All of our Therapists hold a relevant Post Graduate professional qualification and are full members of their appropriate accrediting body. We have clear Enhanced DBS (police and criminal record) checks, full indemnity insurance, and undergo ongoing training and professional development including regular clinical supervision.
Most of our therapists work at the Apple Tree Centre part-time. As well as supporting children and young people with difficulties including anxiety and depression, low self esteem and self harm, all our therapists specialise in developmental trauma, attachment difficulties, neurodiversity and sexual and gender diversity. We are always happy to discuss your child’s needs to make sure that you are allocated a space with a suitable therapist.
Alex Johnson
Amina Drury
Claire Furbey
Fiona Hutchings
Harriet Green
Jayne McConkey
Jenny Reid
Kate Hughes
Maddy Pike
Mat Pronger
Rosie Dymond
Suzanne Davis
Sarah Slater
Sarah Slater (she/her) – Play Therapist and Young Person’s Counsellor
Appointments on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays
Sarah is a qualified Non-Directive Play Therapist with several years’ experience of working as a schools counsellor.
Sarah aims to create a safe, trusting relationship where children and young people can work through their difficulties at their own pace in order to increase self esteem, self awareness and self control.
Sarah has experience of working with children affected by low self esteem, difficulties related to school and academic pressure, bereavement, anxiety, anger, depression and low mood, questions around identity, self harm, suicidal thoughts and disordered eating. She also works with children and young people who are neurodivergent, including those with diagnoses of ADHD or autism.
Sarah is a BACP accredited Counsellor and Play Therapist.
(Age range: 4-25)
Harriet Green (she/her) – Creative Psychotherapist
Appointments on Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays
Harriet trained as a Dance/Movement Psychotherapist (DMP). Harriet works creatively with the children and young people she supports, establishing a consistent, respectful, safe space in which children and young people can explore their experiences. Her work is child-led, and sessions can include creative movement, sensory work, the use of props including music, mark making with art materials and talking.
DMP is a holistic, creative form of psychotherapy that works primarily with the body as a means of expression in supporting children and young people to integrate experience and regulate their feelings. Harriet’s training means that she will notice and respond to the ways that children and young people use their bodies to hold tension and communicate feelings, and this helps her to understand them better; there is no pressure for children or young people to dance or to move in any particular way.
Many people find it difficult to find the words to communicate their feelings and experiences, and Movement Psychotherapy offers the opportunity to communicate using other parts of their bodies. This can be be particularly helpful for younger children or for young people affected by factors such as neurodiversity or trauma. Movement Psychotherapy can also be particularly helpful in working with difficulties such as anxiety, depression, chronic pain, behavioural difficulties, PTSD, self-harming and eating disorders, where the focus of therapy will be on helping the body and mind to work together more effectively.
Harriet has worked with adults, children and young people experiencing a wide range of issues including bereavement, family breakup, PTSD, anxiety, depression, behavioural difficulties, self-harming, eating disorders, substance abuse, anger issues and domestic violence
She is a registered member of the Association of Dance Movement Psychotherapy UK.
(Age range 4 – 25)
Amina Drury (she/her) – Creative Psychotherapist
Appointments on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays
Amina is a qualified Psychotherapeutic Counsellor for children and young people. She offers a range of creative materials such as clay, paint, sand, puppets, miniatures, visualisation, storytelling, and metaphor, enabling the child or young person to engage in a blend of talk and play-based therapy. Amina takes a client-led approach, giving the child or young person space to explore and discover their own path, whilst offering consistency, compassion, and curiosity. As an Autistic therapist she has considerable insight and knowledge around working with young neurodivergent people and this is one of her main areas of interest.
Amina’s integrative training focused on creative therapies, person-centred therapy, psychodynamic therapy, and psychoanalysis. She acknowledges that each child or young person is different and so each person’s process will be unique. She works with an awareness of trauma and is supportive and non-judgemental of anyone’s journey.
