Marieh Hashemi.

Dramatherapist

Clinic: Farsley

Marieh is an HCPC-registered Dramatherapist and Psychodynamic Psychotherapist with postgraduate training in clinical psychology and dramatherapy. She currently works as a Psychotherapist within an NHS Secondary Care Adult Mental Health Service.

Marieh works with both children and adults, and believes that therapy should be tailored to the individual rather than following a one-size-fits-all approach. She works collaboratively with each client to understand their experiences, needs and goals, adapting the therapeutic approach throughout the process. Depending on what feels most helpful for the individual, therapy may involve talking and exploring thoughts, feelings and relationships through conversation, or may incorporate creative and embodied approaches.

With her background in Dramatherapy, Marieh can draw on movement, imagination, metaphor, role, storytelling and creative expression when these approaches are appropriate and meaningful for the client. Dramatherapy can offer an alternative way of exploring and communicating experiences that may be difficult to put into words. No previous experience of acting, drama or performance is required.

Marieh integrates Dramatherapy with psychodynamic psychotherapy according to each client’s needs and preferences. Her approach may therefore range from conventional talking therapy to more creative and experiential interventions, always guided by what feels safe, useful and appropriate for the person. She aims to provide a warm, supportive and non-judgemental therapeutic space where clients can develop greater self-understanding, explore emotions and relationships, and work towards meaningful personal change.

Marieh is also bilingual in English and Persian (Farsi) and has experience working with people from diverse cultural backgrounds. Her practice is person-centred, trauma-informed and compassionate, with an emphasis on building a safe and trusting therapeutic relationship.

HCPC registration: AS019238

BADth registration: 03195460

Face-to-face: Tuesday 14:30-20:30,  Thursday 8:00-14:00

Online: N/A

Ellie Brown.

Certified Play Therapist

Clinic: Farsley

Ellie Brown is a certified Play Therapist with over 5 years of post-qualification experience supporting children with Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs). Her career began in schools with a focus on social, emotional, and mental health (SEMH), where she delivered play therapy to children with a wide range of needs, including supporting children through bereavement, trauma, emotional regulation challenges, and children with neurodiverse needs. She has dedicated her career to helping children process trauma, build resilience and achieve emotional well-being. Her work is grounded in the principles of attachment theory and neurodevelopmental research. She understands that trauma can impact brain development and that therapeutic interventions must be developmentally matched, sensory-informed, and relationship-focused.

Ellie is passionate about creating safe, trusting and therapeutic environments. Outside of Kaleidoscope, she works for a mental health charity where she supports children from diverse backgrounds, including those involved with social services, on child protection plans or from broken family environments. Ellie delivers one-to-one therapeutic interventions within primary schools across inner-city Bradford, supporting children who have experienced complex trauma. She works systemically with parents and carers, whom she sees as essential agents of change, and collaborates closely with school staff to create consistent, nurturing environments for the young people she supports. Ellie brings a trauma-informed, empathetic approach to every child she works with, drawing on a strong foundation of practical experience in education and therapeutic settings. In addition to her play therapy qualifications, Ellie is also a certified Autoplay provider, which enables her to work closely with neurodiverse children and their families in a tailored, compassionate, and strengths-based way.

PTUK reg: 201802258

Face-to-face: Saturdays 8.00-14:00

Online: n/a

Molly Myers.

Relational Psychotherapist

Social Worker

Clinic: Farsley

Molly Myers is a Psychotherapist registered with the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy, educated to Master’s level. Molly has a decade of experience working with children, young people, and adults experiencing emotional distress. Alongside private practice, Molly currently manages a Therapeutic Service within Children’s Social Care and is a qualified social worker.

Molly is client-centred and creative in her approach and believes therapy should be a collaborative and empowering experience. Being an integrative therapist means Molly draws on a range of therapeutic perspectives, whilst holding the therapeutic relationship at the heart of her approach, as this is key to growth and healing. She enjoys working with clients from a variety of backgrounds and has experience working alongside clients with experience of complex trauma.

Molly has a strong understanding of developmental trauma, theories of attachment, human development, and intersubjectivity. Molly has experience in several therapeutic approaches which all inform her individual and dyadic work. For example, Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy (DDP), Trauma-focused Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (TF-CBT) and Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT).

Molly is passionate about working in a holistic, non-pathologising way. Humans are inherently relational, how we develop is influence by our connections to others and ourselves. Molly’s approach aims to create a safe, validating, and reflective space to support clients to build meaningful connections and a greater understanding of themselves. Increasing self-awareness leads to opening up alternative choices and possibilities. Molly will regularly review the therapeutic process with clients to ensure there is shared intention and meeting their needs.

