Ruth (she/her) is a Play & Filial Therapist with 20 years post-qualifying experience and over 30 years’ experience working with children, young people and families. She works in our Child & Family team and is based at our Cuckfield clinic.

Ruth’s practice includes providing clinical supervision for therapists, which she has done since 2011, and professional, reflective consultation for other practitioners, such as social workers, school staff and community workers. Ruth has provided therapeutic trainings for over 13 years in various settings, including guest teaching on the MA Play Therapy course at Roehampton University, University of South Wales & Liverpool Hope University, Local Authority Youth Work teams and within her various roles in CAMHS. She has also held strategic roles as a Clinical Lead for a community interest company, fulfilling a leadership post in CAMHS and Chair of Directors in BAPT (British Association of Play Therapists).

Ruth is a Mancunian who followed her heart to live by the sea. Ruth is of Jewish European decent and is a Mother of two dual heritage children. Ruth celebrates the blend of racial, cultural and religious backgrounds in her family and hopes to offer a space which can recognise, celebrate and value the beautiful diversity in her clients. She considers all aspects of a client’s intersectional identities; gender, racial, cultural, religious, socio-economic, neurodiversity, sexuality, lived experiences and generational experiences (such as generational wealth or trauma).

Ruth’s professional experience includes working in residential care homes for children and young people, delivering youth and community projects, providing emotional and behavioural support in schools, delivering therapeutic services in schools and providing clinical leadership for therapy teams in schools. She also has over 14 years’ experience working in specialist CAMHS teams. Consequently, Ruth has experience of working with developmental, relational and complex trauma, mental health presentations such as depression, anxiety, compulsive behaviours, difficulties in emotional regulation, suicidality, self-harming behaviours and the impact of bereavement, loss, family separation and experiences of discrimination.

Ruth’s professional practice is informed by a blend of child-centred, humanistic, psychodynamic and systemic approaches. Ruth centres the following core values in her practice: Anti-oppression, anti-racism and equity of access, the importance of working holistically, and upholding high standards of practice and professionalism.

 Ruth has full membership with British Association of Play Therapists (BAPT) which is accredited by the Professional Standards Authority (PSA). She is also registered as an ‘anti-discriminatory aware’ therapist.

  • Diploma in Diversity, Cultural Competence, Race and Anti-Discriminatory Practice 
    2023
  • Intensive Filial Therapy Training Program – Bristol University
    2007
  • Diploma in Non-Directive Play Therapy – York University
    2003-2005
  • NVQ Level 3 Working with Children and Young People – Ridge College, Cheshire
    2002-2005
  • BA in Sociology and Social Policy – Leeds University
    1997-2000
  • Internal Family Systems (IFS) –  an introduction
    Brighton Therapy Partnership, 2024
  • Anti-Oppresive Supervision Myria Khan Counselling, 2024
  • Working with Race-Based Trauma and Stress
    Brighton Therapy Partnership, 2022
  • Serious Incident Review Training
    Sussex Partnership NHS trust, 2022
  • CAMHS training – various
    Sussex Partnership NHS Trust, 2010-2024
  • EMDR – an introduction
    EMDR Europe, 2021
  • The Neuroscience of Trauma and Loss
    Margot Sunderland, Creative Pathways, 2012
  • Play Based Evaluation Training
    Dr Jessica Jager, Sussex Partnership NHS Trust, 2011
  • Introduction to Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy
    Dr Dan Hughes, Sussex Partnership NHS Trust, 2011
  • Lowenfeld Projective Play Therapy-Introduction
    Dr Margaret Lowenfeld Trust, 2009
  • Certificate in Emotional Literacy for Children
    The Centre for Child Mental Health, London – 2002-2003