Our Team

Jo Brewerton

Jo is a qualified Play Therapist with experience in working with children and young people from different settings, this has included those who have experienced complex trauma and loss, and /or who are adopted or the subject of a Special Guardianship Order (SGO). Jo is also trained in AIM3 – Assessment of Adolescents who display HSB. She will complete her Dyadic Development Practitioner (DDP) Level 1 training in June 2024.

Jo is dual qualified, having previously worked as a primary school teacher for over 25 years. After a childhood growing up in Cyprus, she is passionate about getting outdoors and engaging with Nature. She is also a qualified Social and Therapeutic Horticulturalist, Youth Worker, and Forest School Practitioner. She has worked therapeutically following her client’s needs in Early Years settings, Youth Groups, Care Homes, a Secure Psychiatric unit and for the Whitworth Art Gallery, outdoors with families. She has been trained in BAPT registered Play Therapy Outdoors.

Jo is passionate about working with parents and carers and empowering children and young people to develop a better sense of self and work with difficult emotions. She consistently uses a creative participant-centred approach in her work, allowing for self-expression, gentle exploration of difficulties whilst promoting independence, self-esteem, and self-regulation. She has worked with children and families with a range of backgrounds, young people with additional needs, pupils on the fringes of education and those who have experienced trauma.

Jo is a member of the British Association of Play Therapists.

A CV available upon request.

Jakia is the Tiptoes Business Manager.

Jakia is responsible for the Business and Finance management and support to our children, families and therapists. Jakia comes with a wealth of experience and knowledge after working for a Local Authority Children’s Services for 13 years.

Jakia has worked in various Business Support roles such as: Business Support Officer for the area Children’s Social Work Teams including: Looked After Children, Leaving Care and Adoption, Customer Care Officer within the Multi Agency Safeguarding Team and then progressing to a Data Analyst for the Troubled Families Programme in Early Help, Early Years and Neighbourhoods. Jakia then moved to a Project Officer role and was a Children’s Business Link Manager for Fostering and Cared For Children’s Services.

Jakia has completed training in Business Administration and Leadership and Management, she has completed all mandatory training inline with all her roles. Jakia is Tiptoes First Aider and manages Fire Safety.

Jakia brings energy, warmth, enthusiasm, passion, dedication and commitment to helping and supporting the children, young people, parent/carers and families that use Tiptoes services as they are always at the heart of what she does.

A full extensive CV is available upon request.

Lisa Jura

MA Play Therapy, BA (Hons) in Social Work
Theraplay Level 1
Trained in Therapeutic Life Story
Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy Level 1 & 2
Post Qualifying Consolidation and Post Qualifying Social Work award 2-6
Trained in Child, Parent Relationship Therapy (CPRT)
Building Underdeveloped Sensory Systems (BUSS) Level 1 and AIM 3 trained
Lisa is registered with BAPT, Social Work England and BASW

Lisa has been an Associate Therapist with Tiptoes since 2018, a Senior Associate Therapist since January 2024 and Team Manager since April 2025. Lisa is a dual qualified Play Therapist and Social Worker. Lisa provides trauma informed play therapy, therapeutic assessment, and support with Tiptoes. Lisa has extensive experience of providing Theraplay (Level 1), Therapeutic Life Story Work and Dyadic Developmental Psychology (Level 1 & 2).

Lisa also has extensive experience of working therapeutically with adopted and fostered children or children cared for under the auspices of an SGO and sibling groups, with complex trauma and disrupted attachments. This has also included work with adoptive parents, foster carers, or kinship/relative carers, providing therapeutic parenting support with a PACE and neuro-biological approach. Lisa is a Safeguarding Lead and joint trainer of Safeguarding.

Lisa has extensive experience as a public sector Social Worker working with children and families since 2004. Lisa has extensive work in Safeguarding assessment and support and Fostering services. She has experience in the court arena and has significant experience as an Independent Reviewing officer (IRO) with two separate local authorities.

CV available on request.

Andy StokesHe/Him
Qualifications
BA (Hons) Primary SEN, PGCE,
Dip NDPT (Non Directive Play Therapy)
Qualified DDP (Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy)-Level 2
Sensorimotor Psychotherapist -Level 2
Filial Therapist
CPRT(Child Parent Relationship Therapy)
BUSS (Building Under Developed Sensory Systems)
Clinical Supervisor
AIM3 – (Assessment, Intervention and Moving on)

Andy has been an accredited associate for Tiptoes since 2012. Andy is a Certified BACP registered Play and Creative Arts Therapist, and an experienced SEND teacher. He is an integrative play therapist who is trained in a range of recognised attachment and complex trauma focused modalities, and assessment frameworks. He has 20 years of expertise supporting adults, children, and their families from a variety of back grounds. These include significant experience of supporting care experienced, adopted, SGO and kinship cared for children, to integrate the legacy of their early traumatic experiences.

He delivers attachment and complex trauma training, clinical supervision, therapeutic life story work (Richard Rose Model) and group supervision across both the public and private sector. He designs and delivers trauma informed training for schools, residential children’s homes, local authorities, and universities, with social work teams, school staff, university lecturers, student unions, youth professionals and parent groups.

Andy provides therapeutic parenting to parents, carers and adopters, which includes bespoke packages of psycho education and therapeutic support. Often the therapeutic parenting will initially provide support to a child in therapy before moving to a family therapy model or work with siblings.

He has a background in education, outdoor education, SEN teaching and training, he worked in special education for a number of years and was the head of a residential primary school for care experienced children in the Staffordshire Moorlands, before he became a specialist foster carer and Special Guardian.

CV available on request.

Ellie Woodhouse 

She/They 

Dance Movement Psychotherapy MA. DDP Level 1. AIM3. BUSS Level 1. Contemporary Theatre and Performance BA (Hons).
200hr Yoga Teacher Training in Ashtanga and Vinyasa.

Ellie is a trauma informed Psychotherapist here at Tiptoes, working with children, young people and families who have experienced or been affected by complex trauma including physical, mental, sexual abuse, loss and neglect. She has extensive experience working with SGO, residential, fostered and adoptive families. Ellie specialises in how trauma impacts the body, mind and psyche, working holistically towards self-awareness and integration. Ellie provides a whole family approach and works closely with parents and carers using therapeutic parenting models. Ellie is also trained in BUSS Level 1, (Building Underdeveloped Sensory Motor Systems) and AIM3 – (Assessment, Intervention and Moving on). Ellie is also the Tiptoes Training Co Ordinator.

Ellie has worked on a CAMHS in patient mental health ward where she provided mental health support to children and young people in crisis who were experiencing anxiety, clinical depression, psychosis, schizophrenia, self-harm and attempts to complete suicide.

Ellie provides trauma informed meditation and yoga to children, young people and adults. She has collaborated with universities to supply Mental Health Events to students and staff to encourage mindfulness and self-awareness. Ellie has provided group work to various schools and specialises in working with the LGBTQIA+ community.

Ellie has a background in dance, theatre and performance and has worked with community groups supporting those recovering from addiction, young people with learning disabilities and asylum seekers to use creative arts as a therapeutic outlet and a tool to raise awareness of their experiences. Ellie’s exploration of complex issues has encouraged others to think, feel and discuss topics such as: Female Genital Mutilation, Sexual Abuse and Mental Health Issues.

Robyn Mitcham

BA (Hons), PGCE, Dip NDPT.
Trained in Parent Child Attachment Play, Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy Level 1, Clinical Supervision, Sensorimotor Psychotherapy Level 1 and 2 and AIM3 – (Assessment, Intervention and Moving on).

Robyn has worked with Children and families since 2004 and is a registered member of BACP. She is a qualified Teacher and qualified Play Therapist and has worked with children and young people in various school settings, supporting a variety of needs and difficulties. She has worked for several years with Looked After Children and Adopted children in education and social care settings providing therapy and therapeutic support packages for children and families.

Robyn is experienced in delivering therapeutic parenting support. She has experience in completing direct work and Therapeutic Life Story Work with children. Robyn has experience of working Therapeutically with children and families facing a range of complex difficulties including: attachment disorders, complex and developmental trauma, FAS, neglect, physical and sexual abuse, sexual exploitation, drug and alcohol misuse, parental mental health difficulties, premature birth and birth trauma, hallucinations, self-harm, eating disorders, bereavement, ADHD, ASD, issues around identity and gender, physical disability, anxiety and phobias, sexually harmful behaviours.