She has experience as a school counsellor and can help children and young people make sense of turbulent friendships/relationships, come to terms with diagnoses, and understand their gender and sexuality. She has also worked with a range of issues including anxiety and low mood, self-harm, suicidal ideation, eating issues, low self-confidence, domestic violence, sexual abuse, developmental trauma, and drug or alcohol dependency.
Amina is a registered member of BACP and a student member of UKCP.
Age range 5-25
Fiona Hutchings (she/her) – Person Centred Counsellor
Appointments on Mondays and Fridays
Fiona is a qualified person-centred therapist and she is committed to maintaining a safe and ethical practice, working alongside clients in an collaborative and creative way to help them explore their difficulties in a way that feels right for them. Fiona completed her training working with students at the University of Sheffield Counselling Service and also has previous experience as a social care worker supporting vulnerable young adults in the community.
Fiona believes that building a safe and trusting relationship is the key to successful therapy and that it needs to be flexible to meet the needs of each individual. Since qualifying she has also worked as a therapist within the voluntary sector alongside clients of all ages, backgrounds and seeking therapy for a large range of issues. She has also continued to undertake training to explore using and making images, writing and mindfulness alongside talking in therapy.
Fiona has experience of working with a variety of issues including family and relationship breakdowns, bereavement, eating difficulties, depression, low mood, self esteem and self image difficulties, addictive or risk taking behaviours, self harming, difficulties attending school, academic anxiety and issues relating to disability, to neurodiversity such as ADHD and autism, and to gender identity.
Fiona is a fully accredited member of the BACP.
(Age range: 11-25)
Alex Johnson (she/her) – Art Psychotherapist
Appointments on Thursdays
Alex uses a person-centred and primarily non-directive approach and sees the therapeutic relationship as one of collaboration. Using an empathetic approach, she puts emphasis on understanding each young person’s unique set of circumstances. Alex believes that playfulness and experimentation with art materials in therapy can break down barriers, encourage communication, build self-esteem, support identity exploration, and help individuals move towards the acknowledgment and processing of difficult experiences and feelings. Alex has experience working with young people who have experienced abuse and trauma, who have difficulties with self esteem, confidence, low mood and anxiety as well as young people who are exploring their gender identity.
Alex has over 9 years’ experience of working in both specialist, alternative and mainstream educational settings. She has worked with looked after and adopted children, people with special educational needs, neurodiversity or mental health diagnoses, young people who are no longer in education and young people in the youth justice system. She has worked to develop collaborative, therapeutic and creative educational interventions and approaches that focus on raising self-esteem, fostering hope, and improving access to, and engagement in, education, training, and employment.
More recently Alex has facilitated Art Therapy groups within a specialist NHS setting to support young people and adults who are experiencing gender dysphoria or who are gender questioning.
Alex has also completed postgraduate study in Psychology achieving Chartered Membership with the British Psychological Society (BPS) in 2015. She holds full Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) Registration and British Association of Art Therapists (BAAT) Membership.
(Age range: 8-25)
Rosie Dymond (she/her) – Play Therapist
Appointments on Tuesdays
Rosie qualified as a BAPT Play Therapist in 2009. She provides a wide variety of creative materials (including toys, small figures, art & craft materials, puppets and sand) to enable children to explore their difficult experiences, express their feelings and thoughts, process trauma, and make sense of and feel in control of their responses. Rosie uses sensitive, attuned therapeutic techniques to promote self esteem and confidence in the children she works with, with the aim of facilitating the development of self control and regulation of their behaviour and emotions. She has considerable experience of working with parents in the play therapy room, where this appropriate, to reduce children’s anxiety and improve attachment.
Rosie has experience working with a wide range of issues including low self-esteem, anxiety, behavioural difficulties, anger, family illness and bereavement, neglect, trauma, domestic abuse, PTSD, attachment difficulties, school refusal, autism, ADHD, selective mutism, gender exploration and self injury. Rosie began her therapeutic career in 2003 working providing Cognitive Behavioural Therapy to parents with substance misuse difficulties which had an impact on their parenting. She then moved into Solution Focused Family Therapy with families whose children were at risk of Local Authority care proceedings. She is fully accredited by the British Association of Play Therapists (BAPT), registered with the Professional Standards Authority (PSA).
