allowed me to learn a lot about myself as well as others and inform how I practice today. ​​
I completed a psychology degree with a placement in research investigating children and adolescents with conduct disorder. I undertook modules on neurodiversity and a variety of mental health conditions.
DDP Level 1 and 2
Therapy Level 1
Dissociation training
PAPYRUS training in suicide prevention and self-harm