Robyn is an integrative Play Therapist and draws on a number of approaches and frameworks in her work with children and families.

Robyn is DDP level 1 training and is training in Parent Child Attachment Play. Robyn has gained her Level 2 qualification in Sensorimotor Psychotherapy and also provides therapy for adults. She is qualified in the AIM 3 assessment model. Her work has included extensive work with adoptive families, Children on SGO’s, children and families in the care system and those in residential care. Robyn is experienced in facilitating attachment support groups for foster carers and school staff. Robyn is experienced in providing training and consultation to a range of agencies including education, social care, parents/carers and residential settings. She has provided support for school staff and parents/carers around issues related to mental health and emotional wellbeing- creating individualised support packages for vulnerable children and young people. Robyn is experienced in working with and supporting staff in residential care settings as a variety of other professionals who work with children and families. Robyn is experienced in multi-agency working. Robyn provides clinical supervision to Tiptoes team members and external agencies/individuals.

CV available upon request.

Kim Woodhouse

She/Her

MA CCPT( with distinction), Social Science BA (Hons), DIPSW, PQ1, Theraplay and Filial Therapy. Registered with SWE and BAPT. CAPA, CPRT, BUSS, DDP and AIM3 informed practitioner and trained, experienced clinical supervisor.

Kim joined Tiptoes in 2016 and is a qualified therapist and social worker. She has extensive experience working with children and families since 1986 in various settings including Safeguarding, Fostering and Adoption and Therapeutic services. She is a qualified BAPT registered Play therapist and a qualified registered social worker with Social Work England. She has worked in the private, public and voluntary sector as a Social Worker, Therapist, Manager, Independent Reviewing Officer and Practitioner. Kim has worked as a Senior Mental Health Practitioner for Children Looked After with a CAMHS service and is trained in attachment-based therapies including: Theraplay, Filial therapy, CAPA (Child Attachment Parent Assessment), CPRT (Child Parent Relationship training), BUSS (Building Underdeveloped Sensory Motor Systems) and AIM3 – (Assessment, Intervention and Moving on).

She has significant assessment experience both in the court arena and in fostering services. She is an experienced trainer and has been a local safe guarding training co-ordinator. She has implemented training in Safeguarding, Child Mental Health, Attachment and pre and post approval training for foster carers. She has also been a Fostering and Adoption Panel Member and Supervisor.

CV available on request.

Tim Woodhouse

SPI; (TT, DT, AT and CT), MA NDPT, DipSW, PQSW, Fil. th. EMDR, ABE app., ETT, SSPT, ISPT, IFS, BUSS, AIM3.

Tim Woodhouse has worked with children and families since 1984 and specifically in the field of sexual harm (sexual abuse, sexual assault, rape, children who sexually harm children and child sexual exploitation) since 1996. He is an advanced and certified Sensorimotor Psychotherapist, Enactive trauma therapist, registered Non-directive Play therapist, Filial therapist, EMDR Practitioner, Jungian and Integrative sand play therapist, an ABE approved Social Worker and is currently studying Internal Family Systems Therapy. Tim is also trained in BUSS Level 1, (Building Underdeveloped Sensory Motor Systems) and AIM3 – (Assessment, Intervention and Moving on). He worked on the NSPCC child sexual abuse consultancy for 16 years where he co-founded the Hilton House attachment project and the St. Mary’s children’s sexual assault referral centre in Manchester, was an investigator on the Waterhouse inquiry and vice chair of BAPT. He was principle tutor on the Liverpool Hope MA course in play therapy and is a visiting lecturer to Manchester Universities 2nd and 3rd Year MA social work programme. He is the Founder and CEO of Tiptoes Child Therapy Service, a provision for children and families affected by sexual harm and developmental trauma launched in 2010.

He is a published author, keynote speaker, consultant, trainer, clinical supervisor, provider of clinical governance and has been a governmental advisor on a number of research programmes.

A CV is available on request