About ABC     

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.

Karen has undertaken training in Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy and Theraplay (both levels 1 & 2), Filial Therapy, Online Therapy 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.

              

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. Susan has significant expertise in vulnerable, exploited, missing and trafficked children, and has chaired the Local Safeguarding Children Board (LSCB) sub group. Other responsibilities have included taking lead roles on workforce development, staff supervision, appraisal management, capability and complaints processes. Previously Susan acted as the Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO) and has delivered safeguarding training to social care students and professionals internally and externally on behalf of Teesside University. Susan is responsible for delivering Reflective Learning Time supervision for school leaders across a range of education establishments in Teesside.

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.