“My 11 year old daughter sought therapeutic support in 2020, due to growing worries that were affecting her sleeping, eating, and behaviour in the home. She was gradually being overwhelmed by worries and Vicki’s work with her really helped her have an understanding as to how her brain was working and has given her a framework for understanding herself more fully. The concept of strong brain and hedgehog brain was really helpful, and the understanding of how worries come and go, then how to manage them so that they don’t stop and take over everything has really helped her. For us as parents, we have been helped with how to respond to our daughters needs sensitively and recognise the signs of switching off or vacantness being connected to stress and worries. We now feel better equipped to help our daughter moving forward into her teenage years. Vicki’s work has been foundational in helping support our daughters mental health at a pivotal time for her.”

“Vicki has been very supportive, calm and gentle with me. She sets a comforting atmosphere and always supplies tea. She has helped me a great deal with my trauma, and I highly recommend her.”

“The sessions were specific to the needs of our sons difficulties, Vicki was able to develop a positive trusting relationship.  She is supportive and honest, and during a difficult time of lockdown her support was amazing.

Our son sustained an assault leaving him confused and anxious Vicki’s helped through the difficult time.

He has transitioned between school and college, Vicki supported him to help alleviate his worries and fears, he has made great progress through the therapy sessions and he has been supported to make positive changes.”

“Vicki really helped me, she listened to me when I had lots of worries, we worked together to find strategies to help cope when I get stressed and anxious.  I had lots of difficulties at school and she really supported me especially after I was attacked, she helped me realize it wasn’t my fault and I am a stronger person for all the help I’ve had.

I have started college and I have made some new friends I feel like I have a good future and I love collage.  I still have to sometimes work to manage my big feelings but I have good ways of doing this now, I don’t damage things in my room any more I go for a walk and listen to music.”

“It was my first time at counselling and I felt very apprehensive opening up to someone I didn’t know, but as soon as my first session started, Vicki made that easier for me and I felt very comfortable. Vicki helped me cope with challenging issues and assisted me with realistic coping strategies that I use almost daily. She was very supportive, calm and understanding and with all this I was able to move forward and make positive changes. Thank you Vicki for all your help and support, I would 100% recommend to anyone. “

“I contacted Vicki in 2021 for help with overwhelming personal and professional issues. My friends are a great support network but I felt I needed an outsiders viewpoint to give an unbiased perspective on my situation and some kind of structured help to deal with it. 

I’ve never had therapy before but would absolutely recommend it and particularly Vicki to anyone struggling or feeling as stuck as I was. Vicki was calm, friendly, supportive and objective. Our sessions gave me a safe space to talk freely and practical coping techniques. I’ve been able to move forward in a positive way at last.”

“I met Vicki towards the end of  2019 when attending a course through Adopt North East on Attachment.  It was recommended that I look to therapy.  My daughter who was about to turn 14 had hit the skids quite badly and had awakened trauma in me that I had long ago thought I had dealt with, but I realised that in order to help her I had to also help myself.  Vicki came highly recommended through the two partners at the time of SCS Training.  I started weekly sessions with Vicki which at first I found incredibly hard going.   I was having to root around in my past, and so instead tried to focus on what was going on with my daughter at the time.  Vicki kept bringing it back to me as she realised I had to deal with my past and try and put it to bed, although deflecting things came so naturally for me.  Vicki helped me to prepare a tree of events which made me realise that not everything in my past was awful.  Vicki helped me realise that although not having a mother of my own around to grow up with at the age my daughter now was.  It made me realise that I was doing everything I could to help my daughter, and in some ways possibly it helped that I had not had her around as I effectively did not have a mother parenting tape to rely on and that it was actually making me a better mother because I would never give up on her.   For me I think it was because I did not bump into my past very often I was able to put it to one side and brush it under the carpet.  Vicki made me realise I did not have to do that any more and that the trigger of seeing my mother instead of being upset that she did not even acknowledge I existed, but be thankful that she didn’t because at the end of the day I would not have been the parent I am today.  

I would highly, highly recommend Vicki as she really listened to me whilst gently pushing me back in the direction I needed to be rather than deflecting as I had seemed to do so easily.  Although compliments I am still not great with! 

Roll forward to 2022, I am in a much better place, our family is in a much better place, and our daughter although still hits bumps in the road is in a much better place.  

I don’t like to think where we would have been if I had not met Vicki and under her guidance realised that I am not a failure and that I am doing the best I can as a mother, wife, and friend and that no one is perfect. ”

“I’m very appreciative of the time Vicki spent with X and X, how she valued their thinking and promoted their insight into their own experiences.

I like Vicki’s common sense approach, that she was reliable and very considerate.”

Adoptive Mum, 2022

“Vicki is friendly and actually quite funny at times. She is a good listener and never puts words into your mouth like some general/school counsellors do.  She is nice to talk to and explains things clearly so that you understand why you may be feeling or behaving the way you are.  Vicki often knew why I felt the way I did before I did and she always helped me to understand why and how this could link to the trauma I had experienced in the past.  I would definitely recommend her therapy sessions as they really helped me.”

E, age 16

“Vicki has been supporting our children at different stages on our family’s journey since my twins were 8 years old.  I can honestly say her therapy sessions have made a huge difference to the dynamics of our family and the way we parent, support, discipline and interact with each other.  We have covered everything from the impact of birth family neglect/trauma, behaviour management, self-harm and more recently our twins have explored their birth family history  while doing their life story work so they can make real informed decisions going forward. Vicki is non-judgemental, kind, caring and supportive.  Her knowledge of PTSD trauma and how it impacts and affects our children’s life and choices was excellent. Vicki not only worked with us as a family but engaged and advocated for us with other professionals working alongside us including school teachers, school counsellors and more recently college tutors.  I can’t recommend her therapy enough, it’s like having a personal therapist and cheerleader all rolled into one.”

A, Mother of Twins