BACP Reg – 395213

Social Work England – SW93050

Face-to-face: Wednesday 8:00-14:00

Online: Tuesday 17:30 -20:30

Dr Helena Rose.

Systemic Family Therapist

Clinical Psychologist

Clinic: Online only

Helena has practised as a systemic family therapist and clinical psychologist with people and their families in NHS and charity services, including early intervention in psychosis and community mental health teams. She has worked with people facing a wide range of difficulties, mental health problems, emotional distress, and challenging family situations. She is also a trainer and supervisor for trainee and qualified family therapists and clinical psychologists across the UK and in Europe.

People often come to therapy when they are feeling stuck, when a situation seems to be getting worse, and when they have exhausted all other ideas and attempts to find a solution. Often people are facing significant changes in their lives such as illness, unemployment, moving home, new family members, getting older, divorce, death, and trauma. They might be finding that relationships are coming under pressure, or they are feeling concerned about a partner or relative. Other people want to talk about dilemmas they are facing in their lives and relationships, or how they might want the future to look.

Helena offers individual, couple, and family therapy to create new understandings and appreciate different perspectives, to express and explore difficult thoughts and emotions sensitively, to (re)discover hopes, abilities, and possibilities, to find ways to go on under challenging circumstances, and to work together to make useful changes in people’s lives and relationships.

She offers a flexible approach and will adapt her ways of working according to your needs and preferences. She will talk with you about how you would like to work together. She pays careful attention to the social and cultural aspects of people’s lives, as well as the problems and dilemmas they are dealing with. You are welcome to bring whoever is important to you, including family, friends, and loved ones.

UKCP reg: 2011166278

HCPC reg: PYL25600

Face-to-face: N/A

Online: Flexible

Lydia Burfield.

Systemic Family Therapist

Clinic: Alwoodley

Pronouns She/Her

Lydia Burfield qualified as a systemic psychotherapist over 20 years ago and since then has worked in CAMHs and social care as a therapist and supervisor, as well as practicing privately. Lydia has lots of experience working with individuals of all ages, families, adult couples, and separated co-parents. She specialises in working with people who have experienced difficult life events and trauma as well as those struggling with overwhelming emotions and relationship difficulties. She often works with people with neurodevelopmental differences.

Systemic therapy focuses on relationships between people. Lydia is also trained to level 2 in DDP (Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy) a family-based intervention for children who have experienced trauma; to level 1 in IFS (Internal Family Systems) a therapeutic approach which applies systemic principles to our internal relationship with ourselves and our emotions and DBT (Dialectic Behaviour Therapy) a skills-based approach to emotions and relationships. In addition, she is trained in a range of evidence-based parenting approaches.

The decision to start therapy is often a brave one. Lydia aims to create a calm space in which she and you can together build a relationship from which to explore your hopes and goals for the work and your future. Talking is a big part of therapy and it’s only one part. Lydia also uses creative and play-based approaches as well as body and movement-based (somatic) approaches to explore feelings and relationships.

All people are different. Lydia will work with you to figure out what approaches work best for you and the pace that feels right. She is sensitive to diverse family structures, beliefs, and cultures and actively works to practice inclusively.

UKCP 04156323

Face-to-face: Tuesday 14:30-20:30

Online: n/a

Merinda Levi.

Systemic Family Therapist

Clinic: Farsley

Merinda Levi is a highly skilled and qualified Systemic Family Psychotherapist and Social Worker. With over 20 years experience working within a range of NHS, private and charitable services, Merinda has worked extensively with children and families who are experiencing emotional distress. She has particular specialisms in working with neurodiversity and gender diversity, and has undertaken additional training in DDP and BUSS.

As a Systemic Family Psychotherapist, Merinda is experienced in applying this theoretical model and strengths-based approach to working with whole family groups, as well as with couples, and individually with adults and young people who are experiencing relational difficulties across the life cycle. This includes, for example, parent-child, sibling and couples relationship difficulties.
Merinda uses an approach to therapy which involves working closely with people to explore their lived experiences to better understand what patterns, beliefs and behaviours might be getting in the way of making relational change, as well as developing a greater understanding of their successes. At the heart of this, the values of being heard, respected and listened to are fundamental to Merinda’s practice. She works collaboratively with people to develop a shared understanding of what they want to achieve and the changes they wish to make in therapy, as well as regularly review her practice to ensure it is timely and appropriate.
Merinda is interested in activism when working with marginalised groups.

