Finding JOY together when life feels a bit sh*t

Using Creative Arts Psychotherapy to support children, young people and their families who have experienced trauma, grief and shame

Adoption & Special Guardianship

I am absolutely passionate about the work that I do and I LOVE working with children, young people, and their parents, carers and guardians.

I offers a unique service for children who are adopted, or who are cared for under Special Guardianship Order (SGO) and are in Kinship care. I am a provider for Adoption South East and my therapy spaces are based in Brighton. I do work with families from other parts of East Sussex and West Sussex who come to Brighton and work in two of the spaces where I am based.

I take a whole child neurodevelopmental approach, which means every child gets a bespoke treatment to find ways to feel more happy and to be seen, heard and understood. Together we will explore what is no longer working anymore and what is. Whether your child is the loudest or quietest they will be welcomed. Every child brings their own stories, they are all different and they are all worthy and all of their experiences count.

I specialise in the impact of trauma (early developmental, complex and racialised) on a person finding ways to help them to understand that it is NOT their fault. I sit alongside children, young people and their families and support them to make connections and solutions to their present difficulties from their past trauma.

I support families who often feel overwhelmed, burnt out and helpless. With me you’ll find a compassionate, playful and empathic approach to therapy. I also make a lovely cuppa tea or coffee.

Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund (ASGSF)

The ASGSF funding is available for children living in England

It is funded up to and including the age of 21 (or 25 with a Statement of Special Educational Needs or Education Health & Care Plan)

The ASGSF criteria is for those who:

  • Are adopted and were previously in local authority care in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

  • Are adopted from overseas.

  • Are under a Child Arrangement Order (CAO) to enable the assessment of a potential special guardian, while the CAO is in force.

  • Are subject to a Special Guardianship Order and were previously in care.

Referral by Adoption South East local authority and funded by the Adoption Support Fund (ASF).

The ASGSF is a fund set up by the government in recognition of the often complex and profound needs of adopted children and children cared for under a SGO.

How to I apply for therapy for my child under the Adoption and Special Guardianship support Fund?

To access the ASGSF fund, your child will need to have an assessment of adoption support needs carried out by

Adoption South East.

The Referral procedure:

  • Please contact your post adoption team through your local authority.

  • They will assess your family and consider if therapeutic support is needed

  • They will decide on the type required and if it is eligible for payments from the ASGSF

  • Applications made to apply directly to the ASGSF

  • The local authority will find a suitable therapist from their own list of approved suppliers when the ASGSF approves funding

  • Lucy is on the Adoption South East’s list of approved suppliers

    Lucy can deliver as a provider for Adoption South East the following:

  • Therapeutic Needs Assessment (TNA’s) and Specialised Therapeutic Needs Assessments

  • Creative Arts Psychotherapy specialising in Dramatherapy

  • Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy informed - Practitioner becoming certified in (DDP)

  • Trainer in Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR) with children, adolescents and adults.

  • Group work

Please note that Lucy only accepts ASGSF referrals for children and young people resident in the South East of England

What do I do?

To achieve positive outcomes for children and young people, the ASF will pay for therapeutic services that Lucy can provide including:

Therapeutic Needs Assessment (TNA’s)

Dramatherapy - individual and dyadic (parent-child)

For more information please visit: The British Association of Dramatherapists:  badth.org.uk

To find out more about Dramatherapy click here

Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy (informed)

Lucy is working towards her DDP Practicum and is DDP informed.

To find out more about DDP click here https://ddpnetwork.org/parents-carers/

Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR)

Lucy is a Trainer in Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR) with children, adolescents and adults.

To find out more about EMDR click here https://emdrassociation.org.uk/discover-emdr/children-adolescents/

Benefits

  • Offers strategies for helping children who are finding it difficult to manage family life. 

  • Strengthening the attachment in parent-child sessions

  • Finding ways to increase and widen moments of calmness and relaxation.

  • Encouraging more happiness into your lives

  • Supporting parents to develop a therapeutic ‘tool kit’ by weaving together an understanding of the neuroscience of trauma and the building blocks of secure attachment relationships

  • Increasing the times where you can enjoy being in the moment as a family

  • Making connections from the past to explore current difficulties

  • Finding ways creatively to use playfulness, acceptance, empathy and lots of compassion to support the work

  • Working with a professional who has her own personal experience of adoption who understands other’s situation and is very supportive and compassionate.

  • provide strategies to improve the relationship between parent and child

  • Finding moments where you can have stress free and enjoyable trips and holidays as a family when change and transitions are tricky.

Contact Lucy

Please click on the let’s begin button below where you will be directed to fill out an online form to make their first initial appointment?