Dramatherapist
Phoenix Learning and Care
Phoenix support a large amount of young people that have significant Trauma and attachment needs. I joined Phoenix at a time where the therapy service was in its infancy and have been instrumental in the setting up of the therapy service at one of the schools that cater for KS2 and 3 SEMH (social, emotional and mental health) pupils. In addition to this Phoenix manage a variety of residential children’s homes. My role spans both of these settings.
School – There is a 3 tiered approach to the support i offer, this is a combination of universal (training, reflective practices), targeted (assessments and recommendations tailored to the individual) and specialist (individual and group sessions).
Homes – Reflective practices ofered monthly to the staff team supporting the team and offering guidence and support in theraputic and best practice. Dependant on funding individual sessions may also be offered to the young person
Counsellor
Clarity counselling service
Beginning as a placement during my training I have continued to work for Clarity since 2020. Clarity caters to the Barnstaple and surrounding area offering individual and group support for adults with a range of needs, these include depression, anxiety, trauma, abuse and grief, along with other mental health needs.
Primary Mental Health Worker
The Child and Adolescent Mental Service for Oxfordshire NHS Health Trust.
The role involved communicating with parents and outside agencies to ascertain the level of the referred child or adolescent’s mental health needs. The Tier two service works within a brief solution focused model to help the child/adolescent with issues around self-esteem, anxiety, phobias, behaviour, stress, bullying, family dynamics and low mood and support the family and school to meet the young person’s needs. This involves good communication through multi professional meetings, family sessions and one to one sessions.
Residential Childcare Officer/Dramatherapist
Wey House is a special school for junior aged pupils with social, emotional and mental health difficulties. Almost all pupils have support though the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS), many students have speech and language difficulties, social and communication difficulties and many have been diagnosed as having ADHD or ASD. As a care officer I was responsible for training care staff and running a unit with a small group of pupils, supporting the individual as well as the family and support systems around the child. During the school day I helped to run the therapeutic provision unit and run therapeutic intervention sessions. I was the Drama Co-coordinator, which involved planning, preparing and running drama lessons which incorporated therapeutic structures for all class groups as well as co-coordinating school plays, external trips and performances and visits from external drama companies. Due to my firm grounding in the benefit of therapeutic facilities I played an instrumental role in the planning, funding and setting up of a therapeutic garden helping to advise staff on its benefits as a therapeutic provision as well as on an educational one.
2008 to 2010 – In addition to my above work at Wey House school on completion of my dramatherapy training I ran Dramatherapy sessions on an individual basis exploring self-esteem, family dynamics, self-awareness, feelings and behavioural issues as well as any other issues brought to the sessions and other issues affecting the everyday life of the pupil. This also involved supporting the child and those involved in their welfare.
2006 – placement at the ‘Hope service’ (placement stability and pupil referral unit) and Thornchase school (Emotional and behavioural difficulties school for adolescent girls). I used these placements to write my thesis on dramatheraputic work with adolescents who may have been sexually abused.
2005 – placement at Farnham road hospital (acute adult mental health ward). I Ran an open group for adults with a wide spectrum of needs as well as working on a one to one basis with an individual with a history of acute depression and issues surrounding sexuality.
2004 – Dramatherapy placement for ‘Kids company’ working with 10 year old girls in a mainstream school in London.