UKCP – 2011188340

SOCIAL WORK ENGLAND – SW82643

Face-to-face: Thursday 14:30-20:30

Online: n/a

Dr Marina Beckwith.

Clinical Psychologist

Clinic: Alwoodley

Dr Marina Beckwith is dual-trained as a Clinical Psychologist, registered with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC), and a Cognitive Behavioural Therapist, accredited with the British Association of Behavioural Cognitive Psychotherapists (BABCP).

Marina has worked in the NHS and third sector mental health services for over 10 years, working with people of all ages, backgrounds, and levels of need.  She shares her passion for Cognitive Behavioural Therapy by supporting with teaching on the University of Leeds, Clinical Psychology Doctorate programme.  She takes a compassionate, warm, and human approach to therapeutic work, recognising the value in exploring someone’s journey and wider context when trying to understand the tricky circumstances and challenges they may be navigating.  Marina draws on psychological theory to offer a range of evidence-based therapeutic approaches, working collaboratively with individuals to acknowledge and benefit from the expertise they hold in their own lived experience.  Marina seeks to support clients to identify and work towards meaningful, personalised goals with opportunities to evaluate and review progress throughout the therapeutic process, where this is felt to be valuable and appropriate.

Marina works primarily with adults, including those who have struggled or may still be struggling with a range of difficulties including anxiety, worry, social anxiety, depression, trauma, low self-esteem, addictions as well as unshared beliefs and experiences, sometimes referred to as ‘psychotic experiences’.  Whilst Marina works flexibly and approaches therapeutic work with each client at the centre of the process, she primarily draws on Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Compassion Focussed Therapy (CFT), and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT).

HCPC Reg: PYL043452

BABCP Reg: 998672

Face-to-face: Friday 8:00-14:00

Online: n/a

Dr Ciara Trant (she/her).

Clinical Psychologist

Clinic: Alwoodley

Ciara has worked in the NHS, local authority, and third sector mental health services for over 10 years. As part of her training, she has worked alongside people across the lifespan although she has a particular passion for working with children, young people, and their families.

She has previously worked in infant mental health services and children’s social care. These opportunities have informed her thinking and practice in terms of the importance of early childhood experiences and how they can shape our beliefs about ourselves, other people, and the world around us.

Ciara is currently working in CAMHS and a child neurodevelopmental assessment service. She has a special interest in working with neurodivergent children and their families. Supporting people on their journey to receiving a diagnosis, she recognises how it can help people to make sense of their experience. Working therapeutically with neurodivergent young people, she appreciates the importance of offering adaptations to talking therapy, so it is accessible, meaningful, and effective.

Ciara has completed additional training in Circle of Security and Dialectical Behavioural Therapy. Within therapy, she helps people to recognise and revise patterns in relationships that no longer serve them and support them to respond in healthier ways that align with their values, the person they want to be, and the life they want to create.

PACE (Playfulness, Acceptance, Curiosity, and Empathy) is an approach that really speaks to Ciara, and she seeks to embody this within therapy. By doing this she hopes to cultivate safety within the therapeutic relationship, so connection and healing can occur.

HCPC registration: PYL043490

Face-to-face: Thursday 3.30pm-6.30pm

Online: n/a

Aaron Thorpe.

Relational Psychotherapist 

Clinic: Alwoodley

Aaron Thorpe is an MBACP, MA-qualified counsellor. Over the last twenty years, his background has been in education at various teaching and leadership levels. This relational vocation reflects his desire to help, equip, and support others to achieve their very best. His whole teaching career is built on seeing the intrinsic value of each individual he works with.

Aaron’s fundamental belief is that human beings are relational in nature and they will thrive when they feel a sense of connection to themselves and others. That is why the bedrock of his therapeutic approach is rooted in developing a high-quality therapeutic relationship. He wants his clients to feel valued, heard and seen without judgment or prejudice. He works hard to ensure that his clients know that he is on their side no matter how challenging the process is and that he will support them to achieve their therapy goals.

Aaron recognises that most of our problems are rooted in a disrupted relational experience that produces an internal narrative which causes us to feel and see our lives in a restrictive, negative way, which leads to feeling undervalued, unworthy, stressed, anxious, lonely and confused. This in turn affects the relationship with ourselves and others. Understanding and changing this narrative is key to unlocking many issues that have held our lives back.

