What parents say about us

  • "We were so pleased to find Debbie as our child really needed some specialist support. At the time there was a huge waiting list via public services so we were lucky to find Debbie. Debbie was warm and understanding and she immediately made myself and my child at ease. My child really benefitted from seeing Debbie and is now flourishing. I do believe that without Debbie’s support my child would not be as happy as she is now."

    Parent of a girl aged 11 who has suffered trauma

  • "When my son has his sessions with Debbie I notice a marked improvement in his ability to regulate his emotions and express himself. He struggles to build trust with professionals but Debbie has been able to work with him I such a way that he is confident in opening  up to her and sharing difficult things. Debbie seems to have a great understanding of my son and his needs, and she can communicate that to other professionals working with him, which has been invaluable. I would have no hesitation in recommending Debbie to other parents.”

    Parent of a child aged 16 with ASD and history of trauma

  • "Over the past 6 months we have been working with Debbie to get play therapy support for our 4-year-old son. During this time Debbie has provided open, bespoke, and considered advice that has been invaluable to us. Debbie has built up such a lovely relationship with our son and shows such understanding and kindness in how she goes about her work with him. She is also very attentive in terms of providing us with feedback and updates, as well as liaising with our sons pre-school to ensure good communication and understanding. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Debbie."

    Parent of a child aged 4 with speech delay, sensory processing needs, and challenging behaviour

  • "Debbie has a very caring and nurturing approach which has been perfect for my daughter’s high anxiety levels. It has been lovely to watch her confidence and trust grow during her sessions. My daughter has completely changed from a very quiet, anxious child to a happy, cheeky little girl through her sessions. They have built an excellent relationship together. I have very much enjoyed working with Debbie as she has assisted me with communication with school and the EHCP application process. Thank you Debbie!"

    Parent of a child aged 5 with autism

  • "We are so grateful that we found you and thank you for everything you have done for our son. At home he is a lot calmer, he hasn’t had a meltdown for a very long time, he regularly says he loves us and he is back to being the lovable cheeky boy we knew who was lost under the distressed surface. He can now show appreciation for someone else’s view and can change his behaviour to accommodate. He competed in a national competition last weekend, overcoming crippling anxiety and made himself and us very proud, I can still remember when he couldn’t walk through the door of the gym. I can’t thank you enough."

    Parent of a child aged 8 with autism

  • "We recently sought help for our son and were fortunate to find Debbie. From the very beginning she impressed us with her respectful and transparent approach. She not only helped us to understand our sons’ challenges better, but she also did something truly valuable; she helped us to see things from his perspective. She has empowered us to challenge the labels that school might have assigned him at times. With Debbie’s guidance we now feel much more equipped to support our son."

    Parent of a child aged 8 with ADHD

  • "We chose Debbie to be our son’s therapist because she came across as very gentle and caring, as well as knowledagble about work with younger children. Since starting work with Debbie, our four-year-old has grown in confidence and now eagerly looks forward his sessions every week. She has an excellent way with children and he warmed to her very quickly when he is normally anxious about new settings. She has also supported us in understanding so much about him and his behaviour, autism in general, and what his specific strengths and needs are. She has a very positive and child focused approach. We highly recommend Debbie as a child play therapist."

    Parent of a 4-year-old with autism

  • "Thank you for everything you have done for my son. I really appreciate it and it means a lot to me that you understand him as the amazing boy that he is. No one has understood him the way you have and we are so grateful."

    Parent of a child aged 10 with attachment difficulties

  • "Amazing at her role, caring, nurturing and patient, easy to get along with and bubbly. Debbie has delivered sessions to some of our most vulnerable, challenging children and has made such a huge impact on their lives and school life. Not only is Debbie great with the children, but the staff love her and she is always available to have a quick chat and share her wealth of knowledge to provide support to children she sees and also does not see. We are already finding a way to keep hold of Debbie to continue the fantastic work she does here, as staff and children would not manage without her."

    Family Support Worker

    Christ The King Catholic Primary School, Reading

What children and young people say about us

  • "Since working with Debbie, I have learnt how flexible she is in allowing me to express my feelings in different ways, like using my laptop to show her projects I have been working on. This helps me as I use computing a lot in my life. This shows me that Debbie can adjust based on a person’s needs and allow unconventional ways to help me. She is kind and patient and I never feel forced to say anything and can spend my time with her calming down if my week has been rough."

    Boy 16 years old with a diagnosis of ASD and history of trauma

  • “I always look forward to my special time. I can go in and play and let out any worry or stress and Debbie always listens in an unbiased way. She always has new and fun things to do each week, my favourites are sand tray and making slime. She keeps all my things in a special box.”

    Boy 11 years with autism diagnosis

  • “I find Play Therapy very helpful. At first I wasn’t that confident but now I feel that Debbie has helped me to get over my sadness. Debbie has helped me to find the confidence to do things that I didn’t feel comfortable to do before, and I don’t worry about things like I used to.”

    Girl 11 years old with depression

  • “Thank you so much Debbie, I will always remember you and everything that you have taught me.”

    Girl 8 years presenting with anxiety

  • “I would like to stay in special time forever, because I love it there, I look forward to it every week.”

    Girl aged 9 with developmental trauma

What schools say about us

  • "Amazing at her role, caring, nurturing and patient, easy to get along with and bubbly. Debbie has delivered sessions to some of our most vulnerable, challenging children and has made such a huge impact on their lives and school life. Not only is Debbie great with the children, but the staff love her and she is always available to have a quick chat and share her wealth of knowledge to provide support to children she sees and also does not see. We are already finding a way to keep hold of Debbie to continue the fantastic work she does here, as staff and children would not manage without her."

    Family Support Worker

    Christ The King Catholic Primary School, Reading