In a world where play can be seen as frivolous or unnecessary, Julie and Philippa set out to explore its importance in our everyday lives.
Pondering play and therapy, both separately but also the inter-connectedness that play can in its own right be the very therapy we need.
Julie and Philippa have many years of experience playing, both in their extensive professional careers and their personal lives. They will share, ponder, and discuss their experiences along the way in the hope that this might invite others to join in playfulness.
Play is a serious part of Julie’s everyday life, personally and professionally. She works with children and families to build their relationships through playfulness and is particularly interested in when playing feels difficult. Life with two slightly bonkers cats teaches Julie that a playful approach is often best.
Philippa has been using play to engage with children, young people and families in her professional life for the last 30 years.
Personally she has a love of paddle boarding, which has been a recent addition to her life. She enjoys reading, movies, socialising and walking.
Play has always been an important part of her life from sport at school and playing in the local fields to playing games like cards, rummikub and word games.
Claire Lindop
Claire Lindop is a Clinical Lead within Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) at Midlands Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, working across Staffordshire. She has extensive experience within children and young people’s mental health services and in supporting professionals and families around the emotional and psychological wellbeing of children and young people.
Claire joined us on Pondering Play and Therapy to share her experience of working within CAMHS and to explore the importance of relationships, understanding children’s needs and supporting emotional wellbeing.
Dr Karen Treisman MBE is an award-winning Highly Specialist Clinical Psychologist, trauma specialist, author, trainer and organisational consultant. She has extensive experience working with trauma, adversity, attachment, fostering, adoption and children and families in or on the edge of care.
Karen is the author of numerous bestselling therapeutic books and resources, including The Therapeutic Treasure Box for Working with Children and Adolescents with Developmental Trauma. She is also a TEDx speaker and the Director of Safe Hands and Thinking Minds, supporting individuals, organisations and systems to become more trauma-informed, relational and responsive.
We’re delighted to welcome Karen to Pondering Play and Therapy to explore the power of relationships, trauma, play and therapeutic practice.
Find out more about Karen and her work: Safe Hands and Thinking Minds
Dr Vanessa Lapointe
Dr Vanessa Lapointe is a parenting educator, bestselling author, international speaker and former registered psychologist. She holds a doctoral degree in psychology and has more than 20 years’ experience supporting children, parents and families, including through her work in community mental health, schools and her developmental clinic.
Vanessa is passionate about helping parents, teachers and other adults understand the world through children’s eyes. Her approach is grounded in child development, connection and compassion, supporting adults to respond to children in ways that nurture healthy development and relationships.
She is the author of Discipline Without Damage and Parenting Right From The Start, and is the founder of The North Star Developmental Clinic.
Find out more about Dr Vanessa: Dr Vanessa Lapointe’s website
I have over 30 years clinical experience supporting children and families in a range of different settings. I have specialised in working with care experienced children and young people and their caregivers and am passionate about providing high quality services. I have gained qualifications in best practice interventions and bring these approaches together in my clinical practice, consultations and training. I am the only dual qualified trainer in the UK in both DDP and Theraplay® and one of three worldwide. As a musician, I trained in music therapy and integrate creative elements into all of my work. I also believe strongly in the therapeutic benefits of nature.
https://thefamilyplace.co.uk/
Georgie is an Occupational Therapist and owner of Little Peaks OT, a children's occupational therapy service. Georgie recently started the independent practice there, and she works through a sensory lens. She supports families from all over the area, with a particular interest in neurodivergence and sensory processing.
Hilary Kennedy is a leading developer of Video Interaction Guidance (VIG) in
the UK, an educational psychologist and an Honorary Research associate at
University College London. She is currently a freelance VIG trainer
with many VIG trainings and has worked with Blackpool Better Start for
the last 5 years. She is developing VIG new training methods and is involved
in international VIG developments in Czech Republic, Finland, Greece, Italy,
Turkey, Tanzania, Ecuador and Mexico.
She has co-edited two books on VIG with Miriam Landor and Liz Todd. Video
Interaction Guidance: A Relationship-Based Intervention to Promote
Attunement, Empathy and Well being in 2011 and Video Enhanced Reflective
Practice (VERP: Professional Development through attuned interaction) in
2015. She writes many articles and has contributed chapters to 3 recent
books on Innovative Research in Infant Wellbeing, Family Justice and
Neglect.
Lee Smith is a qualified mental health nurse with 30 years post reg experience, all of it within inpatient children's mental health services, known as tier 4 CAMHS.
Lee's long nursing career has spanned NHS posts in inpatient CAMHS, as ward management, clinical specialist and consultant posts. Then, in 2008, Lee and his late wife Beverly Cyrus, also a mental health nurse and psychotherapist, launched Cove Care, a children's residential care service specialising in young people with mental health needs needing support following discharge from hospital. Cove operated from 2008 to 2025, providing care for around 300 young people during this time. Following Bev's passing in 2023 after a short and sudden illness, Lee ultimately decided to move on at this juncture, selling Cove to Resicare Alliance in 2025.
Lee is currently providing consultancy for children's residential care services within the West Midlands.
Founder | The Sustainables Academy/
Lecturer, University of Aberdeen | International Sustainable Development lecturer | Curriculum Leader | Teacher Trainer | FRSA
Founder of The Sustainables Academy, I lead a pioneering, values-led approach to embedding sustainability and circular economy education across global and national curricula. Our signature REALign Teaching Pedagogy™ empowers educators to deliver consistent, inclusive, and future-facing learning across multiple education systems, including the IB PYP/MYP, IPC, Scottish CfE, Welsh Curriculum for Wales, English National Curriculum, and US State and Common Core frameworks.
With over 39 years of teaching - senior leadership experience—including Headteacher and Principal roles in diverse international and UK contexts—I have a deep understanding of strategic school leadership, curriculum development, initial teacher education, and whole-school transformation.
Margot Sunderland, and she is the director of education and training at the Centre for Mental Health, London. She's the co-director of Trauma Informed Schools, UK. She's an author of over 20 books in the field of child and mental health.
She's an author of the internationally acclaimed book, The Science of Parenting. She's the chief executive and founding director of the Higher Education College, the Institute for Artisan Therapy Education, which is an academic partner of the University of East London. She's a member of the Early Years Commission, the Centre for Justice, Westminster, and co-author of the cross-party advisory report, The Next Generation, and she's the founder of the Helping Where It Hurts program, offering free arts therapy to troubled children in the North London primary schools.
Matthew Wesson
Matthew Wesson is a consultant psychotherapist, supervisor and trainer specialising in trauma, PTSD and EMDR therapy. He is an EMDR Europe Senior Accredited Trainer and Consultant, a BABCP-accredited CBT therapist, and a former President of the EMDR Association UK.
Matthew has over 30 years' experience in mental health, having worked across the military, NHS, private practice and forensic services. He spent 21 years serving in the Armed Forces, including deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan, where he developed a particular interest in combat-related PTSD and traumatic stress. He has published in peer-reviewed journals and regularly teaches and advises on EMDR practice nationally and internationally.
https://www.emdracademy.co.uk/about-us
I am a certified advanced Sensorimotor Psychotherapist (trauma and attachment) from the school of Somatic Psychology and a licensed Non-directive play therapist (BAPT University ofYork). I am also an ABE-approved, post-qualified social worker, EMDR, filial, and BUSS-trained therapist, Enactive trauma therapist, Jungian and integrative sand play therapist. I am a level 3 accredited Internal Family Systems Therapist. I am trained in the Briere trauma battery and the AIM assessment portfolio.
I am the Founder and Clinical Lead of Tiptoes Child Therapy Services Ltd (TCTS) based in Greater Manchester.
Venny, who has many children including birth children, step children and looked after children, loads of grandchildren so kept very busy. With her husband Bryan she has been foster carers for about 13 years now, through nurture and attachment, it helps us bond with them, understand them, and have the patience of a saint dealing with muddles and tricky times, as they have a great understanding of the impact that early life adversity and trauma can play.
Venny says 'Play is a massive part of our lives, and has helped us through some tricky situations.'