Hi, I’m Karen.

What Children Have Taught Me

This way of working wasn't something I decided on overnight. It has developed over years of working with children, reflecting on my own practice and, importantly, paying attention to what the children I've worked with have taught me along the way.

My background in psychology and education gives me the theory and evidence behind what I do, but experience has taught me to stay curious. Again and again, I've seen that behaviour makes more sense when we move beyond asking only, “How do we stop this?” and also ask, “Why is this happening for this child?”

That doesn't mean we wait until we have every answer before we start helping. Practical strategies and supports can be put in place from the beginning to help with behaviours that are challenging for the child or the people around them. But those strategies aren't set in stone. As I get to know your child — what motivates them, what overwhelms them, how they communicate, what they seek or avoid, what helps them regulate and what their behaviour may be communicating — the support evolves too.

The more we understand the whole child, the more individualised and meaningful that support can become. I don't expect to know everything about your child when we first meet. I expect to listen, observe, learn from you and your child, reflect on what's working and what isn't, and work it out together.

“Not because we have all the answers, but because we believe the best answers are found by listening, learning and working alongside the people who know the child best.”