Our Team
Over the past few years The Family Place has developed a highly skilled and professional multidisciplinary team working in the field of adoption support - no mean feat in a geographically rural and beautiful area which is sparsely populated! We are very fortunate to have clinicians, managers and administrators whose energy and commitment are exemplary in this demanding and complex work. Our therapeutic approach is The Family Place Model : integrating principally but not exclusively Theraplay®, Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy (DDP), Creative Arts Therapies and Sensory Processing work. We work very closely with parents and their support networks. Our head office is in Hay-on-Wye and we have additional offices in Worcester and Devon. This is our outstanding team.
Dr Vivien Norris
Consultant Clinical Psychologist, Clinical Director
Vivien is the Founder and Clinical Director of The Family Place and an acknowledged leader and author in the field of adoption. She is a Clinical Psychologist with over twenty-five years' NHS experience and is fully certified in both Theraplay and DDP as a practitioner, supervisor and trainer: one of only two trainers in the world of both Theraplay and DDP
Laura Harrison
Therapy Manager
Laura is our Therapy Manager and is central to the effective management of the clinical work, supporting our clinicians in a complex and challenging environment
Michael Howlett
Company Secretary
Michael is the Company Secretary and has various administrative responsibilities, including finance, training and health & safety
Dr Emily Barnbrook
Clinical Psychologist
Emily is a Clinical Psychologist recruited to support the work in our Worcester office. She is the clinical lead for the TESSA project in collaboration with Adoption UK. She is a certified Theraplay practitioner, trainer and an associate supervisor. Emily is also an accredited DDP practitioner and in training to become a consultant
Dr Eve Bowyer
Consultant Clinical Psychologist
Eve is a sessional Clinical Psychologist who has joined The Family Place to support our clinical work in Wales
Anna Carter
Consultant Child and Educational Psychologist
Anna is an Educational Psychologist and intermediate Theraplay practitioner who works principally in our Worcester office. Anna is one of only three neurosequential model of therapeutics (NMT brain mapping) phase II trainers in the UK.
Becky Drysdale
Administrator
Becky has recently joined The Family Place as an Administrator focusing on a range of projects in development
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Annie Eldom
Art Therapist
Annie is an Art Therapist who has many years’ experience working with children and families in both residential and day services. She is a core member of our multidisciplinary team
Charlotte Elliott
Attachment Practitioner
Charlotte is a foundational Theraplay practitioner and is completing an MSc in Play Therapy. She has also completed training in DDP and is training in specialist life story work
Jennie Forsyth
Senior Social Worker
Jen leads the work in our Devon office and covers most of the south west. She is a senior Social Worker with many years' experience as a local authority manager for a post-adoption team. Jen is additionally qualified as a certified Theraplay practitioner and is a Sensory Processing specialist and is currently completing Level 2 accreditation in Sensory Attachment Intervention (SAI)
Ruthie Gilbert
Therapeutic Family Support Worker
Ruthie is a Therapeutic Family Support Worker who is trained in Theraplay and DDP and will soon start her training to become a Forest School Leader
Dr Josie Hewitt
Clinical Psychologist
Josie managed the opening of our Worcester office and is an experienced Clinical Psychologist and certified Theraplay practitioner and supervisor in training
Dr Rosa Hoshi
Consultant Clinical Psychologist
Rosa is an experienced sessional Clinical Psychologist at The Family Place who is additionally qualified as an intermediate level Theraplay practitioner and is trained in DDP. She has NHS experience and a PhD in Psychopharmacology
Sara Howard
Administrator and Human Resources
Sara has been with The Family Place since 2016 and is responsible for keeping everything running smoothly, including the referral process and Human Resources. She is often the first person you'll speak to when you contact our office
Oliver Howlett
Administrative Assistant
Ollie is doing important work on moving our manualised therapy plans to the sophisticated IT system currently under development
Dr Nic Jones
Consultant Clinical Psychologist
Nic is an accredited DDP practitioner, trained in Theraplay and EMDR and has twenty years' NHS experience working in services for learning disabilities and autism
Erika Lyons
Music Therapist
Erika is a highly experienced Music Therapist who works sessionally in our Hay-on-Wye and Worcester offices as a core member of our multidisciplinary team
Julie McCann
Play Therapist
Following a career as a music teacher in primary schools, Julie now works sessionally in London for The Family Place as a Play Therapist and certified Theraplay practitioner and supervisor
Julia Metcalf
Paediatric Occupational Therapist
Julia is a Specialist Paediatric Occupational Therapist with over ten years' experience working with families, children and young adults
Dr Jodi Pennington
Consultant Clinic Psychologist
Jodi works sessionally as a psychologist focusing particularly on our transition from fostering to adoption project in collaboration with St David's Children's Society
Joy Rickwood
Music Therapist
Joy is a music therapist with twenty years' experience and works in multidisciplinary teams at The Family Place
Scott Robinson
IT Specialist
Scott has become central to the development of the intranet and is working on streamlining the implementation and management of complex therapy plans
Sally Twigger
Systemic Counsellor
Sally is a Systemic Counsellor and certified Theraplay practitioner and supervisor who has been closely involved in the development of The Family Place. She also helps everyone with IT issues
