Meet The Team

Director

 
​  Laura 
Laura is the owner of The Butterfly Room. A Chartered Developmental Psychologist  who has been working with autistic children and families for 8 years both within the NHS and private sector. Laura specialises in supporting families with challenging behaviours such as anxiety, anger and sleep difficulties via implementing strategies and interventions. Laura is a published and active researcher within the field of ASD, as well as working as a visiting lecturer at The University of Hertfordshire delivering teaching on both the undergraduate and masters psychology degrees. Laura is trained to deliver both the ADI-R and ADOS-2 to research reliability status along with training and experience in delivering RAID and PEERS approaches.  Laura is also the founder of The Noah's Room Charity and supports and campaigns actively for the ENHT Peadiatric Safe Space Appeal.  
Laura's publications include: 

1.   Family Functioning and the CDAC Waiting List. 
2.   Sleep Issues and the use of Melatonin in ASD Pre School Children. 
3.   Understanding Mothers experiences of accessing Mental Health care for their children with ASD / ADHD. 
4. Understanding the Barriers for accessing MH support for ASD Individuals. 
5. ASD adolescents experiences of Anxiety Disorders. 

   ​The Behavioural Therapy Team

​Naomi
Naomi is a qualified counsellor and is a member of the British Association for Counselling & Psychotherapy and the National Counselling Society. For twenty years she has worked  extensively with children, adolescents and their families in a variety of settings including specialist schools for children with Epilepsy and Autism, as a Play Worker at Great Ormond Street Hospital and currently as a Senior Contact Supervisor at the Hertfordshire Contact Service. She also volunteers at the Garden House Hospice as a Bereavement Counsellor.

​Claire 
Claire has been a qualified person centred counsellor for over 10 years, 3 years ago she       
completed a play therapy diploma. Claire is lead by the child and supports the child to tell their story through play and exploration. Claire is registered with the BACP and completed her proficiency with them too. She has considerable experience,  working  in care and education her whole adult career and has spent the last ten years working in mainstream and special schools across the county. Claire specialises in supporting children with additional needs, she has worked with children with a wide variety of needs including, loss, bereavement, ASD, ADHD, different learning and communication needs, self esteem, depression, eating disorders, psychosis, trauma,  attachment and anxiety. Claire is also a trustee of a charity called HOLD supporting disabled adults and is our safeguarding lead. 

 
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Rachel
Rachel is a qualified counsellor and member of the BACP and NCS, she has worked within education settings supporting children and adolescents experiencing social, emotional and mental health difficulties including anxiety, self-harm, low self-esteem, bereavement, ASD, ADHD and attachment. Rachel has implemented interventions within school settings focusing on the growth of emotional development and resilience, promoting positive future outcomes for all. Rachel also runs a private practice supporting adults with a range of difficulties. Rachel also spent a year volunteering at Garden House Hospice as a bereavement counsellor.  ​

Jean
Jean qualified as a Person Centred Counsellor in 2018; and is a registered member of the BACP.
Jean has 14 years’ experience of working within a secondary school setting, where she has provided therapeutic support for pupils and student who are struggling to express their emotions, and at times feel as if they are not being heard. Jean has experience in working with self-harm, emotional and social anxiety, behavioural problems and bereavement. 

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​Nichola
Nichola is a BACP registered integrative counsellor. The integrated models of therapy consist of
humanistic, psychodynamic and cognitive behavioural therapy. The nature of the therapeutic
relationship and role of the therapist is person centred in approach.
Nichola trained with the Place2be and has experience in art therapy and small figure play in primary
school settings.
In addition, Nichola has worked therapeutically with young people for over ten years, as a
therapeutic foster carer and also in a college setting, working with students who present a variety of
needs, including, ASD, disabilities, challenging behaviours and students who are unable to cope with
mainstream school. 
Nichola aims to offer children and young people a therapeutic relationship and safe space to explore
their difficult and painful feelings.
To enable the client to process their thoughts and feelings and be able to grow and develop in
healthy ways, to feel empowered and seek rewards from within themselves.

Melissa 
​Melissa is a qualified person centred counsellor and member of the BACP. Melissa has worked in secondary schools and local counselling charities supporting young people with social and emotional difficulties, such as low self-esteem, anxiety and bullying. Melissa has substantial experience of working with young people with a wide range of different needs such as ASD, depression, trauma, relationship difficulties and low confidence.




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The Art Therapy Team

 
Jasmine 
Jasmine is a qualified HCPC Registered art therapist and practicing artist. She has considerable experience working with children exhibiting challenging behaviour, children with autism, adolescents and vulnerable adults with mental health difficulties. She provides support for the development of a better sense of the self and potential through creativity and healthy attachment.

 

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​Katherine
Katherine is a HCPC registered Art Psychotherapist who uses a client-centred approach to help those in need. Katherine has considerable experience working with children in primary schools and CAMHS providing therapeutic support for children with ASD, ADHD, mental health and learning difficulties as well as providing support for looked-after children and those experiencing family bereavement. Katherine provides individual and group sessions as well as dyadic work to support relationships within the family dynamic. She believes that art can encourage growth and emotional resilience and allows people to work through trauma in a safe, contained environment.

 
Alison 
Alison is a HCPC Registered Art Therapist. Her experience includes working with children and adolescents with special educational needs.  She has a warm, explorative and reflective style that draws from a range of  psychotherapeutic approaches. In addition Alison has worked closely with young adults with learning disabilities within a care setting for over 14 years.
Alison aims to provide client-centred space where the young person is free to express themselves and explore any issues they wish to bring. 
Alison is also a member of the British Association of Art Therapists (BAAT) and registered with the Health Care Professionals Council (HCPC).

   
Rochelle
Rochelle is a qualified Art Psychotherapist who is registered with the Health Care 
Professions Council, she is also a practising artist.
​Rochelle takes a client-centred approach when working therapeutically and believes that art has the ability to allow people to explore thoughts and feelings that may usually be unreachable. In addition to having experience working in a mainstream setting, Rochelle also has experience working with both children and adults with ASD and a range of other learning disabilities/difficulties, complex needs and challenging behaviour. 

Hanna
​Hanna is an Art Psychotherapist trained both in Germany (Dipl.) and in the UK (MA). She is a member of the British Association of Art Therapists (BAAT) and registered with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC).  Her aim is to enable every client to access their own potential through creativity and to encourage personal growth through providing a safe, non-threatening and non-judgemental space.
Her theoretical orientation is based on psychodynamic and object relations theory, however, also complemented by her previous humanistic, person-centred and cognitive/behavioural approaches, giving her a rich ‘tool box’ to allow her to meet each client’s particular needs best. It is her belief that creativity in the therapeutic space can be a way to explore difference, to negotiate interpersonal boundaries and to experiment with new ways of being.

​Shoshana
Shoshana is an HCPC registered Art Psychotherapist with a background in Psychodynamics, photography and is a practicing Artist. Shoshana has extensive experience working with groups of adults with mental health disorders, children and adolescents with autism and learning disabilities. Furthermore, as a strong member of community organisations, including Meshuganas, Art2heart and Respace projects, Shoshana has led various wellbeing activities, managing events and performers, including several self-led workshops. Shoshana has a passion for using her creative initiative to cater for individual client needs. Her person-centred approach is based on Mentalisation, with her initial session regularly being centred around the concept of Intensive Interaction. Shoshana’s flexible technique allows her to act in a Directive or Non-directive manner, whilst always utilising her ever-growing list of techniques as she values her personal Art Practice as a source to manifest new ideas.

