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Gill-Mary

HPD, DSFH, AfSFH, MNCH (Reg), CNHC (Reg), NBMP (Reg), BA (Hons), QTS, NASENCO, NPQML

South West Leeds & Online

“You don’t have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step.” – Martin Luther King Jr.

Hi there, I’m Gill Mary, and the thing that makes me happiest is seeing children and young people able to enjoy their lives, without being held back by crippling anxiety or stress.

As a mum of two boys, I understand the stress it can cause parents/carers, when we can see that a child is struggling and just don’t know how to help them navigate through it. There are so many amazing children out there believing that there is something wrong with them. I help them to understand how their brain works, and how to get the best out of it to feel calmer, more confident and in control of their behaviours and emotions.

My Approach

I work in a solution focused way, which means your child won’t need to relive past traumatic or negative experiences to feel better. Instead, we focus on how they would prefer to be behaving and feeling instead and I’ll support them in taking manageable steps to get there.

Although the sessions are child-centred, they also provide invaluable insights for parents, helping you understand not only your child’s habits and behaviours, but some of your own and the impact they might have on your child and the family as a whole.

Before you and your child decide to work with me, I offer a complimentary 1-hour free initial consultation, face to face in New Farnley or online. Successful therapy is dependent on strong relationships, so this is a chance for both you and your child to meet me and decide if I am the right person to help you. Here we can discuss any concerns you may have and I can really get to know you both. Together, we can also define your child’s aspirations and goals.

More about me

Before training in Solution focused Hypnotherapy and Psychotherapy, I spent over 20 years teaching, including working as a special educational needs co-ordinator (SENDCo). I experienced first hand some of the pain and suffering children were experiencing as they tried to negotiate the demands of their young lives. I was also the designated teacher for children in care.

I quickly realised that there was a real gap in services for young people or if the services were available, meeting the threshold to access them and then being prepared to join a long waiting, wasn’t always the solution children and their carers wanted, when they needed help right now.

I have a wealth of experience and understanding of the types of issues that can impact a child or young person’s mental health and the detrimental impact it can have on their ability to learn and grow. I also have a deep understanding of special educational needs and the behaviour and anxiety which can present alongside them, having worked in both mainstream settings and within specialist provision.

For Your Reassurance

I am fully insured, have an up-to-date Enhanced DBS certificate and I am a member of the following professional bodies: