Maple Leaf Counselling & Training Centre

Amanda began her own counselling training at Maple Leaf and was delighted to later return as a member of the teaching team, bringing her experience as both a former student and practising counsellor into the classroom. She works as an integrative therapist and has undertaken additional training in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT). Amanda has a particular interest in trauma-informed practice and is continuing to develop her knowledge and skills through further specialist training in trauma, PTSD and dissociation. In her teaching, Amanda draws on her clinical experience alongside her understanding of the counselling training journey, supporting students as they develop their skills, self-awareness and confidence as practitioners. Outside of counselling and teaching, Amanda enjoys reading, baking, composing music and spending time with her cats.

Polly is a qualified Integrative Holistic Psychotherapist with a particular interest in the mind-body connection and approaches that support the whole person. She teaches Levels 2 and 4 at Maple Leaf alongside her private counselling practice, organisational staff-care work and further study at Level 6 in Therapeutic Counselling Supervision. With a BSc in Psychology, Polly has extensive experience supporting children, young people and adults through therapeutic family work in school and community settings. Her previous roles have also included Pastoral Manager and Designated Safeguarding Lead, as well as training professionals in areas including attachment, domestic abuse and drugs and alcohol. Polly brings this broad professional experience, alongside her own continued personal development, to her teaching and is passionate about supporting students as they develop both personally and professionally. Outside work, she enjoys hot yoga, reading, meditation, music and exploring the world, and values maintaining a healthy balance between work and life.

Dean completed the majority of his counselling training at Maple Leaf, giving him a strong understanding of the student experience, the challenges of counselling training and the commitment involved in developing as a practitioner. As a tutor, Dean brings an approachable, compassionate and relaxed style to the classroom while also recognising the importance of appropriate challenge in supporting both educational and personal growth. As in his counselling work, he places particular value on relationship, trust and creating an environment in which people feel able to explore and learn. Alongside teaching at Maple Leaf, Dean works pluralistically as a counsellor in private practice and within agency settings, supporting clients with a range of experiences and presenting issues. He also offers nature-based walk-and-talk counselling and is trained to deliver mindfulness to individuals and groups. Dean takes a holistic view of wellbeing and has a particular interest in the different aspects of what makes us human — including our physical, emotional, intellectual, relational and spiritual lives — and how these can contribute to our relationship with ourselves, others and the world around us. Outside work, Dean enjoys learning and reading across a wide range of subjects, with music holding a particular place in his life — from pure enjoyment through to emotional connection and healing.

With more than two decades of clinical counselling experience working with both adults and children, and over 13 years supervising practitioners, Gail’s career has been shaped by a deep commitment to therapeutic excellence. As a Director of Maple Leaf, Gail has a key role in maintaining clinical and training standards while continuing to teach and support therapists at different stages of their professional development. Her particular passion is supporting student and qualified counsellors to reach their potential. Gail believes that qualifying and developing as a counsellor requires far more than academic knowledge; it calls for resilience, self-awareness, reflective practice and strong practical guidance. Through a supportive but appropriately challenging approach, Gail encourages developing practitioners to strengthen their skills, confidence and professional identity, enabling them to build ethical, effective and fulfilling careers.

Jordan completed his counselling training at Maple Leaf and has since returned as a tutor, bringing both his clinical experience and understanding of the student journey into the classroom. He is a Professionally Accredited member of the National Counselling and Psychotherapy Society (NCPS), a CPCAB-approved counselling tutor and a fully trained EMDR therapist. Alongside his counselling and teaching work, Jordan is currently undertaking an MSc in Psychology of Mental Health and Wellbeing. Jordan works integratively with adults and has particular interests in trauma and PTSD, anxiety and stress, self-esteem, identity and personal development, neurodivergent wellbeing and relationship difficulties. His practice draws on person-centred, psychodynamic and CBT approaches alongside specialist EMDR therapy. Before becoming a counsellor, Jordan spent many years working within a multinational corporate environment. This experience gives him a particular understanding of workplace pressures, career demands and the impact these can have on emotional wellbeing. Jordan brings this combination of professional, clinical and lived workplace experience to his teaching, encouraging students to develop their own thoughtful, ethical and authentic way of working.

Julia completed her counselling training at Maple Leaf and later returned as a tutor, fulfilling a long-held ambition to teach after more than 20 years working in sales and marketing. She is a BACP Accredited Counsellor and qualified clinical supervisor, working integratively with adults, couples and young people. Julia has particular interests in attachment and relational work and has undertaken additional Level 5 training in Attachment-Based Psychotherapy and Counselling Children & Young People. She is currently continuing her professional development through Level 7 post-qualification study in attachment-focused psychotherapeutic practice. Alongside her teaching and supervision work, Julia has experience across agency settings, secondary schools and private practice. Her previous corporate career also gives her a particular understanding of workplace stress, burnout and the impact working environments can have on emotional wellbeing. Julia brings warmth, professional experience and a strong relational focus to her teaching, supporting students as they develop their skills, self-awareness and confidence as practitioners. Outside work, Julia enjoys playing hockey, watching football, travelling and reading — particularly when travelling gives her the opportunity to do both at once.

Julie is a qualified integrative counsellor and clinical supervisor who completed part of her own core counselling training at Maple Leaf before returning as a tutor. Alongside her clinical work, Julie is Centre Manager at Maple Leaf and plays a key role in the day-to-day running and ongoing development of the training centre. She teaches on the Level 4 Diploma in Therapeutic Counselling and Level 6 Therapeutic Counselling Supervision, supporting students as they move from developing counselling skills through to qualified practice and, later, supervision. Julie works integratively with adults and has a particular interest in stress, anxiety and the impact of demanding working environments. Having spent many years working within the hospitality industry before becoming a counsellor, she has a particular understanding of the pressures experienced by those working in fast-paced, people-focused professions. As both a tutor and supervisor, Julie values reflective practice, self-awareness and appropriate challenge, and encourages practitioners to develop confidence in their own professional identity rather than simply learning how they think a counsellor should be. Outside work, Julie loves to travel, is an avid reader of fiction and is rarely very far away from a Diet Coke.

Karen has been part of Maple Leaf from its earliest days and has played an important role in the development of the centre and its training provision over many years. As Senior Tutor Lead, Karen supports the quality and development of teaching across Maple Leaf alongside her own extensive teaching practice. She teaches on the Level 4 Diploma in Therapeutic Counselling and Level 5 Psychotherapeutic Counselling programme, and leads the Level 6 Therapeutic Counselling Supervision course. Karen is an experienced counsellor and clinical supervisor whose therapeutic work has taken place across a wide range of settings. Her experience includes working therapeutically with adults, children and young people, as well as work within local authority and crisis services. This breadth of experience brings a strong practical perspective to both her teaching and supervision. Karen is passionate about supporting counsellors throughout their professional development, from their early practitioner training through to advanced practice and supervision. Her teaching combines professional experience with the reflective, relational approach that sits at the heart of training at Maple Leaf. Outside work, Karen loves walking and exploring with her dog, Flex, and can regularly be found discovering somewhere new with him.

Laura is a BACP Registered Integrative Counsellor and JNC-qualified Youth Worker, with a particular professional interest in young people, wellbeing and anxiety. Her career has included extensive work within youth and community services, senior leadership, safeguarding, programme development and training. Laura is a Director of Aptitude Organisation CIC, where her work focuses on supporting young people and families, and she also works as a mental-health consultant and trainer. Alongside teaching at Maple Leaf, Laura works therapeutically in private practice and as a Senior Practitioner, supporting adults and young people. She has a particular interest in working with young people and brings substantial experience of developing and delivering programmes designed to strengthen emotional wellbeing and resilience. Laura is also an experienced trainer and CPCAB-approved counselling tutor and assessor. She brings together her experience of counselling, youth work, safeguarding, training and organisational leadership to support students in developing as confident, reflective and ethical practitioners.

