TESSA Administrator
Experience: I have been working at TESSA since 2020.
What do you like to do in your free time? Going on holiday.
All time favourite TV show? Seal Team & SWAT.
Lesley Thompson
Emma Graham
Qualifications: BSc, PGCE Education
Experience: 17 years teaching Primary and Post Primary, 4 years Good Relations Project Management for Netball NI
In my free time: Horse riding, playing netball, hanging out with my dogs
Favourite TV shows: Friends & Schitts Creeked.
Keely Mosley
TESSA Therapist
Location
Belfast/Lisburn
I am registered/accredited with:
I am a registered and fully accredited member of BACP
Registered and certified Play Therapist with PTUK
Code of ethics observed:
BACP, PTUK
Qualifications
Dip Counselling Supervision ( Level 5) Cert Child Parent Relationship Therapy (filial therapy) PGDip Practice Based Play Therapy (Level 7) PGCert Integrative Counselling ( Level 4) MA Pastoral Care and Counselling ( Level 7)
Special interest/experience
Filial therapy, Play therapy, Trauma and Attachment
Additional information
I have had the great privilege of offering filial therapy via the TESSA project since it began in 2016. I was delighted to have the opportunity to train in Child Parent Relationship Therapy under Sue Bratton all the way back in 2007 and have always found it to be the highlight of my therapy practice. I have over 28 years’ experience working with children and families in the helping professions, 20+ years supervised counselling/play therapy practice, 16+ years’ experience in filial therapy and 9+ years’ experience as a clinical supervisor.
I have worked in the voluntary sector for many years, first at the Oasis Counselling Service in Dublin as a play therapist/youth counsellor and Children’s Project Coordinator and then at New Life Counselling as a play therapist/youth counsellor and Assistant Community Team Leader with both the OKAY (Only Kids and Youth) and Family teams for 10 years. I have also run a small private practice called Shepherding Lambs Counselling and Training service since 2008 and have worked in a co-op of other private therapists in the community as well as in schools and for a number of agencies and health and social care trusts.
I have worked with individual children and young people as well as groups and schools using play therapy and counselling and also love training other therapists but the reason
I love filial therapy so much is that it combines psychoeducation and practical feedback sessions to teach parents how to do therapeutic play with their own children. It enhances attachment, helps repair developmental trauma, and builds resilience in children and parents. It is especially effective in helping to resolve trauma and attachment issues, even when they are pre-verbal memories that may not be conscious but still held in the body and emotions. And it is all based on parents conducting play sessions with their children for just 30 minutes a week!
The best bit is that because it involves having such a fun, positive experience together, it can significantly reduce the impact of any difficulties you might be experiencing as a family unit. I have used it not only as a therapist, but also as a foster and adoptive parent myself so I have seen the positive results first hand.
I work with:
Children and young people ages 2-18, parents, young adults, therapy students and supervisees
Lizzie Devlin
TESSA Therapist
Location
Belfast/Greater Belfast County Antrim and Down.
I am registered/accredited with:
Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC)
British Association for Art Therapist (BAAT), Member and approved by/registered with BAAT for Private Practice.
Code of ethics observed
HCPC, BAAT.
Qualifications
MSc Art Psychotherapy with Merit (University of East London /Belfast Health and Social Care Trust) 2007-2010
Post Graduate Diploma in Arts Admin (UCD) 1992-1993
BA Honours in Fine Art (Painting, print-making/Art History (Leeds University) 1984-1988
BSL Stage 1, TEFL,Cert Com Dev 1988-1998
Ongoing CPD : Including Art Therapy and Treatment of Attachment Trauma, Level 2 Children Accelerated Trauma treatment and Intercultural Competency.
Special interest/experience
Art Therapy
Additional information
I am a HCPC (Health and Care Professions Council) registered Art Psychotherapist experienced in working with children, young people and adults on a one to one and group basis.(MSc Art Psychotherapy, Centre for Psychotherapy Belfast and University of East London, 2011 ). I have a background in Community Arts and my approach in Art Psychotherapy is Psychodynamic and Integrated.
