ABOUT

Meet the Team- UK

“The strength of the team is each individual member. The strength of each member is the team”. Phil Jackson

Michelle Schofield

Director

Michelle Schofield is the Director of Children’s Therapy Services. The team are qualified to work with a range of approaches, ensuring they deliver a tailored and effective service for the children and families they support.

Children's Therapy Services was established in 2015. Michelle is an experienced Child and Family Therapist with many years experience working in private practice. She also has extensive experience working in CAMHS, non-profit agencies and charities, and private fostering agencies.

Michelle emigrated to Australia in 2025, living in the Gold Coast, Queensland.

Michelle now works Internationally and manages Children's Therapy Services from Australia. Michelle is still fully involved in the running and development of Children's Therapy Services and is very operational for example, she still personally receives the referrals, triages and allocates to the appropriate Therapist.

Michelle can be contacted via email should you wish to contact her directly: childrenstherapyservices@protonmail.com

See further details about Michelle Schofield- under Australia tab.

Michelle Schofield Director childrens-therapy-services

Claire Howard

Associate Therapist

Claire is a certified and registered Play Therapist and Clay Therapist. As well as a Child Attachment Play, and Baby Toddler Bonder Practitioner.

Claire has been with Children’s Therapy Services since 2022 as an Associate therapist. She has over 18 years’ experience working with children, young people and their families impacted by trauma. Claire has experience working in various settings.

Claire enjoys working creatively with children and their families and can offer different modalities. She is flexible in her ways of working to meet the child’s emotional and developmental needs.

Additional training includes:

The BUSS Model Level 1
SMART Foundations
Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy Level 1
Certificate in Creative Counseling for Young People
Equine Interventions
Therapeutic Life Story Work
Makaton Level 1 and 2
Improving Sensory Processing in Traumatised Children-Building Underdeveloped Systems
Certified Sand Tray Play in Education Practitioner
Safeguarding Children and Young People
First Aid at Work
Therapeutic Crisis Intervention
LEAPlets group training (Based on the BUSSmodel)

Nikki Gott

Associate Therapist

Nikki qualified as a Social Worker in 2013 and has worked in Child Protection and Special Guardianship support. Since 2019, her work has really focused on supporting children and families impacted by trauma. Prior to qualifying as a Social Worker, she had over 10 years’ experience working in adult drug support services and supporting homeless families.

Nikki has been with Children’s Therapy Services since 2023 as an associate therapist. Nikki enjoys working with and supporting parents and carers of adoptive and kinship care children. Specifically, Nikki is skilled and knowledgeable in providing therapeutic parenting sessions, emotional support to carers and upskilling these carers in their understanding of trauma and its impact on children and young people.

Alongside this associate therapist role, Nikki remains a practicing Social Worker for a Local Authority in a role that provides support to Special Guardianship carers. Within this role, she delivers one to one support and facilitates group training several times per year – courses focusing on understanding trauma and NVR.

Additional training includes:

Social Work (MA, University of Sheffield, 2013)
NVR level 1
DDP level 1
Polyvagal Theory
Restorative Practice
Motivational Interviewing
Domestic abuse training
Mentalizing & Mentalization Based Treatments with Children, Young People & Families
Foundations For Attachment

Malika Sykes

Associate Therapist

Malika is a certified and registered Play Therapist with a background in drama and applied theatre. She believes in every individual’s ability to be creative and nurtures and facilitates this creativity in both her play therapy and drama work. Malika is also currently training in adult counselling.

Malika has been with Children’s Therapy Services since February 2023 as an Associate Therapist. She has over 15 years’ experience of working with children, young people and adults with learning disabilities and/or autism within a theatre, education or community setting.

Malika uses the Child-centred Play Therapy model and offers Therapeutic Parenting.

Training and Qualifications include:

LEAPlets group training (Based on the BUSSmodel)
Water Play Therapy Level 1
Postgraduate Diploma in Integrative Counselling and Psychotherapy (current study)
Safeguarding Level 3
Postgraduate Diploma in Play Therapy
Postgraduate Certificate in Therapeutic Play Skills
Level 2 Certificate in Understanding Children and Young People’s Mental Health
Arts Award Discover and Explore
Arts Award Bronze and Silver
Autism Plus Training Enterprises, Autism Awareness and Sensory Perceptions
BA(Hons) Theatre and Professional Practice
First Aid Training
Filial Therapy

Po Stoneman

Associate

Po is a Foundation level Theraplay Practitioner.

