Helping Children Overcome Learning & Behavioural Challenges with Expert Therapy
With many success stories to share, we are extremely proud of our family run consultancy and the impact we have had and are making on both parents and children’s lives.
As a child at school in the 1950’s I was labelled a ‘late developer’ and now in my 70’s I am still a late developer. After leaving school with few qualifications, whilst in full time work, I attended ‘night school’ to get the A levels to enter teacher training.
The struggles I have with learning, handwriting, spelling, coping with change and ‘failure’ and the need to be in control have all given me an understanding of what it is like to be a child not just struggling at school but also struggling with life in general and growing up.
The desire to educate came from a passion to make a difference to each child’s life chances in the late 1960’s. That passion still remains, which is perhaps why in 2019, much to my astonishment I received the prestigious ‘Life Long Achievement Award’ at the Education Awards in 2019, for my work as a:
Whilst my work in schools as a teacher, leader, manager and trainer was rewarding, resulting in my being Highly Commended at the ‘The Promethean Award for Head Teacher of the Year’ 2004, I always felt that I wanted to make a greater impact on those children that still under-achieved.
Since becoming an INPP licentiate in Neuro Motor Immaturity in 2006, I now get the immense satisfaction through making a ‘lot’ of difference, sometimes life changing, to those children I individually work with. Just as satisfying is the way in which both my daughters, both having taken different career paths have joined me in what has become a family business focused upon giving children an open door to their full potential.
After many years working within the business sector and being determined not to follow my Dad into teaching, I eventually concluded that I had a strong desire to ‘put something back in’ and applied to Westhill’s Primary Teacher Training College to obtain my post-graduate diploma in teaching. This was a life changing moment for me and the drive and enthusiasm I had to improve the skills and knowledge of the children I taught was all encompassing.
Early on in my teaching career, I became an Advanced Skills Teacher in teaching and learning and delivered training and research across the borough on how to teach children to learn – I mean the actual skills of learning such as being resilient, resourceful and managing the emotions involved. However, there were still children that were verbally bright and articulate, had all the skills to learn, had the knowledge needed and endless support within school provided and yet they still could not make progress. It made no sense!
Then, through the work my Dad was doing with INPP, I decided to investigate it further and I too gained a post-graduate diploma in Neuro Physiological Therapy. Whilst undergoing this qualification and after undergoing an assessment myself, I realised that I had many retained primitive reflexes which explained many of the difficulties I had struggled with as a child and still as an adult.
Why have I joined Open Doors Therapy? I firmly believe that the programmes that we can prescribe for children can make a huge difference to their current progress within education, their emotional well-being and their future. Oh and I get a chance to work alongside my dad!
Similar to my sister and father, I have personally experienced a number of challenges in learning, expressing and processing information; in addition to difficulties with clumsiness, spatial awareness and memory. With these challenges has come a passion and enthusiasm to help children and young people, who likewise have to overcome or compensate for difficulties fitting into the standard education system.
At the start of my career, after gaining a BA (hons) degree, I worked as a researcher in the field of youth exclusion and behavioural issues. Following this, I worked with children and young people to help them build resilience and access support, so that they could realise their true potential. I then trained as a Chartered Psychologist and qualified with a Doctorate in Forensic Psychology Practice in 2012. I continue to assess and support children and young people with their learning, behaviours and emotions in order to help them build more positive futures.
I became interested in the assessment and treatment of neuromotor functioning, and the benefits it can bring. Since completing post graduate training in Neuro Physiological Practice with the Institute for Neuro Physiological Psychology (INPP), I continue working to improve the lives of children and young people through Open Doors Therapy.