Using art, play and creative expression is a natural language for children enabling them to communicate difficult and painful feelings. Art Therapy can be particularly beneficial for children who have experienced early/developmental trauma and attachment difficulties. Art Therapy communicates when words simply cannot.
My experience of working with children includes: Looked After children, Adoption, Autism, Asperger Syndrome, ADHD and children impacted by Meningitis.
Specialist areas of clinical practice include early developmental trauma, Troubles related psychological and trans-generational trauma and PTSD.
I work with children and their Care-givers/Parents individually and jointly and with groups in many different settings both in schools and in the community.
Specialist training in trauma and attachment includes:
ACES (Adverse Childhood Experiences) Train the Trainer Course (ACES Level 1 and 2) with the Safeguarding Board for Northern Ireland.
Dyadic Art Therapy training with the British Association of Art Therapists , a joint art therapy approach involving children and their Caregivers/Parents which offers creative and playful activities, which can facilitate communication, discussion and benefit the relationship.
Children’s Accelerated Trauma Technique, Level 2, a child-centred technique for treating traumatic experiences and PTSD developed in partnership with children and based on children’s rights principles.
CPCAB Level 6 Creative Supervision Across the Ages.
I see: Children, adults and groups
Sharon Coulter
TESSA Therapist
Location
Ballymena and 25 mile radius
I am accredited and regulated by the following bodies and adhere to their code of ethics:
Northern Ireland Social Care Council (NISCC);
Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) an independent UK-wide health regulator;
I am a member of the EMDR All-Ireland Association.
I am a member of the British Association of Dramatherapists (BADth);
Qualifications
2020 – 2023 Training in Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR) and the Flash Technique (FT) (an adjunct of EMDR)
2019 Sensorimotor Psychotherapy Level 1
2007 MA Arts Psychotherapy (Specialising in Dramatherapy)
2001 MA Social Work
1995 BA (Hons) Humanities
Special interest
I am particularly interested in somatic psychotherapy (Somatic therapy operates on the premise that what happens to you in your life is stored not only in your mind but also in your body). My clinical experience, my training in EMDR, sensorimotor psychotherapy and creative methodologies embody my holistic approach when helping to improve the well-being of adults, children, young people and their parents/carers.
Both EMDR, Creative Arts and Dramatherapy are listed as interventions by Beacon House – Therapeutic Services & Trauma Team. They created the “Bottom Up” Approach to address neurodevelopmental trauma and it is underpinned by the Neuro Sequential Model of Therapeutics (NMT), developed by Dr Bruce Perry.
The “Bottom Up” Approach is designed to recover and repair each part of a child’s brain in a specific, phased and effective order.
Experience:
I am a therapeutic social worker, arts psychotherapist, arts facilitator and community artist. I have clinical experience in the assessment of forensic risk, mental health, parenting and child protection. I have particular expertise in the area of neuro-diversity; I provide therapeutic intervention to children on an individual and group basis and provide advice and support to parents.
As a therapeutic social worker, I have gained wide-ranging knowledge and skills from working in various statutory agencies and most recently as a child and adolescent mental health practitioner. I understand the treatment of medical and mental health diagnoses with medicine and have the experience of using behavioural and creative methodologies in conjunction with and without medicine to improve the well-being of children and adolescents. This knowledge and experience combined with my arts psychotherapy training, EMDR and FT training gives me a unique approach in my private practice.
I have worked in many diverse settings including the Education Authority NI, Youth Justice NI, NHS and a range of community non- statutory organisations.
In the Education Authority I have worked within the Happy Healthy Minds Project for Primary Schools since 2021, providing creative expressive workshops for groups of children and play based therapy for individual children.
Within the NHS I have gained extensive knowledge and skills from working as a senior practitioner in a multi-disciplinary Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) environment.
As an arts facilitator I work with groups of older people for Arts Care which is a regional arts, health and well-being organisation and charity based in NI. I provide arts facilitation for children and adults with learning disability as well as small groups of young people suffering from anxiety, with and without diagnoses of ADHD and ASD. I believe arts-based group processes, promote positivity and resilience.
