I'm an independent NVR practitioner who found my way to NVR as an adoptive parent. I was, and still am, committed to therapeutic parenting - intentionally parenting in a way that both acknowledges the ongoing impact of developmental trauma and also supports recovery, personal responsibility, independence, and reaching developmental potential in all areas. 

 

NVR is different from typical therapeutic parenting in that the focus is on the relationship rather than on the children and this really resonated with me. I'd been feeling like 'therapeutic parenting' was something I was trying hard to do, and sometimes failing at. NVR felt different. It starts with us - establishing our core values, setting healthy personal boundaries, knowing our triggers, developing self regulation and self control, meeting our own needs, practising self compassion and forgiving ourselves for our mistakes. It's helped me become the parent I want to be, and to have the kinds of relationships I wanted with my children, and without a lot of striving. With diagnoses including developmental trauma, PTSD, autism, ADHD, FASD, and a range of anxiety disorders, NVR has seen us through (and continues to see us through) our fair share of tricky moments.

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My working life started out in early years and gradually moved into the area of adult mental health. I worked in supported employment with the charity rethink before qualifying as a mental health nurse. As a nurse, I worked on generic mental health wards, within an inpatient eating disorder service, and with adults withdrawing from drugs and alcohol. Adoption required a shift to more family friendly hours and I ventured into family support work - first in a sure start children's centre, then in a primary school, and finally within local authority children's services supporting families on early help or child in need plans.

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I'm located in the North East of England. I  offer face to face NVR support for adoptive parents and kinship carers locally and also support families across the UK virtually. Adoptive families may be able to access funding through the adoption support fund and local kinship carer groups sometimes have access to funding for their families. I'm always happy to negotiate costs with families who aren't able to access any financial support. Please get in touch if you think I can help.