Meet our team

Helen Forrester

Play Therapist & Supervisor

@ Liberton Brae & Cockenzie House 

Laura Jones

Play Therapist & Supervisor

@ Cockenzie House

Ali Stevens-Mains

Play Therapist

 

@ The Mart

Esther Fernandez

Play Therapist & Supervisor

@ Liberton Brae


Helen Forrester

Helen qualified as a Play Therapist in 1997 having  previously worked in residential care.  She has additional training in Filial Therapy, Clinical Supervision, Child & Parent Relationship Therapy and is currently undertaking Child Play & Attachment Assessment training.

Helen's particular interest is in robust assessment of children's needs.  She recognises that parents, carers and professionals surrounding children can feel frustrated, worried and "at sea" when children are distressed.  Building a comprehensive understanding of what underlies that distress can make all the difference to adults, helping them to know how to help effectively.  

BAPT registered Play Therapist ® & Approved Supervisor ®

Membership no: 266

Laura Jones

Laura has been a practising Play Therapist for 7 years.  Her particular passion is in supporting children who have experienced trauma and internalised their distress, either single, traumatic incidents or longer term developmental & relational trauma.

Laura's focus is on flexible, responsive support, being alongside children and their parents / carers and finding ways forward together.  She is trained in the additional approaches of Filial Therapy, adolescent therapy and clinical supervision.

BAPT registered Play Therapist®  

Membership no: 1670 

 

Ali Stevens-Mains

Ali is a newly qualified Play Therapist with a background in both secondary school and primary teaching. Originally from Canada, Ali is delighted to offer Play Therapy in East Linton. She holds a postgraduate certificate in counselling and brings a wealth of experience to her practice.

Working across a wide area of child and adolescent needs, Ali has a particular skill and interest in supporting young people with Emotionally Based School Avoidance (EBSA), formerly known as school refusal. She is also committed to creating a nurturing and inclusive play therapy space for gender-diverse young people, employing identity-affirming child-led practices.

Ali provides comprehensive support for their families & carers, helping them understand the young person's needs. Through a strong therapeutic relationship, Ali focuses on building resilience and a strong sense of self in the child.

BAPT Newly Qualified Play Therapist

 

Esther Fernandez

Esther has been a practising Play Therapist for 7 years with additional training in Filial Therapy, Clinical Supervision and Animal-Assisted Play Therapy.  She speaks fluent Spanish & English and can work in both these languages.  She will shortly be able to offer animal-assisted therapy alongside her dog Fresa, in Liberton Brae. 

Esther's approach is child centred, including adults surrounding a child by helping them to understand the child's trauma / emotional issues.  She works closely with families, schools & nurseries to support positive change.

Esther's background is in working with children with additional learning needs and disabilities for over 20 years in different roles, including in schools and after school clubs (as manager & director) as well as in the NHS as a nursing assistant in a brain injury unit.

BAPT registered Play Therapist®  

Membership no: 1710