I work under Creative Therapy NI.
Neil Foster
TESSA Therapist
Location
Belfast
I am registered/accredited with:
HCPC, Registered member
NISCC, Registered member
Code of ethics observed
BACP Ethical Framework
NISCC Standards of Conduct & Practice
Qualifications
BA (hons) [Royal Conservatoire of Scotland]
MMT [City University, Nordoff Robbins, London]
Additional information
Neil Foster is an HCPC registered Music Therapist currently working with children, young people and adults in the County Down and Belfast area.
Having trained as a classical musician, Neil worked as a session musician, community musician and music educator for a number of years before training as a Music Therapist, gradating with a Masters in Music therapy (MMT) from the Nordoff-Robbins centre (London) in 2006.
Since then he has worked across a range of social care and educational settings as well as in private practice, publishing research on new music therapy approaches within the fields of trauma and life threatening illness, and pioneering new music therapy services for organisations such as Mencap, the National Autistic Society, Combat Stress and the Royal Marsden NHS Trust.
Neil moved back to Northern Ireland from London in 2015 and has since worked locally for Lifeline, Contact NI and Victim Support NI, offering crisis support through creative arts and music therapy for young people and their families, particularly those affected by domestic violence, early abuse and neglect. Through this work, Neil gained several years experience of supporting looked after and adopted children through complex family litigation, working closely with social services and the family court system.
Neil has supported adopted children and families with complex needs in a range of settings since qualifying in 2006. His main areas of specialism are trauma and additional learning needs, and he employs a creative, play based and child centred approach.
Contact information: please contact TESSA.
Dr Kerry Sweeney
TESSA Therapist
Service Provided
Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy (DDP)
Qualifications
BSc (Hons), DClinPsy, CPsychol
Biography
Kerry has worked for twenty years in the NHS as a Clinical Psychologist with Children, Adolescents & Families, nearly thirteen of which have been as a Consultant Clinical Psychologist/Lead for Therapeutic Services for Looked After & Adopted Children who have experienced developmental trauma and neglect. As well as assessment, consultations throughout the network and training, Kerry directly provided therapeutic support to enable children to begin to recover from their earlier life experiences using a range direct therapeutic approaches to children and their caregivers such as, Theraplay, Systemic/Narrative approaches, EMDR, other Trauma based models. However Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy has been the most influential model in her career and she became a Certified DDP Practitioner in 2015. DDP has been so central throughout her practice influencing the system, therapeutic parenting and DDP therapy with children and young people.
What is DDP?
DDP was developed by Dan Hughes a Clinical Psychologist in America back in the 1990’s as he could see how anxious children who had experienced developmental trauma were of connecting with new caregivers, who just wanted to love them. DDP has evolved driven by the desire to connect, understand and help and has been adopted and developed further by a number of Psychologists and Therapists in the UK. It has evolved into three areas.
- DDP Practice- with professionals and caregivers throughout social care and care giving networks
- DDP Parenting (see below)
- DDP Psychotherapy (see below)
DDP Therapeutic Parenting
Therapeutic parenting can be provided to parents to explore the impact of developmental trauma that leads to the children needing a different parenting approach involving PACE (Playfulness, Acceptance, Curiosity & Empathy). During the therapeutic parenting support, we will explore the meaning behind some of the key concepts such as developmental trauma & brain development, understanding attachment & survival strategies including blocked trust/fear of relationships.
We will consider the different elements of PACE and how they work together to create a parenting attitude. We will think about parenting principles to enable parenting children with insecure attachments. DDP Therapeutic Parenting is provided before inviting the child to DDP sessions and at points throughout the therapy with the child too.
DDP Psychotherapy
DDP Psychotherapy provides a direct therapeutic environment where relational experiences, which were lacking before can be safely experienced. These safe relational experiences are critical for a child’s neuropsychological and relational development.
Through the therapeutic relationships in DDP the child can be enabled to identify, regulate and express emotional states, seek comfort and engage in relational repair. All DDP Psychotherapy is provided with the caregiver present to enable relational safety to develop.