​Ayesha
Ayesha is a qualified HCPC registered Art Psychotherapist and Member of BAAT (British Association
of Art Therapy).  Ayesha is psycho-dynamically trained and currently specializes in Trauma informed
care working with separated asylum seeker children providing psychoeducational workshops as well
as Art therapy. 
She has also worked in multiple settings, one being the NHS providing Art therapy for children and
adolescents that have experienced difficulties such as anxiety, depression, selective mutism,
attachment, trauma and suicidal thoughts . Ayesha is passionate about working person centred in
her approach, facilitating a safe environment for self -expression and creativity using art as a form of
communication, in addition tailoring the sessions to the clients individual needs therapeutically.

Alley
Alley is an HCPC registered and fully qualified Art Psychotherapist and is part of BAAT (British
Association of Art Therapists). She is a practising artist and loves to collaborate with other artists and
collectives. She works in a person-centred and psychodynamically informed way, providing a safe
and therapeutic relationship to help children express themselves creatively through artmaking and
play. Alley has vast experience working with children who have additional needs in schools,
supporting children and families who have been bereaved, and working with children who have
experienced trauma. Alley has also experience offering Art Therapy in hospice work supporting
children with anxiety and depression, and creative expression groups for children with ASD and
ADHD. Alley works systemically, mindfully considering the family and schooling aspects of working
with children. She is passionate about offering a non-judgemental and compassionate service,
supporting children to become more confident in exploring new possibilities through Art Therapy.

The Play Therapy Team

​Eve
Eve is a qualified Art Psychotherapist registered with the Health and Care Professions Council. 
She is passionate about improving mental health and the quality of life for others through building therapeutic alliance. Eve’s clinical approach is both psychodynamic and person-centred, and she encourages creativity and playfulness within sessions as this supports minds to access inner worlds, and can assist individuals to reframe difficult thoughts and feelings. 
Eve has experience working with adults and children, including looked after children and has supported individuals with Autism, learning disabilities and mental health issues. In addition, Eve has worked largely within ethnically diverse communities where she has and continues to promote equal opportunities and inclusion to those requiring therapy services. Eve specialises in bereavement and loss and presently works creatively with young children and families to explore and process the many emotions and experiences connected to losing a loved one as an art therapist.  

      
Andri
Andri is a Certified Practitioner in Therapeutic Play Skills and a member of Play Therapy UK. For the past 14 years, Andri has used play in all its glory, in order to build relationships with very vulnerable children and young adults. Andri has worked with children and young adults in a number of different environments and settings, including; SEN schools, mainstream schools and a pupil referral unit.
Andri has worked with children and young adults who have experienced domestic violence, trauma, social and emotional anxiety, depression, suicidal thoughts, self-harm, behavioural problems, bereavement, and attachment difficulties.  She is experienced in working with children and young adults with disabilities, victims of abuse, and looked after children.  
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Drama Therapy Team

​Volunteer Counsellors 

​The Admin Team

​Guillermo
Guillermo is a qualified HCPC registered Drama and Movement Psychotherapist and Member of BADth (British Association of Dramatherapy). He also has a background in clinical psychology in Perú. Guillermo's fields of interest are related to the arts, gender theory and work with children. In his practice, he works using different techniques from play and drama, as well as movement, dance and creative storytelling. Guillermo has worked in different settings with children with ASC, LGBTQI+ young persons, children with PMLD, children with anxiety, depression trauma and suicidal ideation. More recently, Guillermo works with unaccompanied children seeking asylum and refugees, helping them overcoming difficult experiences and traumas, as well as supporting them in the process of adaptation to the new place where they are.






​Karen 
Karen has a diverse and extensive history of working with young people, working in educational settings for the last 10 years. Karen has experience of working with complex situations including, challenging behaviour, anxiety & self harm and suicide ideation, Karen is patient, understanding and has a strong desire to help young people reach their full potential. Karen has worked with neurodiverse needs, social & emotional difficulties and has also supported students who have been excluded from mainstream settings. Karen is now in her final placement year and is trained integratively giving her broad knowledge & skill sets required to work with The Butterfly Room. 

  

​Emma
Emma has over 15 years administrative and secretarial experience and is in charge of       
​our invoicing and bookings.