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

Sarah Butcher.

Art Psychotherapist

Clinic: Farsley

Sarah has a core qualification of an MA in Art Psychotherapy with additional trainings in DDP, EMDR, Narrative Therapy and BUSS. She has over 16 years experience of working as a therapist in the NHS, third sector and educational settings, with a specialism in working with developmental trauma. Sarah started her career working with adults with learning disabilities and has become practised at adapting her therapeutic stance to fit the needs of the client using creativity and pragmatism to create safety and connection. For many years now, her therapy practice has focused on re-building and strengthening attachment relationships through artmaking and play to create new family and relational narratives. Sarah has a particular interest in neurodivergency, and helping individuals and families make sense of and connect with how this shapes their lived experience. She has completed postgraduate research in this area. Sarah specialises in supporting recovery from trauma including domestic abuse, sexual abuse and traumatic bereavements. She believes in prioritising safety, transparency and collaboration with therapy clients across the age range.

Sarah is an experienced clinical supervisor.

HCPC reg: AS13438

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 neurodevelopmental difference and gender diversity.

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

Simon Jubb.

Systemic Psychotherapist 

Clinic: Alwoodley

Simon Jubb is an experienced Family and Systemic Psychotherapist and Systemic Supervisor. He has over 30 years’ experience working in the NHS, Social Care settings and the charity sector. He has worked extensively with children, young people and families as well as with adult couples, individuals and groups. Simon has worked with people with a wide range of traumatic life experiences, relationship difficulties and emotional distress – building trusting collaborative therapeutic relationships which open the possibility for change.

Simon has developed creative, evidence–based approaches to working with different difficulties. Challenging experiences in people’s lives can narrow options and lead to feelings of isolation and disconnection. Simon can help individuals, families, couples and groups explore their relationships with each other and themselves in safe and meaningful ways. He can support people to develop understandings of the problems they have encountered and what prevents connection and change. From this, the resources and strengths in people’s lives and relationships can be re-discovered and developed. Different perspectives and experiences can be heard and appreciated.

Beginning to meet with a therapist can feel like a big step. Simon values hearing and understanding people’s hopes and goals and identifying what is most important to them. This then supports conversations about how best to work together and this is reviewed throughout so that his practice and approaches best meet the needs of the people coming to therapy. Underpinning all these conversations and understandings is the importance of people feeling safe to explore, communicate and experience change.

Simon is an experienced Systemic supervisor and has provided supervision and consultation to mental health professionals, psychotherapists’ and teams.

UKCP: 09160886

Face to Face: Wednesdays 14:30 -18:00

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: Farsley

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: Wednesday 15:00-18:30

Online: n/a

Vicky Ward.

Systemic Family Therapist

Clinic: Alwoodley

Vicky is a qualified Systemic Psychotherapist who is registered with the UK Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP). As an experienced clinician, she works therapeutically with children, young people, individuals, couples, and families and is passionate about improving outcomes for all.

Vicky believes that everyone deserves the right to have a voice, express their thoughts and feelings and feel ‘heard’. Vicky believes in the importance of connections and the contexts of relationships and wider influences. This extends to the therapeutic relationship. Viewing the therapeutic relationship between client and therapist as of the utmost importance to co-creating a therapeutic space which feels safe. It is the safety and trust between client and therapist that allow for meaningful conversations together which allows for change to occur. Vicky will work closely with you to understand your needs and your goals whilst finding the best approach that fits for you. Vicky values feedback and will welcome feedback from you throughout your work together

Vicky has gained over 25 years of experience of working with vulnerable children, young people and their families in various community-based settings, statutory services and in education. Vicky has experience of working therapeutically with individuals, couples, parent work and is an experienced trained facilitator in parenting programmes.

Vicky’s learning and career journey began in working in Early Years settings providing Vicky with a strong knowledge and experience of what children need to support their development. This influences Vicky’s practice today in relation to her creative and playful approach.

Alongside private practice, Vicky works in the NHS within a Children and Young Persons Mental Health Service providing specialist therapy supporting children, young people, and their families who are experiencing a range of severe mental health difficulties and trauma. Vicky’s role also includes leadership, supervision, consultation and training.

Vicky’s core beliefs about working therapeutically include taking a strength-based, person-centred approach, working collaboratively with compassion, being relatable and authentic, being a curious practitioner whilst appreciating and valuing difference.

UKCP Reg: 2011186051

Face-to-face: Saturday 8:00-12:00

Online: n/a

Dr Christine Wilson.

Clinical Psychologist

Clinic: Farsley

Dr Christine Wilson is a highly qualified and experienced Consultant Clinical Psychologist.  She has worked for in excess of 25 years within a wide range of NHS and statutory services.  She has worked extensively with children and families, including those with experience of adoption, local authority care, neurodevelopmental difference and trauma.

She has worked as a consultant, supervisor and therapist with children, families and teams. She is highly skilled in the application of psychological theory to therapeutic work with children and their caregivers, individuals and families.  Christine’s approach is strongly associated with her view that clients of all ages have a right to be heard with respect and collaboration to support them to gain an understanding of their challenges and successes.  She is then able to support them to navigate forward to overcome these in a personally meaningful way.  Christine is able to offer a range of evidence-based therapeutic approaches applied as agreed between herself and the client as most likely to help them to move forwards.

Christine approaches therapeutic relationships with compassion, warmth and curiosity, she is especially skilled in supporting children and young people to safely explore their experiences through conversation,  therapeutic creativity and play-based approaches. She strongly believes that everyone’s experiences occur within their contexts; of relationships and environments and she carefully considers the impact of these throughout her work.

As an experienced supervisor, Christine is able to offer detailed values-based work, to support practitioners to develop their skills in a reflective and supportive way.  Christine strongly values the impact of reflective practices and is extremely skilled in enabling people to engage with these and develop their own abilities.

HCPC Reg: PYL22868

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

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

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 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 9:00-19:00

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