Po has been with Children’s Therapy Services since January 2024 but she has over 10 years of experience working with children and their families who have been impacted by trauma in different roles including adoption support and within the care setting.

Previously, Po worked in a Therapeutic Residential Care setting and also had experience working as a Therapeutic Practitioner within another service. Po has enjoyed supporting families in Theraplay inspired group work and will be developing herself with BUSS model level 1 so she can help run more support groups.

Po is playful and lively. She loves working with families to find what can work for them and seeing them grow together.

Additional training includes:

Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy Level 1
Psychology Bsc. hons 2.1
Theraplay & Marschak Interaction Method Assessments and Group Theraplay
Safeguarding, Equality & Diversity & Data protection training updated regularly
Supporting Children and Adolescents with anxiety with Dr Karen Treisman

Liz Heaphy

Associate Therapist

Liz is a certified and registered Play Therapist.

Liz has been with Children’s Therapy Services since November 2023 as an Associate Therapist. She has over 22 years’ experience working with children and young people in a variety of different settings.

Liz works creatively with children using a child-centred play therapy model to enable them to explore and express their feelings and experiences, process trauma and develop better self-control and self-esteem.

Additional training includes:

Beacon House Developmental Trauma Training for Professionals
MA: Autism Spectrum
National Autistic Society Autism Modules
Level 3 Counselling Skills
Level 3 Safeguarding
Makaton Level 1
Drawing and Talking
Filial Therapy
Lifestory Work
First Aid Training

Hayley Rutt

Associate

Hayley is a Certified and Registered Play Therapist.

Hayley joined Children’s Therapy Services in 2023 as an Associate Therapist. She has over 12 years’ experience working with children, young people and their families. Hayley has experience working in various settings, including Early Years Foundation Stage Nursery, Primary School, Paediatric High Dependency Unit, Children’s Hospice and in the Community.

Hayley has most recently been working within the NHS as an Assistant Psychologist, supporting families with ARFID- Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder.

Hayley enjoys working creatively with children and their families and can offer different modalities. She is flexible in her ways of working to meet the child’s emotional and developmental needs.

Additional training includes:

Parent-Child Attachment Play
AutPlay Therapy
Rhythmic Movement
Safeguarding Children and Young People
TraumaPlay Advanced
LEAPlets group training (Based on the BUSSmodel)
First Aid Training

Lucinda Howell

Associate

Lucinda is a Registered and licensed Art Psychotherapist

Lucinda joined Children’s Therapy Services in 2024 as an Associate Therapist.

Lucinda has a wealth of experience gained from working with clients in diverse settings. Her

practice is firmly rooted in a person-centred, trauma-informed psychodynamic approach,

which enables her to customise therapeutic interventions to meet each individual’s unique

needs. She is deeply committed to providing a safe, supportive environment where clients

can engage with their emotions and experiences through the creative process.

Throughout her career, Lucinda has supported individuals facing a wide range of mental

health challenges, helping them to develop effective coping strategies and promoting

personal growth. Her work is built on a solid foundation of Art Psychotherapy principles, and

she is dedicated to upholding the highest standards of ethical practice, safeguarding, and

professionalism.

Lucinda is passionate about guiding her clients on their therapeutic journey, empowering them to achieve healing and resilience through the transformative power of art.

Natalie Bayarri

Associate

Natalie is a PTUK registered Play Therapist with a background in education. She has been working with children and young people since 2006 in both Primary and Secondary schools. She is passionate about supporting young people’s health and wellbeing through play and creative arts.

Natalie’s qualifications include:

BA Drama and Theatre Arts – The University of Birmingham
PGCE Drama (QTS) – The Central School of Speech and Drama
Postgraduate Certificate in Therapeutic Play – Leeds Beckett University
Postgraduate Diploma in Play Therapy– Leeds Beckett University

Natalie enjoys building positive relationships with all the children and families she works with and is calm, friendly and non-judgmental. She works with an integrative holistic approach, using a range of play tools to support the whole child. These include storytelling, drama, puppets, creative visualisation, art, movement, music and sandplay. Natalie is committed to learning and continuing to develop professionally.

Other relevant additional training includes: