Services for professionals

Direct work with children and young people (individual and groups)

As an psychologist I work integratively. This means that my psychological interventions draw upon cognitive behavioural, solution focused, motivational interviewing approaches. This can be done through play and drawing to help connect.   

Click here for details about how I work with children and their families, including delivery of VIG, EMDR and mindfulness

Video Interaction Guidance (VIG)

VIG intervention with staff and young people

I have used this brief, evidence based intervention in a wide number of contexts in schools including:

Video Feedback methods such as VIG are NICE guideline recommended for Social and Emotional Wellbeing (ages 0-5 yrs); Autism: Management and support of children and young people on the autism spectrum; Children's attachment.  

"Taking part in the VIG process has been a terrific way of learning - my professional practice has improved as a direct result of this... The impact of VIG has been overwhelmingly positive" Learning Support Teacher 

VIG supervision

I am an AVIGuk accredited practitioner, supervisor and trainer, with more than a decade of working in VIG across education, social care and health and the charity sector. I provide VIG training and supervision to individuals as well as organisations. I have experience of leading VIG projects in the UK and abroad and I am comfortable working online and in person in Hove. I can also support your establishment become VIG self sufficient by training and supervising your staff to supervisor level. As a member of the AVIGuk executive team I am up to date with the very latest training and development initiatives. 

Video Enhanced Reflective Practice

Video Enhanced Reflective Practice (VERP) is a strength based approach based on VIG which promotes reflection in adult learning and develops key communication skills. VERP involves change through building on strengths (doing more of what works and doing less of what doesn't work) then looking at the impact of the changes. This 'reflect, do and review' cycle is deepened by skilled coaching and the power of the visual evidence.

VERP can be used to enhance relationships, communication and interaction skills in staff at all levels of an organisation. It can also be used to support the implementation of new practices, skills or initiatives. It is used across health, social care and education. 

Examples of where VERP has been used include:

How is VERP delivered?

VERP is delivered through a series of practice based reflective workshops, in small groups or one to one, following an initial training session, For the workshops, participants take short videos (5 minutes) of themselves in the work context and look at the video before the workshop, using the skills learnt in the training to identify strengths. In the workshops the participants will share their videos while being skillfully coached by the VIG practitioner or supervisor. 



Supervision and Staff reflective practice 

There is mounting evidence that regular supervision and reflective practice for staff in educational settings leads to a more proactive way of working and reduced stress.  This in turn leads to a better outcomes for the children and young people they work with as well as lower rates of sickness and staff turnover. I offer both individual supervision and group supervision/reflective practice sessions. 

Mindful approaches in education

The NHS recommend 5 steps we can all take to improve our mental wellbeing, and being mindful is one.  I deliver mindfulness interventions for individuals, groups and whole classes as well as working with staff and parents. 


Consultation

Consultation can be highly effective to support change within an education system.  

Staff wellbeing

In order to look after others you must know how to look after yourself. Good staff wellbeing is also associated with lower rates of sickness and staff turnover. My work includes whole staff wellbeing training as well as whole school wellbeing projects. I also facilitate small group experiential sessions to help staff develop simple every day strategies for coping with the demands of working in education.

Training

I deliver a range of training, tailor made to suit the needs of your staff and educational establishment. Subjects include:

In order to make training effective, my training package includes a thorough needs analysis and plans for implementation.  The custom made training is then evaluated with commissioners at the end.

As an accredited VIG supervisor and trainer I can train and supervise your staff to accredited practitioner level and beyond. Video Enhanced Reflective Practice (VERP) is an ideal way to support newly qualified teachers and other staff who are looking to embed their teaching practice as well as interventions such as Emotion Coaching, literacy interventions, within a strength based model.