Liz is an experienced Occupational Therapist specialising in children and young people. Before joining Beacon House, Liz worked in CAMHS within a variety of settings, from a national specialist inpatient unit through to assertive outreach and then in early intervention. Liz also has experience of working in community paediatrics as the ASD lead and behaviour support. She has developed and led a therapy team in a specialist education provision and has worked more recently in the private sector working with children with a range of difficulties. Liz has in-depth knowledge and experience of working in education (mainstream, specialist and pupil referral units), home environments and more recently, virtually as well.

In all of her roles, Liz has always worked with children and young people who find it difficult to access learning and therapy and show behaviours that others find challenging. She has provided support and training to the teams she has worked with to support her colleagues in the engagement of ‘difficult to reach’ children and young people. Liz’s interests have given her a wide range of experience. She has worked with children and young people with trauma and attachment difficulties, ASD, PDA, ADHD, ODD, anxiety and low mood, coordination difficulties and sensory processing difficulties.

Liz has a particular passion in working with children and young people who have experienced trauma, loss and adversity. She embraces a trauma-informed approach to Occupational Therapy and has whole-heartedly engaged in the training and practice of Sensory Attachment Intervention (SAI), a trauma and attachment informed model pioneered by Éadaoin Bhreathnach. At Beacon House Liz specialises in applying the SAI way of working with children who are adopted or cared for by a Special Guardian.

Liz’s approach to therapy is creative and flexible and she works hard to create therapy spaces that are calming; realizing that only when the body and brain perceive a state of safety can changes and progress occur. Liz works to provide sessions that are fun but also provide the ‘just right challenge’ which can sometimes be a hard line to judge, but she works with the families, children and young people to find the right line. As an OT, the aim of intervention is always to enable the children and young people to be as functional as possible in all their occupational areas (e.g. education, self-care, relationships and leisure).

Liz’s training includes sensory integration 1 and 2 at Cardiff University and she has achieved her level 1 accreditation in Sensory Attachment Intervention. Liz has provided supervision and training for OT and education colleagues to support them in understanding behaviour.

  • Sensory Attachment Intervention Level 1 
    Éadaoin Bhreathnach, 2020
  • Attachment Attachment and Psychopathology
    Patricia Crittenden, The Tavistock and Portman, 2018
  • Introduction to the BUSS Method
    Sarah Lloyd, 2018
  • Attachment In The Early Years
    Open University, 2018
  • Sensory Attachment Intervention
    Éadaoin Bhreathnach, six days, 2017-2018
  • Certificate of Mastery – The Professional Course on the Greenspan Floortime Approach
    2015
  • Sensory Integration level 2 
    Cardiff University SI network, 2008
  • Sensory Integration level 1
    Cardiff University SI network, 2007
  • Certificate in Solution Focused Practice
    Evan George BRIEF, 2006
  • Assessment of Motor and Process Skills
    AMPS Project, 2005
  • Stage 2 Re-entry – Preparing to go back to school
    Louise Michelle Bomber, 2020
  • Trauma Reduction Strategy
    Louise Michelle Bomber, 2020
  • Trauma Summit
    Action Trauma, 2020
  • Sensory Ladders
    ASI Wise – Kath Smith, 2020
  • Designated Safeguarding Lead New to Role
    Babcock, 2019
  • Zones of Regulation
    Social Thinking, 2018
  • Team Teach
    2016
  • Advanced SCERTS
    Emily Rubin, 2015
  • Safer Recruitment in Education
    Department for Education, 2014
  • Core Connections
    Vital Links, 2013
  • Moving beyond the profiles x 8
    Vital Links, 2013
  • Rhythmic Movement Training Level 1
    Mark Church, RMT International, 2011
  • Therapeutic Listening Programme (Listening with the whole body)
    Vital Links, 2009
  • Building Blocks for Sensory Integration
    Vital Links, 2009
  • Autism, Spectrum Disorders, Sensory Integration & Behaviour Problem Identification & Intervention
    Murray-Slutsky and Paris (SI Network), 2009
  • Practice Educators Course
    London South Bank University, 2006
  • Managing behaviour – Solution focused therapy
    Evan George, BRIEF, 2006