Our Therapists
All of our therapists are registered with an ethical body, have enhanced DBS checks, are highly skilled and trauma informed.
Sarah
Hi I'm Sarah,
I am warm, friendly, and experienced children’s Play and Creative Arts Psychotherapist with a deep belief in the healing power of play. With a Postgraduate Diploma in Play Therapy, a Postgraduate Certificate in Therapeutic Play, and a BA (Hons) in Architecture, I bring a unique blend of imagination, structure, and therapeutic skill to my work with children and families.
Taking an integrative, child-centred approach, I tailor each session to meet the individual needs of the child. My work is deeply rooted in trauma-informed practice, shaped by years of experience supporting children and families across social care, education, school-based services, private practice, and crisis settings. I blend evidence-based techniques with compassionate, creative interventions to honour each child’s unique journey.
I believe that play is integral to a child’s development, it is the most natural and powerful way for children to express themselves, process their experiences, and make sense of the world. I can support children facing a wide range of challenges, including anxiety, depression, bereavement, behavioural difficulties, neurodivergence, and adverse childhood experiences such as trauma and abuse, amongst other challenges.
Known for my playful, calming presence, I create a safe and nurturing space where children feel understood and supported. Through the creative arts and play, I help children explore difficult emotions, strengthen relationships, and build resilience. My work extends to supporting families, fostering deeper connections and mutual growth.
“My goal is to empower children to process their emotions, develop coping skills, and thrive, when words are not always possible. I aim to create a space where each child feels valued, heard, and safe to be themselves.”
I am a registered member of Play Therapy UK (PTUK) and am committed to ongoing professional development and regular clinical supervision to ensure my work remains ethical, effective, and responsive to the evolving needs of each child and family I support.
Maxine
Hello I’m Maxine.
I am a HCPC Registered Psychologist (Educational), PTUK Registered Therapeutic Play Practitioner and an accredited Sandplay Therapist with the Association of Sandplay Therapy (AST).
I’ve worked with children for the past 30 years and love it. I started as a children’s play-worker for Women’s Aid, and then worked as teacher in mainstream and alternative settings. Working at a centre for children recovering from bullying, I witnessed the power of providing safe spaces and holistic education for children to share experiences and foster self-confidence and healing.
I qualified as a Psychologist (Educational) in 2006 and worked in different Local Authorities using collaborative approaches to support development, growth and change with individuals, groups, and settings. My interest in working therapeutically is long-standing; over the years I have completed trainings in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Solution Focussed Brief Therapy, Narrative Therapy and Video Interaction Guidance (VIG) so that I bring a range of skills and perspectives to each encounter whilst maintaining a person-centred approach.
I qualified as a Therapeutic Play Practitioner in 2021. Play is integral to child development; I feel it is the most natural resource to help children experiencing tough times, muddles or worries to express, explore, and discover themselves and find more satisfying ways of being. My approach is collaborative and child-led; each child has unique capabilities and I seek to provide Therapeutic Play experiences to support each child to discover and be themselves.
I believe that change is enabled by acceptance and self-discovery, and in my work, I seek to be playful and curious, enabling clients to create narratives about their life and who they are becoming.
I offer Therapeutic Play sessions to children in schools and in our playroom in Colne. I also offer Therapeutic Parenting support and Consultation with schools in support of their children.
Claire
Hello I'm Claire...
I am a person centred therapist who works with teens and adults.
I have an optimistic view of human nature, and believe that, given a safe space in which to gently explore, we can all increase our self awareness and work towards the resolution of inner conflicts.
I previously provided therapy at a women's charity, working with a variety of different issues, including relationship difficulties, anxiety, depression, self harm, domestic violence and long covid.
I have a Post Graduate Diploma in Counselling and Psychotherapy from The University of Salford and am a registered member of the BACP (British Association of Counsellors and Psychotherapists).
Prior to training as a therapist, my role involved supporting people who had suffered life changing injuries or bereavements as a result of medical procedures. Seeing the way in which those people found a way to move forward positively with their lives after having counselling was one of the factors that inspired me to become a therapist.
What clients said about Claire...
I had never experienced therapy, so naturally I didn’t know what to expect or how it was even going to impact my life. All I knew was I was struggling, I needed some help.
Right from the first phone call to Claire, my worries vanished, she put me at ease. The journey I went on during the sessions, transformed my thoughts, how I felt about myself, how I behaved and mostly it prevented me from hating or criticising my every thought and action!
Claire helped me to process deep rooted feelings and to see how my life was not as awful as I played it out in my mind, she very cleverly let’s you tell yourself how to heal, when we finished our last session, Claire summarised our journey, she’d listened, understood and empathised while making me feel heard and valued!
I feel extremely lucky to have been in such great hands, thank you xx
W, October 2023
Working with Claire over the last few months has really helped me to see things much clearer and in a new light. I felt safe, supported and heard every week and slowly over time, I've learnt to recognise behaviours I was displaying as well as ways to overcome and deal with these. It's been a game-changer and I would highly recommend Claire for anyone who is feeling 'stuck' and looking to change previous patterns. Thank you!
G, January 2024
Wendy
Hi I'm Wendy...
I am is a person centred therapist working with adults and children. I have experience with a variety of ages and presenting issues, including but not limited to bereavement, depression, abuse, anxiety and other traumas.
I enjoy the continual learning that comes with being a counsellor and is always adding to my knowledge base. I am willing to work flexibly with clients and I encourage them to use the space to work through their issues, truly believing that along with the skills of a counsellor that this is a positive and helpful way for people to move forward.
As well as having childhood trauma herself through several bereavements, she also has 3 teenage children so understands the struggles that teenagers have navigating the current times and how illness and other life events can impact them.
Catherine A
Hi I'm Catherine...
I am a relational integrative psychotherapist and clinical supervisor working with children, young people and adults. My priority when working with individuals is the formation of a trusting, empathetic therapeutic relationship.
Before working as a therapist, I worked as a teacher for 22 years with over 10 of these years in senior leadership positions. I particularly enjoyed working with children and young people that found school challenging and valued working with them, their families and other agencies to support their needs and help them overcome barriers to relationships and learning. During my time in education I also enjoyed training, supervising and coaching other adults working in schools from trainees to experienced staff.
My counselling experience includes work in schools with children and young people, work as a trauma-informed therapist as part of an NHS commissioned service and private practice working with clients of all ages. I am passionate about developmental trauma and the impact it has on individuals. I enjoys using psychoeducation and tools and techniques for emotional regulation to support clients to be more in touch with their bodily felt senses and develop their own strategies for regulation.