Parenting can be deeply rewarding, but it can also feel overwhelming, frightening or lonely when things at home become difficult. Many parents come to me when family life feels tense, unpredictable or stuck, when they are worried about their child’s behaviour, struggling to reconnect, or feeling unsure what to do next.
I offer warm, practical and experienced support for parents, carers and families, both in person in Teddington and online. My work draws on many years of supporting families through challenges, and I use approaches informed by Non-Violent Resistance (NVR), and Theraplay®.
I am one of only a few practitioners in the locality who is both accredited in NVR and trained to Theraplay® Level 2. This combination allows me to offer support that is both practical and deeply relational, helping parents feel less alone, more confident and more connected to their child.
Non-Violent Resistance, or NVR, is a supportive parenting approach that helps adults respond calmly, firmly and safely when a child or young person’s behaviour has become aggressive, controlling, risky or very difficult to manage.
In NVR, I work with the adults, usually the main parent or carer, rather than directly with the child. This can be especially helpful when a young person is refusing help, rejecting boundaries, or when attempts to talk things through seem to make things worse.
NVR is not about blame, punishment or trying to “win” against your child. It is about helping parents and carers strengthen their presence, reduce escalation, build support around the family and respond in ways that are calmer, safer and more connected.
Many parents describe NVR as a turning point: a way to step out of constant conflict and begin rebuilding hope and connection.
Theraplay® is a playful, relationship-based approach that supports connection between a child and their parent or carer. It uses gentle, structured play and non-verbal interactions to help children feel safer, more connected and better understood.
Using Theraplay® principles, I usually work with the parent and child together. The focus is on strengthening the relationship through shared moments of play, nurture, rhythm and connection.
It can be especially helpful when family life has become fraught, when a child finds it hard to trust or relax, or when parent and child feel caught in patterns of stress, conflict or disconnection.
For many families, this gentle relational work can make home life feel easier, calmer and more connected.
My parenting work is practical, compassionate and non-judgemental. I know that families often seek help after a long period of trying everything they can think of. You may feel exhausted, blamed, frightened, ashamed or unsure whether anyone will understand what is really happening at home.
I will work with you to understand your family’s situation and find a way forward that feels realistic and manageable. Together, we can think about what is happening, what keeps the difficulties going, and what small but meaningful changes might help.
Support can take place in person in Teddington or online.
I also work with schools and can support you in communicating with your child’s school. This can be particularly important when your child appears to be “fine in school” but things are very different at home.
I have worked in schools for over 15 years, both as a family practitioner and as a school governor with responsibility for safeguarding. This means I understand how schools work, the pressures they face, and how important it is for parents to feel heard and taken seriously.
I can help you think through how to explain your concerns, how to advocate for your child, and how to build a more joined-up understanding between home and school.
I am registered with Adopt London South as a provider and have worked with many families with adopted children.
Adoptive families can face particular layers of complexity, especially when children have experienced early trauma, separation, loss or disrupted attachments. My work with adoptive families is rooted in dyadic developmental psychotherapy (DDP) principles. My work is sensitive to the complexities of both the parent and child’s experience and focuses on strengthening relationships, supporting parents and helping children feel safer within the family.
If you are looking for parenting support, NVR, or Theraplay-informed work in Teddington or online, I offer a calm, experienced space to help you find your way through.
Taking the first step to find help is often the hardest part, and I really understand that. There is no judgement here, only support, care and a commitment to helping you and your family find a way forward.
When a child is struggling with anxiety or OCD, it can affect the whole family. Parents often find themselves working incredibly hard to prevent distress, avoid difficult situations, or help their child feel safe. These responses are completely understandable and come from a place of love. At the same time, some patterns of support can unintentionally make it harder for a child to build confidence in their own ability to cope.
I am trained in SPACE — Supportive Parenting for Anxious Childhood Emotions — an evidence-based therapeutic approach developed by Dr Eli Lebowitz at the Yale Child Study Center.
SPACE offers parents and caregivers a practical and compassionate way to help a child who is experiencing anxiety, OCD, or a related difficulty. Rather than relying on the child to engage directly in therapy, the approach focuses on supporting the adults around them to make meaningful changes at home.
SPACE may be helpful when a child or young person is experiencing:
Every child and family is different, so our work would be shaped around the particular situations that feel difficult for you.
SPACE is primarily a parent and caregiver intervention. This means that sessions usually take place with the adults who care for the child, rather than with the child themselves.
Although your child may not attend, their wellbeing remains the central focus of our work. This can make SPACE particularly valuable when a child does not want to engage in therapy, finds appointments too overwhelming, or is not yet ready to work directly on their anxiety.
Other caregivers or important adults may sometimes be included where this would be helpful and appropriate.
Our sessions would help you understand how anxiety is operating within your family and identify the moments when it is influencing everyday decisions, routines, and relationships.
A central part of the approach is learning how to respond to your child’s distress with both compassion and confidence. This means recognising that their fear is real and difficult, while also communicating your belief that they are capable of coping.
We will explore family accommodation. This refers to the ways family members adjust their behaviour in response to a child’s anxiety, for example, providing frequent reassurance, speaking on their behalf, changing plans, helping them avoid feared situations, or completing tasks for them.
These responses often bring relief in the moment and we do this because we love our children and want to help them. Over time, however, accommodating the anxiety may reinforce the message that the situation is too difficult or unsafe for the child to manage.
The aim is not to remove support suddenly or leave your child feeling alone. Instead, we would develop a gradual, thoughtful plan that reduces unhelpful patterns while maintaining warmth, connection, and emotional safety.
SPACE does not ask you to force your child to change. It helps you focus on the responses that are within your control, creating opportunities for your child to develop greater confidence, flexibility, and independence.
You can learn more about the approach on the official SPACE Treatment website.
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