Please Book for DDP Support through:
Contact kingsbridgeprivatehospital.com
Or
Text BOOK to 66777 (*10% off Adoption UK/Tessa members)
Or
Please contact TESSA
Siobhan Wilson McGlinchey
TESSA Therapist
Location
Limavady, Co Derry
Service provided
Creative Psychotherapy
I am registered/accredited with:
Fully accredited MBACP (British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy)
MIAPTP (Irish Association for Play Therapy and Psychotherapy)
Additional information
Hi everyone my name is Siobhan and I am a Creative Psychotherapist specialising in Play, Humanistic Integrative Counselling and Mindfulness coaching.
I am known for my unique intuitive and authentic approach to therapy with the integration of creativity, play, embodiment and talking therapy.
I work intuitively, creatively and energetically to help clients understand themselves at a deeper level. My approach considers the person as a whole – Body mind and Soul.
I specialize in working with parents/carers and children through the healing powers of Play and help parents integrate knowledge with experience.
My ability to attune and empathize allows me to create a therapeutic relationship where real transformation and healing can occur.
I facilitate individual and group sessions within my private practice, community, Education authority WHSCT, etc.
A few examples of programs and workshops I have developed are as follows: –
- The Healing Powers of Play (For Professionals/Parents/carers)
- Mindfulness & Your Nervous System
- Nourish to Flourish
- Transforming ourselves, empowering our children (For Professionals/parents/carers)
- What About Me (For Professionals/parents/carers)
- Be Yourself
- Surfing the Waves (For Teenagers)
- Body Mind & Bump Connection (Peri-natal peer support training)
- Healing the Child within
- Mind Yourself (Teenagers)
For further details of my programs see contact details above.
Qualifications
My Professional qualifications are MAs Creative Psychotherapy (Humanistic and Integrative Modality), PgDIP Play therapy, DipHE Integrative Counselling.
What I can Help you with:
Birth and Developmental trauma, Attachment, Trauma, Addiction, Bereavement & Loss, Adoption, Fostering, Anxiety, Depression, Post-traumatic stress, personal development, Child related issues, Eating disorders, OCD, Spirituality and Stress
Types of therapy
Creative Psychotherapy, Humanistic Integrative counselling, Person centred, Play therapy,
Clients and organisations I work with:
Adults, Families, Young people, Children
Groups, Community Organisations, Education Authority, Western Health and Social Care, Doctors surgeries etc..
How I deliver therapy
Long-term face-to-face work, online counselling, Short-term face-to-face work, groupwork.
Contact information: please contact TESSA.
| Name: |
Siobhan Wilson McGlinchey |
| Location: | Limavady, Co Derry |
| Service Provided: | Creative Psychotherapy |
| About Me: |
Hi everyone my name is Siobhan and I am a Creative Psychotherapist specialising in Play, Humanistic Integrative Counselling and Mindfulness coaching. I am known for my unique intuitive and authentic approach to therapy with the integration of creativity, play, embodiment and talking therapy. I work intuitively, creatively and energetically to help clients understand themselves at a deeper level. My approach considers the person as a whole – Body mind and Soul. I specialize in working with parents/carers and children through the healing powers of Play and help parents integrate knowledge with experience. My ability to attune and empathize allows me to create a therapeutic relationship where real transformation and healing can occur. I facilitate individual and group sessions within my private practice, community, Education authority WHSCT, etc. A few examples of programs and workshops I have developed are as follows: –
For further details of my programs see contact details above. Qualifications My Professional qualifications are MAs Creative Psychotherapy (Humanistic and Integrative Modality), PgDIP Play therapy, DipHE Integrative Counselling. Membership Fully accredited MBACP (British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy) MIAPTP (Irish Association for Play Therapy and Psychotherapy) What I can Help you with Birth and Developmental trauma, Attachment, Trauma, Addiction, Bereavement & Loss, Adoption, Fostering, Anxiety, Depression, Post-traumatic stress, personal development, Child related issues, Eating disorders, OCD, Spirituality and Stress
Types of therapy Creative Psychotherapy, Humanistic Integrative counselling, Person centred, Play therapy,
Clients and organisations I work with Adults, Families, Young people, Children Groups, Community Organisations, Education Authority, Western Health and Social Care, Doctors surgeries etc.. How I deliver therapy Long-term face-to-face work, Online counselling, Short-term face-to-face work, groupwork |
| Contact: |
Please contact TESSA |
Sinead Corey
TESSA Therapist
Service provided
Accredited Play Therapist
Biography
Sinead Corey is an Accredited Play Therapist and a Teacher in a Nurture Room setting. She has over twenty -three years’ experience in a primary school, where her roles include:
- Nurture Teacher
- Lego® Based Therapist
- Head of Nurture
- Head of Foundation Stage
- Teacher Mentor and she is a member of the Multi-Disciplinary Pastoral Team.