(Age range: 3-10)
Jenny Reid (she/her) – Play Therapist & Young Person’s Counsellor
Appointments on Fridays
Jenny qualified as a BAPT Play Therapist in 2005. She uses child-led play and creative activities to support children to work through their worries and confusion in a concrete way, while enabling them to develop better self control and self esteem. Jenny mostly works with children and aged from 3 to 10 but has experience of working with young people throughout adolescence, adapting the Play Therapy approach to suit different age groups. She has worked with children affected by a wide range of issues, including trauma, loss and attachment difficulties, domestic abuse, sexual violence, family illness and bereavement, school refusal, self harm, selective mutism, PTSD, depression, anger and attachment difficulties, autism, ADHD, and questions around gender and sexual identity.
Jenny also offers clinical supervision to counsellors and therapists working with children and young people, and professional training to groups and organisations. She is a fully accredited member of the British Association of Play Therapists (BAPT), registered with the Professional Standards Authority (PSA).
(Age range: 3-10)
Suzanne Davis (she/her) – Family and Systemic Psychotherapist
Appointments on Tuesdays and Wednesdays (online only)
Suzanne aims to create an empathetic therapeutic environment which enables safe and constructive discussion. This can include working with individuals or with family members, talking together to develop shared understanding and exploring ways forward for whatever challenges they are facing.
As a Family and Systemic Psychotherapist, Suzanne can facilitate conversation around family and peer relationships and the impact of social contexts (such as school) upon problems that are presented. She also has extensive experience from her previous role as an Extended Scope Principal Physiotherapy Practitioner working with children and young people experiencing long-term pain and chronic health conditions, and can support families to discuss and consider a wide range of strategies to develop resilience and coping skills.
Suzanne works flexibly to meet individual and family needs and to collaborate upon what aspects of therapy might be most helpful and supportive. Alongside an emphasis on promoting positive, creative and therapeutic discussion, examples of strategies include: considering posture, movement, activity levels and sensory input; relationship skills; sleep and relaxation; mood regulation; behaviour; time management; and pain-specific information.
Suzanne completed her MSc in Family and Systemic Psychotherapy in 2015, and is a member of the Association of Family Therapy (AFT) and the United Kingdom Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP).
(Age range: family groups, parents)
Claire Furbey (she/her) – Integrative Counsellor
Appointments on Mondays and Tuesdays
Claire is a qualified Integrative Psychotherapist with a focus on Person Centred Counselling. She is specially trained to work with children and young people and has over 13 years’ experience. She has worked within both mainstream and specialist educational settings, and with a wide range of issues including: low self-esteem and confidence; anxiety; autism and neurodiversity; anger; family break up; domestic abuse; emotional literacy; relationships, gender and sexuality; grief and bereavement; being looked after and adopted from care; abuse and trauma.
Claire believes that successful therapeutic work with children and young people is founded in building a relationship in which they feel safe and comfortable. Within the safety of this relationship, trust and honesty grow. Claire draws on a variety of techniques creatively focused around talk, play, games and art.
As an Integrative Counsellor, Claire draws on a variety of theoretical approaches to be responsive to the child or young person. Throughout this work she is committed to being honest and genuine, and to accepting her clients and their choices without judgement. She seeks to understand young people’s experiences from their perspective.
Claire is qualified in Psychotherapeutic Counselling Practice (Prof. Dip Psy. C). She is a fully registered member of the National Counselling Society.
(Age range: 11-25)
Maddy Pike (she/her) – Dramatherapist
Appointments on Thursdays
Maddy qualified with an MA in Dramatherapy in 2019, having completed her final clinical placement with Doncaster Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS). Since qualifying, Maddy has focused on working with children and young people who have experienced developmental trauma. Maddy has experience working with a wide range of issues including abuse (sexual, physical and emotional), bereavement and loss, attachment difficulties, domestic violence, autism, low self-esteem, anxiety and school refusal.