Rebecca is a BACP Accredited Psychotherapist and qualified clinical supervisor with a Master's Degree in Counselling Psychology. She works therapeutically with adults, children and young people and has extensive experience across counselling, psychotherapy, supervision and training. At Maple Leaf, Rebecca teaches on the Level 5 Children and Young People counselling programme, bringing her considerable experience of therapeutic work with children and young people into the classroom. Rebecca has a particular professional interest in trauma-informed practice and attachment and has undertaken further training across a range of therapeutic approaches, including dyadic psychotherapy and attachment work with children, ACT, CBT, DBT and Compassion Focused Therapy. Alongside teaching, Rebecca runs her own private practice, where she works with adults and young people and provides clinical supervision. Her therapeutic environment is also shared with more than ten rescue animals, who contribute their own rather unique presence to the space. Rebecca's broad clinical experience and specialist work enable her to bring a strong practical and relational perspective to teaching, supporting counsellors as they develop their practice with children and young people. Rebecca has her own private practice which is supported and staffed by over ten rescue animals which contribute to the therapeutic space. Rebecca has extensive experience in a range of different settings and offers integrative Counselling and Psychotherapy to adults and children, Clinical Supervision, and training. Rebecca is a trauma informed EMDR practitioner and BACP accredited counsellor. Some of her work involves critical incident debriefing and training front line emergency services staff in mental health and trauma training.

Shelly is an experienced counsellor, clinical supervisor and tutor who has been part of the Maple Leaf teaching team for the past three years. She leads both of our Level 5 Children and Young People counselling programmes, supporting qualified counsellors as they develop the specialist knowledge, creativity and confidence needed to work therapeutically with children and young people. Alongside her work at Maple Leaf, Shelly works therapeutically within a secondary school, supporting young people with a broad and often complex range of experiences and challenges. This frontline experience gives her a strong understanding of the realities of working therapeutically with adolescents and brings a practical, current perspective to her teaching. Shelly has a particular passion for creative therapeutic work with children and young people — including the use of puppets — and encourages students to think creatively about how therapeutic relationships can be developed in ways that are appropriate and accessible for younger clients. As both a tutor and clinical supervisor, Shelly brings warmth, experience and a strong commitment to supporting counsellors in developing safe, ethical and responsive practice with children and young people. Outside work, Shelly loves music, enjoys getting out and exploring with her dog and can occasionally be found enjoying herself at a festival.

Theresa is an experienced counsellor, clinical supervisor and educator with an extensive background in counselling training and professional development. She is a qualified Level 6 Therapeutic Counselling Supervisor and works relationally and integratively, with her practice grounded primarily in a person-centred approach. Alongside her work at Maple Leaf, Theresa is a university lecturer in counselling and has taught across a range of counselling programmes, from qualifying practitioner training through to degree and postgraduate study. Her teaching experience encompasses counselling theory, skills, ethics, placement and personal development. At Maple Leaf, Theresa teaches on the Level 6 Therapeutic Counselling Supervision programme and is currently working with the centre to develop our new Level 5 Trauma with Attachment course, which she will lead. Her particular professional interests include attachment, relational practice and Interpersonal Neurobiology, which inform both her therapeutic and educational work. Theresa is passionate about supporting counsellors throughout their professional development and brings together her experience as a practitioner, supervisor and educator to help students connect theory with thoughtful, reflective and ethical practice.

Victoria is an experienced counsellor and clinical supervisor and a longstanding member of the Maple Leaf teaching team. She teaches on our Level 3 Certificate in Counselling Studies and has played an important role in developing the programme over the years, helping to ensure that the course continues to evolve in line with current professional standards and qualification requirements. Alongside her teaching at Maple Leaf, Victoria works as a counsellor within the Family Support Team at St Richard’s Hospice. Her therapeutic work brings valuable experience of supporting individuals and families through difficult and significant periods in their lives. Victoria brings her clinical and supervisory experience into the classroom alongside a strong commitment to counselling education. She is passionate about supporting students as they deepen their understanding of counselling theory, develop their practical skills and begin to explore themselves more fully as developing practitioners. Outside work, Victoria is a keen traveller and a big music lover, enjoying opportunities to explore new places and experience live music.