Claire Thompson
Neurodiversity Ambassador
Claire is an HCPC registered art psychotherapist and NCPS counsellor who is passionate about promoting greater acceptance of behavioural differences within the neurodiversity paradigm and improving authenticity and quality of life for all. Claire is autistic and ADHD (AuDHD) and is a mother to three children.
Jocelyn Anderson
Ambassador for Working with survivors of rape, sexual violence, abuse and/or harassment.
Jocelyn has been working within the field of sexual violence and harassment since 2002 and has held the post of CEO at West Mercia Rape & Sexual Abuse Support Centre (WMRSASC) since 2004. Jocelyn is a qualified Counsellor (MSc) and experienced Consultative Supervisor (PG Diploma).
Shondelle James
Shondelle is the Team Lead for the Counselling team with West Mercia Rape and Sexual Abuse Support Centre. She is a qualified counsellor and has a degree in Psychology and Counselling. Shondelle is a trustee for Rape Crisis (England & Wales) and has experience working with adults, children and young people who have experienced trauma and mental health conditions. Shondelle has worked in a variety of settings including schools and mental health services for over 10 years.
Alan Heyes
Organisation Member - Therapy Partners
Alan is CEO and Founder at Therapy Partners, where he is committed to helping clients achieve successful outcomes. He has a background of 30 years of entrepreneurship and a commercial career working along side some of the world's largest companies and charities.
David Thomas
Organisational Member - BAC - IN
David is a Senior Recovery worker and Head of Service Development at BAC-IN, a lived-experience recovery organisation founded by a group of recovering addicts in response to what they saw as a failure within the mainstream to address their addiction from a culturally sensitive standpoint.
David started his career in social care working as a youth worker at his local youth club and considers this the most formative of all his work experiences, and the catalyst for his future career.
Today, David has taken up a similar position at BAC-IN, where in addition to his own caseload, he now leads all aspects of service development. David continue to be actively involved in supporting local and national implementation plans, working closely with the Cabinet Office, Public Health England, Office for Health Improvements and Disparities (OHID) and local commissioners to ensure that equality is embedded with the policy, provision and practice.
Kate Day
Children and Young People Mental Health Ambassador
Kate Day is a child and adolescent psychotherapist and the CEO of krdtraining.com She has counselled and managed therapeutic services for children and young people in schools and colleges across the UK for over 25 years. She is a Senior Lecturer/Trainer, Examiner and Clinical Supervisor. Kate is a keen lobbyist and consultant in counselling and mental health and sits on an All Party Parliamentary Group in Westminster on Child Health.
Kate is also a founding member of The Children's Alliance campaign which encourages policymakers to put children's well-being at the heart of decision-making. Kate is a fellow of the National Counselling and Psychotherapy Society (CYPT REG) and sits on their Professional Standards Committee. She is the author of the NCPS Competency CYP Framework and Chair of their children's and young people register which is accredited with the Professional Standards Authority.
Dr Niki Cooper
Organisational Member - Place2Be
Niki is a qualified and accredited counsellor and supervisor who joined Place2Be in 2022 as a School-Based Therapist before moving into the Learning Team. There she co-authored Place2Be's Postgraduate Diploma course and developed the professional qualifications pathway for working with the children and young people. She was appointed Clinical Director in 2019.
Tamsin Brewis
The Children's Alliance
Tamsin became a Water Babies franchisee in 2004 when she decided to give up the corporate world and run her own business to be present for her own children. Her interest in swimming led her to Water Babies where she became fascinated by child development and the importance of physical, mental and environmental influence could have from a very early age. This knowledge has been fundamental in helping her grow her highly successful swim school.
In early 2022 Tamsin took on role as a Director of the Children's Alliance, a charity begun with passion by the late ECEO of Water Babies, Steve Franks. Tamsin is now working to shape this charity with the development of the local community projects, based around water and the promotion of the campaign for Children and Young People to be included in Government Policy from an early age resulting in "Better Starts, Bright Futures".
Meg Moss
Head of Policy & Public Affairs
Meg is the Head of Policy & Public Affairs for the NCPS. Having worked for the Society for over 8 years, she has a wealth of knowledge about the issues facing counselling & psychotherapy, as well as a passion for the profession and advocating for practitioners. With two young children herself, a role as Safeguarding Governor in her local primary school, and experience of the systems that are currently in place, Meg is both personally and professionally driven to campaign for change.