Maddy’s approach is person centred and primarily non-directive, taking the lead from her clients. Her focus is on establishing a therapeutic relationship and engaging in play to enable children and young people to explore, understand and process their difficult thoughts, feelings and experiences. By using dramatic metaphor, stories and symbolic play with toys and objects children and young people are able to process difficult experiences and feelings that they are unable or unwilling to speak about. Maddy makes use of a wide range of techniques and resources in sessions, including story-telling, story-making and enactment, improvisation, role-play, art making and game playing.
Maddy is registered with The Health & Care Professions Council (HCPC) and is a full member of The British Association of Dramatherapists (BADTH)
(Age range: 4-18)
Jayne McConkey (she/her) – Art Psychotherapist & Young People’s Counsellor
Appointments on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays
Jayne qualified as an Art Therapist in 2011, and is also trained in counselling children and young people. She has worked in a variety of different settings, both 1:1 and in groups. She has also worked with adults in community and forensic settings. Jayne’s creative approach helps with the expression and communication of feelings and thoughts that can otherwise be difficult to explore. She works in a client centred way, which involves her clients developing the therapy in a way that best addresses their needs. She also incorporates attachment, trauma and mindfulness based approaches when appropriate.
Jayne aims to provide a safe space in which a trusting therapeutic relationship can develop. She believes a creative approach can help to build and support the client’s self-esteem, mental health, emotional resilience and wellbeing. Jayne has experience of working with clients from a range of backgrounds, including refugees/asylum seekers, Looked After Children, and minority ethnic groups, as well as diverse socio-economic backgrounds. She has worked with children and young people who have been struggling with issues around anger, anxiety, low self-esteem, identity, self-harming behaviour and suicidal ideation. She has experience of working with clients with ASD and ADHD, mental health difficulties and who have experience of abuse, bullying, trauma, family difficulties, parental separation, bereavement and
being young carers.
Jayne is registered with the HCPC (Health and Care Professions Council) and is a full member of BAAT (British Association of Art Therapists). She is committed to ongoing training and professional development to best support her clients.
(Age range 7-25)
Kate Hughes (she/her) – Trainee Art Psychotherapist
Appointments on Wednesdays
Kate is in her third and final year of an MA in Art Psychotherapy at Sheffield Hallam University.
Kate aims to develop trusting relationships, working collaboratively with children and young people to develop approaches that meet their individual needs. Her child-centered and non-directive approach aims to create a safe and open space where art making can become a powerful tool for exploring and understanding difficult thoughts, feelings, and experiences. Kate’s expertise extends to a variety of mental health and social difficulties, including school avoidance, depression, anxiety, eating disorders, self-harm, suicidal thoughts, neurodiversity, PDA, selective mutism, gender identity, self-esteem, and bullying. Her previous 12 month placement was at the Becton Centre for Children and Young People where she worked in both in-patient wards and Community CAMHS.
Kate is a qualified Art Teacher with over a decade of experience. Throughout her career she has specialised in working within Mental Health and Special Educational Needs settings. She continues to work two days a week as a specialist teacher, working mainly with neurodiverse students who have significant social, emotional and mental health needs. She has a strong understanding of the challenges that young people can face in accessing and engaging in education.
(Age range: 8-25)
Mat Pronger (he/him) – Integrative Psychotherapist
Not taking new referrals
Mat is an integrative therapist; this means he has a wide range of approaches that can be adapted to suit the client’s needs at the time they seek support. These can include games, creative approaches and cognitive behavioural (CBT) interventions, as well as more traditional talking therapies.
Mat has worked with clients in a number of settings including universities, schools, day-centres and charities. Mat specialises in autism, ADHD and other neurodiversity, as well as mental health concerns. Mat has worked with people that are experiencing anxiety, depression, OCD, trauma and PTSD, as well as relationship and identity concerns, and helping individuals and families to understand diagnoses.
Mat is an accredited member of the BACP.
(Age range: 12-25)