Aaron uses his knowledge and understanding of relationship dynamics, key theories, and how past traumas affect our lived experience to support and guide those he works with. He aims to create a space where clients feel accepted, genuinely heard, not judged, and valued for who they are. He’s always seeking to help his clients flourish and values being a part of their ongoing journey.

BACP Reg: 400233

Face-to-face: Wednesday 8:00-14:00

Online: n/a

Dr Cheri Fletcher.

Clinical Psychologist 

Clinic: Farsley

Dr Cheri Fletcher has worked for over 15 years within the NHS primarily in mental health settings, and is a highly experienced clinical psychologist registered with the HCPC (Health Care Professions Council).

Cheri currently works within an NHS and statutory service that supports children, young people and their families to stay together and supports their mental health. Cheri has experiences of working across the lifespan with individuals or families, ranging from; parents and their infants, children and young people, and also adults. Cheri receives regular clinical supervision in accordance with HCPC guidelines.

Cheri holds specialisms in working with trauma/developmental trauma and relational difficulties and can draw from a range of therapy modalities to inform her therapeutic approach. Her approach is particularly informed by therapeutic modalities such as EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitisation Reprocessing), Narrative Therapy, DDP (Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy), Systemic Therapy and Compassion Focused Therapy.The majority of her experience is working with families, parents/caregivers and their children within secondary mental health services or statutory services.

Cheri recognises that there can be times when there are no words, and in this, she can draw from creative-based approaches to help make sense of your story. Cheri believes in a strengths-based approach, where she recognises that we can often get stuck, especially if we have experienced times of adversity/difficulties. Cheri believes in healing connections with others, as well as healing connections within ourselves. She also recognises the body and mind can at times get stuck, particularly in experiences of significant distress. Cheri will work with you to help rebuild these connections and will work at your pace, as she recognises that experiences of distress can mean it is hard at times to connect with others.

Cheri focuses on a collaborative approach, where she sees that families and individuals are the experts of their own experiences. Cheri recognises that therapy can act as a guide to help break free from recurring patterns in which we may get stuck or to help relieve the distress from our own experiences that may prevent us from moving forward in our lives. In this sense Cheri recognises the powerful influence of therapy spaces, which can act as a “blank canvas”, and that we collectively bring our knowledge and tools into that space. Cheri will be guided by the families and individuals she sees to begin to “paint” the image/narrative and work collaboratively to reshape and rewrite our stories that can help us move forward in our goals. In this Cheri supports individuals/families to build a formulation; in other words, a way to make sense of what has happened to you and your family.  Cheri will explore appropriate therapy options with you, to determine what is a best fit for you/your family.

HCPC Reg: PYL36417

Face-to-face: Friday 14:30-19:00

Online: n/a

Helen Vincent.

Systemic Family Therapist

Clinic: Alwoodley (Mon), Farsley (Wed)

Helen has spent over 14 years working within NHS, local authority and research settings, supporting individuals and families. She completed professional training in Systemic Family Psychotherapy to be able to offer a more specialised approach when working with couples, families or groups of people.

Helen has experience of working across the lifespan, with a large proportion of her psychological career working with infants, children, and families. Helen has worked therapeutically with families during pregnancy and during the early years following birth, involving babies in the therapeutic work.  Helen is confident in incorporating creative approaches into talking therapy and is able to adapt her style according to client preferences/needs. Helen also provides training and consultation in the NHS to early years practitioners.

Distress, trauma and the varying challenges that people are faced with in life can be difficult to navigate alone; drawing on the strengths from our relationships can be a resource in therapy. Helen understands the importance of developing a trusting therapeutic relationship to create a safe space, enabling people to open up, share and explore. She believes these foundations can be the vehicle to facilitate change, both for relationships within and outside the therapy room. Helen values being able to connect with people, hear their stories and perspectives, and understand what is important to her clients. By working collaboratively, Helen can support you to communicate in a way that helps you to be heard whilst also hearing others, creating the foundations for meaningful conversations and subsequent change.

UKCP Reg: 2011174410

Face-to-face: Monday 9:00-14:00, Wednesday 15:00-18:30

Online: n/a

Lisa Hunter.

Art Psychotherapist

Clinic: Farsley

Lisa is a qualified Art Psychotherapist educated to Master’s level and clinically trained by the Leeds and York Partnership NHS Foundation Trust. Lisa has therapeutic experience working with emerging adults, adults and parent-infant dyads within an NHS inpatient setting. She continues to work within the Leeds and York Partnership NHS Foundation Trust Perinatal Services alongside private practice. With a background in fine arts and graphic communications, Lisa also has experience of artmaking with neurodivergent children and adults, and in hospice settings with children and adults processing shorter-life or end-of-life diagnoses.

