Shoshanah is the Clinical Director and founder of Beacon House and brings to her role twenty years’ experience of working therapeutically with children and adults across a wide range of contexts. Shoshanah is a specialist in complex developmental trauma across the lifespan, and she has dedicated her life’s work to developing a deep understanding of how individuals and systems can heal from experiences of adversity, loss and trauma. She understands mental health through a trauma-informed lens and is a fierce advocate for inviting others to join in with this way of thinking.

Shoshanah’s approach to leading Beacon House is rooted in the core value that each and every one of us is driven to survive, and how we are in the world at any given time is the wisest, most adaptive version of ourselves in that moment. There is no ‘us and them’ – and Shoshanah works hard to walk the walk and talk the talk; paying careful attention to the dignity and safety that she and everyone in the team here needs so that we can offer a service that is sensitive, safe and respectful.

In her role as Clinical Director, Shoshanah oversees the smooth running of the service as a whole. She works closely with her colleagues in the leadership team to deliver a robust and innovative approach to therapeutic assessment and interventions for people of all ages and families with complex unmet needs. The dissemination of easy-to-understand trauma informed information is very important to Shoshanah, and she collaborates with our in-house artist to create training and resources freely shared on our website. Shoshanah is also the Responsible Individual for our Adoption Support Agency and is accountable to Ofsted for our work with children and adults who are adopted.

Shoshanah feels energised and full of hope that change is possible for individuals, and the communities around them, given the right opportunities for relationships that repair and heal.

Shoshanah is registered with the Health Care Professions Council (membership number PYL15710) and chartered with the British Psychological Society (membership number 042977).

