Since qualifying as a Child and Adolescent Psychotherapist, Sarah has worked in schools, colleges and private practice. She has a special interest in working with children who have experienced developmental/relational trauma and those who care for them. Having met Dan Hughes and been inspired by his Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy model (DDP), Sarah went on to train in this approach and now works with foster and adoptive families. Sarah has also completed her Theraplay level 1 training which, like DDP, is attachment focused and she incorporates elements of both of these models into her work with children and their caregivers.
Sarah has a warm, compassionate and playful way of relating to the individuals she works with and places great emphasis on building safe and trusting relationships, believing that it is these relationships that provide the framework for meaningful change and reparation to occur. Her approach remains integrative and is based on psychoanalytical theory, attachment theory and the latest in neuroscience and interpersonal neurobiology.
Sarah believes that this is an incredibly exciting time to be working in the field of trauma as we are learning more and more about the ways that our brains are shaped by our earliest experiences of care and how this impacts on how we learn and relate. Alongside this we are learning more about the therapeutic interventions which can promote attachment security and help children to heal from trauma, thus also bringing a message of real hope.
Sarah also feels passionate about promoting awareness and understanding of the emotional needs of children who have experienced adverse childhood experiences and how these can lead to complex/developmental trauma. Alongside her role at Beacon House Sarah works as a trainer and tutor for Trauma Informed Schools UK, an organisation that is committed to improving the learning, mental health and quality of life of children and young people.