Lisa is client-centred as a therapist with a strong understanding of trauma, attachment, compassion-focused and body-mind connection theories. She believes therapy should be a space for collaborative work at a pace set by the client and has a flexible approach to therapeutic techniques formed around the interests and goals of the client. She enjoys working with clients from a variety of backgrounds and has experience working alongside clients with complex trauma who have found more structured forms of therapy difficult to engage with.

Lisa believes art-making is a powerful tool of communication to help make sense of ourselves and the world around us. In processing and contextualising difficult thoughts, feelings and experiences visually we create an additional channel to consider ourselves externally. The act of artmaking can also help keep us regulated when recalling live or historical trauma as artmaking keeps the body in the present. Reconnecting and boosting body-to-mind connections to help us feel safe and secure in our body is an important focus of the work.

For many people, art therapy can be an immensely beneficial form of therapy. Learning to use art-making to express and make sense of ourselves reclaims a powerful tool for communication we once used as children. It also provides benefits of somatic expression (our physical sensations) tapping into present and historical emotions stored within the body without the brain’s dominance. Here we can surprise and explore ourselves beyond the limits of verbal communication.

HCPC Reg: AS018218

BAAT Reg: 49174

Face-to-face: Friday 8:30-12:30

Online: n/a

Dr Paul Walton.

Clinical Psychologist

Systemic Family Therapist

Clinic: Farsley

Dr Paul Walton has undertaken over 10 years of higher education study to achieve his dual professional qualifications in Clinical Psychology and Systemic Family Psychotherapy. He is highly experienced in working with people across the age range and has particular specialisms in working with children and families, including families within the looked after system or those who have been adopted.

He has over 15 years of experience practising psychological therapies in the public, private and charity sector. He is highly experienced in applying therapeutic models and theories to help people who are struggling with a range of psychological and emotional problems. He is an expert in supporting people to make meaningful changes through talking, creative and play-based approaches and believes that good therapy empowers people to overcome their problems.

Paul’s approach involves working closely with clients to help them discover and understand the problems that have arrived in their life. Using carefully constructed questions and creating a shared talking space, he is able to help his clients formulate the problem on their own terms and in their own language. This enables Paul and his clients to develop a bespoke approach to overcoming these psychological and emotional difficulties in ways that draw upon evidence-based practice but are unique to the individual client or family. The continued success of his approach is based upon his ability to develop strong therapeutic relationships with his clients and work collaboratively with them, evaluating his practice to ensure it is accurately meeting their needs.

Paul is an experienced supervisor and provides supervision to professionals working within mental health settings. He works as a trainer and organisational consultant as well as a lecturer on the University of Hull, Clinical Psychology Doctorate. He is well versed in working with organisations and teams to support meaningful developments and changes.

HCPC Reg:  PYL29413

UKCP Reg: 2011186539

Face-to-face: Monday 9:00-14:00

Online: Tuesday 9:00-17:00

Our
Bases.

For general enquiries about any of Kaleidoscope’s services please get in touch. Please note that all of our sessions are appointment only and must be arranged in advance of visiting either site.

We have two beautiful, purpose-built therapy rooms located across Leeds. Both rooms have been carefully designed to fulfil our mission of being a bespoke psychotherapy service that caters to adults and children alike. Our rooms are spaciously designed to provide a calm, safe environment for adults, couples, and families, while also accommodating play-based and creative therapeutic approaches for young people.

Sunny Bank Mills

Our flagship therapy space is located at the wonderful and well-established Sunny Bank Mills in Farsley, Leeds LS28.

We can be easily found from the Town Street entrance of the Sandsgate building, and occupy room 10. We are serviced by excellent transport links and there is free visitor parking in the car park to the right of the Sandsgate building.

Full address: Kaleidoscope Psychology and Psychotherapy, Sunny Bank Mills, 10 Sandsgate, 83-85 Town St, Leeds LS28 5UJ

Madison Offices

Our sister room is located in the lovely, leafy Alwoodley area at the HQ, Madison Offices, in Leeds, LS17.

We can be found halfway down Nursery Lane and parking is available directly outside of the HQ building and we are easily accessible via excellent transport links.  We occupy room 2 and can be hailed from the buzzer at the main entrance.

Full address: Kaleidoscope Psychology and Psychotherapy, HQ Madison Offices, Room 2, Nursery Ln, Leeds LS17 7HW