  • Advanced Attachment-Focussed EMDR for Complex Trauma
    Laurel Parnell, CCPE London, three days, 2015
  • Video Interaction Guidance (VIG) – Initial Training Course Attachment and Psychopathology, a three day course on the Dynamic Maturational Model of attachment
    An effective intervention for improving the relationship between parents/carers and their children, 2014
  • CARE-Index Assessment – level 3 reliability
    An evidence-based risk assessment of patterns of interaction between infants and their carers based on the Dynamic Maturational Model of attachment, a nine day course completed in July 2014
  • Story Stem Attachment Assessment Profile Training
    The Anna Freud Centre, London, 2014
  • Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy (DDP) – Level 1
    An attachment-focussed therapy for traumatised children and their carers. Family Futures, London, 2013
  • Certificate of Expert Witness Accreditation – Family Law Specialism
    Cardiff University & Bond Solon, 2009
  • EMDR Training – Child Specialism
    Joanne Morris Smith, London, 2008
  • EMDR Training with Adults – Levels 1, 2 and 3 
    EMDR Workshops, London, 2007 & 2008
  • Doctor of Clinical Psychology (DClinPsy)
    Royal Holloway, University of London, 2003-2006
  • MSc in Experimental Psychology
    University of Sussex, 2001-2002
  • BA (Hon’s) in Philosophy
    University of Sussex, 1997-2000
  • Neurodiversity in Adoption, Fostering & Kinship: An intersectional approach
    CORAM, 2nd October 2023
  • SCT Intermediate Skills Group
    SCTRI York Conference, 5 days, September 2023
  • How to identify and treat Dissociative Identity Disorder
    The National Institute for the Clinical Application of Behavioural Medicine, 16th and 17th July 2023
  • Therapy in colour – Anti-Racist and Intersectional Approaches
    Online Global Events, 14th and 15th July 2023
  • Applying Systems-Centred theory and methods in organisations
    Systems Centred Training UK, six days, November 2022, January and May 2023
  • The Neurobiology of Attachment – updates from neuroscience
    The National Institute for the Clinical Application of Behavioural Medicine, 1st and 2nd February 2023
  • Internal Family Systems/Parts workshop
    Therapy NorthWest Training and Retreat Services, 1st and 8th February 2023
  • Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Training
    Roshmi Lovatt, 28th January 2023
  • Pre Trial Therapy in Depth
    Inspire CPD, 1 day, 18th November 2022
  • Applying Systems-Centred theory and methods in organisations
    Systems Centred Training UK, six days, January, May, November 2022
  • Contextual safeguarding for vulnerable children and adults
    Amanda Radley, 3 hours, 11th May 2022
  • Giving and receiving SAVI feedback
    RDA Consulting, 3rd and 4th March 2022
  • System for Analysing Verbal Interaction (SAVI®) introductory workshop
    RDA Consulting, 18th and 19th January 2022
  • Introduction to supporting children and young people with FASD
    Seashell Trust, National Organisation for FASD, 17th January 2022
  • Taking up our roles in organisations & large group work- A systems centred workshop 
    Systems Centred Training UK, 13th & 17th September 2021
  • Living with uncertainty – A systems centred workshop
    Systems Centred Training UK, 14th & 15th June 2021
  • A theoretical definition of trauma and its applications in SCT therapy & A theory of human living systems and its System Centred Training and therapy
    Susan Gannt and colleagues, SCTRI, 3 hours, 2nd June 2021
  • Applying Systems-Centred theory and methods in organisations
    Systems Centred Training UK, six days, January, May, October 2021
  • Self & other directed aggression within the context of complex trauma & dissociation
    Master Class with Ana Gomez, Agate Institute, 2 hours, 20th April 2021
  • Complex trauma and dissociation across the lifespan
    Ana Gomez, Kathy Steel and Dolores Mosquera, Agate Institute,15 hours, March 2021
  • EMDR therapy and chronic shame with children
    Master Class with Ana Gomez, Agate Institute, 2 hours, 19th March 2021
  • Childhood trauma and the brain: What have we learnt from neuroscience?
    Eamon McCrory – Anna Freud Centre, 2 hours, 10th March 2021
  • Level 5 Diploma in Leadership for Health and Social Care and Children and Young People’s Services
    The Learning Station, January 2020 – December 2021
  • SCT & trauma workshop
    SCTRI Online, one hour, 21st October 2020
  • Drop in SCT group
    Systems Centred Training UK, one hour, 16th October 2020
  • Foundations of Systems Centred Training & large groups
    Systems Centred Training UK, five days, 14th -18th September 2020
  • Designated safeguarding lead refresher
    West Sussex Services for Schools, 3 hours, 23rd July 2020
  • Safeguarding adults training
    East Sussex Adult Social Care Training Team, 3 hours, 21st July 2020
  • Supporting children, young people and their families during the COVID-19 pandemic (webinar)
    NSPCC, June 2020
  • Beyond just survival: building attuned systems to work with emotional distress and traumatised states
    Systems Centred Training, 8th and 9th June 2020
  • The neuroscience of therapeutic attachment
    Linda Graham, 2 hours, 29th January 2020
  • Safer recruitment training
    High Speed Training, November 2019
  • Preventing radicalisation and violent extremism
    High Speed Training, 3 hours, November 2019
  • The dynamic maturational model of attachment across the lifespan
    Dr Ben Grey, Dept of Attachment Studies, University of Roehampton, one day, May 2019
  • Designated safeguarding officer (Level 3)
    High Speed Training, April 2019
  • Advanced Workshop: DID, BPD and / or C-PTSD? Diagnostic assessment and therapeutic implications
    With Dr Suzette Boon, March 2019
  • An introduction to Sensory Attachment Intervention with Éadaoin Bhreathnach
    1 Day Workshop, December 2018
  • The art of stress management with Éadaoin Bhreathnach
    1 Day Workshop, December 2018
  • A Comprehensive mind-body approach to treating clients with chronic, repeated, and/or developmental trauma
    Webinar with Dr Arielle Schwartz, 29 November 2018
  • International trauma recovery summit
    Belfast, 27th & 28th June 2018
  • Mentalization Based Treatment
    Anna Freud Centre, three days, June 2017
  • Trauma and attachment congress
    New York 20th, 21st & 22nd October 2017
  • Dissociative Disorders, Phase oriented therapy for complex trauma-related disorders
    Dr Suzette Boon, London, 2017, two days
  • Assessment of dissociative symptoms and disorders
    Dr Suzette Boom, NScience, one day, October 2016
  • Dan Hughes masterclass
    Centre for Emotional Development, October 2016
  • The EMDR Toolbox: Methods for treating complex PTSD & Dissociative Personality structure
    Jim Knipe, London, one day, 2016
  • Transdiagnostic approach to treating complex trauma
    Dr Tim Dalgleish, London, one day, April 2016
  • Working with survivors of childhood sexual abuse
    London, one day, March 2016
  • Protecting babies: Dilemmas, risks and supporting change
    Tavistock Centre, one day, January 2015
  • Unleash your EMDR with Dr Laurel Parnell 
    EMDR UK & Ireland, three days, September 2015
  • Advanced seminar on using EMDR to work with grief and loss
    Dr Roger Solomon, EMDR UK and Ireland annual conference, two days, 2015
  • Introduction to Sensory Attachment Intervention
    Training by Éadaoin Bhreathnach, two days, 2015
  • Therapeutic techniques for communicating with children who are fostered & adopted
    Family Futures, one day, June 2015
  • Signs of safety
    A solution-focussed and safety-oriented approach to child protection risk assessment & intervention, 2014
  • Attachment & psychopathology 
    Tavistock Centre, November 2014
  • Treating early attachment wounds: Somatic interventions to enhance the effectiveness of EMDR
    Training by Lana Epstein, 2013
  • Recognising signs of emotional abuse and neglect in attachment, play and relationships
    The Anna Freud Centre, London, 2013
  • Trauma & Dissociation with Valerie Sinason
    AGIP (Association for group and individual psychotherapy), November 2012
  • Child protection decision-making training
    (SAAF – a framework for assessing and analysing the risk of future harm and the likelihood of change). Child and Family Training Centre, London, 2012
  • 2 Day Induction for new supervisors – workshop for the Clinical Psychology training programme
    Salomons, Canterbury, two days, January 2009
  • Solution focussed therapy with families and individuals
    Brief, London, 2007 and 2008
  • Playful approaches to the serious problems of children, their families & communities with David Epston
    Brighthelm Centre, October 2008
  • What is a good question? An intensive workshop exploring the craft of narrative enquiry with David Epston
    Brighthelm Centre, October 2008