Steph

Stephanie has around 10 years experience in working with children in a variety of settings including education, childcare, and assessment and therapeutic roles. She completed her Masters in Psychology (Clinical) in 2016 and is currently in the registrar program to gain the title of Clinical Psychologist. 

 

She started her career working in childcare whilst studying her undergraduate degree in Psychology. Within this role as an Educator and playgroup coordinator, at a young age she began understanding just how important the child and carer relationship was to support a thriving environment for both the child and the adults in their lives.

 

Having worked in the relational trauma (abuse and neglect) space for a number of years, the core of Stephanie's therapeutic and advocacy work is that all children have the right to feel safe, understood and valued. The network of support systems around the child all have a strong influence on their social, emotional and psychological development, so it is critical that these support systems have the skills and resources in identifying and responding to a child's needs. Stephanie believes that the school environment should be a space for children to thrive, and that healthy relationships are the foundations for this. 

 

She is trained in Level 1 Theraplay, a dyadic child and family therapy to support child and caregiver attachment. 

 

She is also trained in both Level 1 and Level 2 Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy (DDP) - an attachment-focused family therapy aimed at treating the psychological effects of relational trauma. She is also able to deliver Dyadic Developmental Practice - a framework for caring for children that have experienced trauma in any service - including education. 

 

Stephanie believes that connection is at the centre of our lives, whether it be connection with nature, connection between the mind and body, or connection with each other. We are much more likely to engage in our world if we are open to its influence - and playfulness helps us to do this. And so, she hopes that through play and a playful attitude, she can help foster the connection between adult and child to promote healthy wellbeing for all. 

 

Given that playfulness is important to her, naturally, when Stephanie is outside of the work environment, she is out engaging in the world of play - making a mess drawing and painting, cooking up a storm in the kitchen, engaging her mind and body doing yoga or pilates, and anything that connects her with nature.