Fred is a creative attachment and trauma therapist. Fred has been working with children since 1996 and therapeutically with children and their families since 2012. Fred initially trained as a play therapist, working in school settings as well as in private practice. Through these experiences he has developed a playful and creative approach to his DDP informed work. Fred is passionate about the dynamic dyadic relationship between children and their parents, knowing that to make sustainable and substantial change starts with the relationships in a family. Fred has a background of working in schools, working with vulnerable and high risk groups. Through his experience of working with the systems around children and their families, he understands the power of positive experiences of education and effective and targeted social care and family support.
Carly Kingswood is a Creative Attachment & Trauma Therapist, Consultant, Supervisor and DDP Practitioner. She lives and work in Southwest England. Since 2010 she has worked as a therapist with adopted and fostered children and their families, specialising in work on attachment and trauma. This work has included supporting and advising adoptive and foster parents in understanding the effects of trauma and attachment disorder on their children, how to read the messages behind their children’s behaviour and help them find creative ways to respond. She is passionate about empowering parents and carers to connect with their children and heal their emotional pain through the relationship they have with them.
She is a member of The Fostering Network & BAAF and an associate member of BACP.
www.carlykingswood.co.uk
Paloma Plazas is a DDP Practitioner in training who has a Masters’ Degree in Children and Youth. Her passion for supporting children that encounter difficulties in their lives has led her to train initially, as a Play Therapist, working in school settings as well as in private practice in Somerset, Bristol and Bath area. Paloma has broaden her practice using techniques such as Therapeutic Life Story Work and DDP to work with families with adoptive children in need of a parenting approach based on developing trust.
Paloma has spent the last two decades dedicated to work with children, supporting families through the Children's Centres, studying symbolism in Fairy Tales from a Psychoanalytic perspective, and hosting a radio program promoting children's literature. Her journey has taken her from her beloved Colombia, to Mexico and England.
Amanda Hopton – Play & Creative Arts Therapist
With over 15 years’ experience working therapeutically with children and young people, Amanda is committed to supporting children through challenging and often very confusing times in their lives. She believes that every child has the inner strength and potential to heal, grow and thrive when given the right space and support.
Initially, Amanda studied a bachelor’s degree in Child and Adolescent Mental Health and subsequently honed her skills in Play Therapy where her approach is grounded in empathy, patience and respect for each of her clients unique story.
Amanda uses Play & Creative Arts Therapy to help her clients express themselves in ways that feel natural and safe, especially when words are hard to find. Whether clients and their families are facing anxiety, trauma, loss, changes in family life or behavioural difficulties, she aims to create a nurturing environment where they can feel truly seen and heard.
Working across Bath and North East Somerset, Amanda visits many schools and works with clients aged between 3 and 14 years old. As part of her practice, Amanda has the privilege of working with fostered and adopted children, and in a specific provision for children and young people who find attending school challenging.
To support those who’d rather not have sessions at school, she has the benefit of using The Nest, a specially developed space set in beautiful grounds where she offers a range of creative medium such as clay, music, puppets, sand tray and miniatures.
Amanda firmly believes in the power of relationship and holds this at the forefront of everything she does both with the clients and their families.
She is a member of Play Therapy UK.
For more information, please see her website: www.amandahoptonplaytherapy.co.uk