- Mental Health First Aider.
- Delivering ‘Theraplay® Informed Practice’ to groups of young children.
Throughout her career, she has specialised in supporting children with social, emotional and behavioural difficulties. Sinead works within a Nurture Room environment, where, in 2016 she was instrumental in gaining ‘The Majority Boxall Quality Mark Award’ for Nurture provision within her setting.
Sinead has experience in supporting children with Attachment Type Difficulties, Selective Mutism, and children diagnosed with ASD and ADHD. She has supported children experiencing isolation and bullying and has supported children to build resilience and develop social skills with their peers. Sinead has extensive knowledge of working with individuals and with small groups of children/young people and their parents.
As an Accredited Play Therapist, Sinead has worked therapeutically with children experiencing emotional difficulties in a range of areas, such as, anger management, anxiety, school refusal, low self-esteem, peer group difficulties, family separation, domestic violence and bereavement and also with children experiencing Secondary PTSD. Sinead is experienced with working with children who are fostered or adopted and is trained in Trauma Informed Practice.
Sinead has a particular interest in supporting children presenting with symptoms of anxiety and she aims to provide a safe, secure environment, where children can process their emotions within a caring therapeutic relationship. Sinead appreciates the importance of liaising closely with parents/guardians to nurture their child’s wellbeing. Sinead uses Psychoeducation to empower parents/guardians by involving them in the Therapy process in order to build skills to further support their children/young people.
Sinead belongs to the PTUK membership body and adheres to their strict codes of practice including regular Clinical Supervision sessions, continuing professional development and clinical governance. Sinead is a member of PTUK Accredited register which is regulated by Professional Standards Agency (PSA) and monitors the standards and safety in Play Therapy.
Sinead holds an Enhanced Access NI Certificate and regularly attends Child Protection and Safe-Guarding training.
Contact information: please contact TESSA.
Selina Turkington
Location
Holywood Exchange, East Belfast
I am registered/accredited with
BACP (Registered Accredited Member); Reg. Member of the Northern Ireland Social Care Council (NISCC).
Code of ethics observed
I abide by BACP code of ethics. I also abide by NISCC code of ethics as a Social Worker.
Qualifications
Diploma in Integrative Counselling (Person-centred & Psychodynamic); Diploma in CBT Skills & Theory; PG Diploma in Practitioner Skills for Eating Disorders.
Social Work Qualifications
BA (Hons) Social Work; Post-qualification Award in Social Work; Advanced Award in Social Work (Competencies 1, 3 & 5); An Introduction to Research Methods & Quality Assurance in the Health & Social Sciences
Publication
Post-adoption Face-to-Face Contact with Birth Parents: Prospective Adopters’ Views, Turkington, S & Taylor, BJ, Child Care in Practice Vol 15 Number 1 January 2009.
Special interest/experience
Integrative Counselling Practice, Attachment issues, Childhood trauma/abuse, Relationship difficulties, Mindfulness Practice.
Additional information
I have over 20 years’ experience working in the statutory, independent and voluntary sectors as a social worker specialising in fostering and adoption and more recently as a counsellor in private practice. I currently work as a self-employed counsellor, part-time lecturer in counselling and I am a self-employed social worker speciaIising in adoption.
My theoretical approach
Integrative counselling (person-centred and psychodynamic).
I see: individuals, couples.
