Meet the Team
ABC Counselling, Play Therapy and Family Solutions C.I.C. (Community Interest Company) has many talented, experienced and highly qualified therapists who are passionate about making a positive difference for the children, young people and families that we work with. They are led by 4 directors who have a wealth of knowledge and experience in the field of well-being and psychological services.
Directors
Peter Lowe MBE
Peter Lowe
Director & Senior Child and Family Therapist
Peter is a qualified Social worker and a PTUK accredited Play Therapist. Peter received his MBE in 2011 for developing and delivering innovative restorative approaches to heal the harm/trauma caused by crime.
Peter joined ABC in 2015 as a Director and works across Teesside delivering Play Therapy. Peter is also a qualified FMA mediator and Restorative Facilitator.
Peter is a UKCP certified Clinical Supervisor and is trained in Level 2 (DDP) Dyadic Development Psychotherapy & Level 2 Theraplay. In his spare time Peter likes to spend time with his family, enjoying long beach walks with his dogs. He stepped out of his comfort zone in Feb 2022, reaching the summit of Kilimanjaro to raise much needed funds for the ABC Essentials Bank.
More About Peter
Peter has completed training in Filial Play and REWIND trauma therapy. He is an experienced, dedicated, skilled and trusted therapist who has a track record of delivering excellent outcomes for children, young people and families in a wide range of settings, including pre and post adoption work.
Peter is experienced in delivering child and family centred psychotherapy approaches, with a proven history of achieving successful outcomes for children, young people who have experienced loss, trauma and/or attachment issues. In order to tailor therapy packages, Peter uses a range of evidence based assessment tools aimed at better understanding the needs of children and young people who need help in forming secure attachments.
Peter is a contributing author to the Sage 2018 2nd Edition Handbook for Counselling Children and Young People, which is widely used as a main university text and reference point
Karen Lowe
Karen Lowe (MA) is a BACP Accredited Counsellor, PTUK Accredited Play Therapist and qualified Clinical Supervisor. She has a particular interest in trauma and attachment and a significant amount of her time is spent working with adopted children and their families and with those children and young people in the looked after system.
More About Karen
Karen has undertaken training in Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy and Theraplay (both levels 1 & 2), Filial Therapy, Online Therapy, Therapeutic Life Story Work and Eye Movement and Desensitisation Reprocessing (EMDR). Karen is trained in both child and adult EMDR and has undertaken all three levels of adult EMDR training and both levels of child EMDR training. As well as being an experienced therapist and clinical supervisor, Karen leads on ABC therapy services and has previously worked as Assistant Course Director for Play Therapy United Kingdom (PTUK) on the MA In Practice – Based Play Therapy. Karen has completed the Train the Trainers Programme with Kim Golding to deliver Foundations for Attachments and Nurturing Attachments group work programmes. She delivers group work for foster carers and adoptive parents as well as bespoke training packages for school staff, residential care workers and other professionals.
Karen Lowe
Director & Senior Child and Family Therapist
Susan Jackson
Susan Jackson recently retired from her post as lead Safeguarding and Child Protection Officer based in Redcar & Cleveland. Susan has specialised in Children & Families, particularly as Lead Officer for Safeguarding and until recently, was the senior manager for SEND & Safeguarding for Redcar & Cleveland Local Authority.
More About Susan
Dr Sue Pattison
Dr Sue Pattison is a counsellor, supervisor and trainer. She was Director of a PhD programme at Newcastle University for many years and is now Lecturer in Psychology at Arden University. Sue teaches and researches counselling internationally, and has a busy counselling and supervision practice. She is a Joint Chair of the BACP Children, Young People and Families Division, founder member of Counselling in Schools Research Consortium and joint editor of the Sage Handbook for Counselling Children and Young People. Sue also runs her own online training courses as SPC Online Training Academy.
Our Senior Therapist Team
Angie Boaler
Service Manger, Safeguarding Lead & Senior Child and Family Therapist
Sarah Porritt
Senior Child and Family Therapist
Petra Cooklandova
Deputy Service Manger & Senior Child and Family Therapist
Emma Bauckham
Senior Child and Family Therapist
Nicole Luz Togni
Senior Child and Family Therapist
Our ABC Therapists
Amy Hann
Child and Family Therapist
Lucy Kennedy
South Tees Mental Health Support Team Therapist
Stephen Wade
Child and Family Therapist
Elle Stanger
Child and Family Therapist
Laura McBride
Child and Family Therapist
Duncan Wiles
Child and Family Therapist
Edwina Bryant
Education Mental Health Practitioner
Cheryl Trelfa
Child and Family Therapist
Debbie Isley
Children and Young People's Counsellor
Emma Kavanagh
Child and Family Therapist
Our Trainees
Yuki Smith
Student Child and Young Person Therapist
Corinna Walker
Student Child and Young Person Therapist
Chloe Howe
Trainee Children’s Wellbeing Practitioner
Becky Stewart
Volunteer Child and Young Person Therapist
Our Business Administrators
Katie Hart
Senior Business Administrator
Nicole Curry
Business Administrator
Dr Emma Dixon
Consultant Clinical Psychologist
Sandra Bell
Child & Family Therapist
Deborah Williamson
Counsellor & Play Therapist
Our team of qualified children and family therapists are experienced in working with a wide range of wellbeing, trauma and attachment issues. All work is clinically overseen and supported to ensure it is safe, measurable and impactful. The therapists are professionally qualified and experienced counsellors who hold an enhanced DBS disclosure and work within the ABC Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy. The therapists deliver the service according to the ‘Ethical Framework for Good Practice’ of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP).