Caroline Dyson - I am a qualified teacher and integrative counsellor accredited with the British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP).  I have worked in a range of educational settings for over 25 years as well as working in an inpatient CAMHS hospital.  I use a variety of approaches to support students at Corley including: Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT); Eye Movement De-sensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR); clinical hypnotherapy; Mentalisation Based Therapy (MBT); Mindfulness; integrative counselling and Dog Mentor sessions with my therapy dog, Molly.  I deliver individual and group interventions for various presenting issues such as managing emotions, coping with grief, self-harm, suicidal ideation, sleeping issues, eating difficulties, social skills or self-esteem.  I also deliver training and support to staff/parents as needed. 

 

Molly - I am a 4-year-old Cavapoo (King Charles Cavalier x Poodle) who trained with the Dog Mentor (www.thedogmentor.co.uk).  I come to Corley with my owner, Caroline Dyson, one day each week and love seeing the staff and students, as my constantly wagging tail proves!  I deliver interventions to students (groups or individuals) to help them learn to manage their emotions, build their confidence, develop social skills and develop their communication.  I'm there to help people calm down or cheer them up if they need. I am often around during break and lunchtimes so everyone can see me.  Sometimes I go into the classrooms and spend time with whole classes.  I love meeting the new year 7 students and helping them settle into Corley.

 

 

Animal Intervention - Ms Storer

Referred students will be able to interact with live animals. They will be shown how to look after these animals, care for them, feed them, clean them out and pet them gently. This has been shown that it can have a relaxing, calming influence on students. 

 

 

 

 

 

Game Play- Mr Powell

"I will be using therapeutic gaming to improve the students' resilience to challenges, develop their understanding of their feelings, or even allow them to process trauma. The structured nature of the game opens the mind for creative expression, while encouraging participants to develop their communication skills, teamwork, listening, turn-taking, and problem-solving skills in a safe and fun environment. I will primarily be using the popular Role-Playing Game 'Dungeons & Dragons', but can utilise many forms of game to support students' development."

Research

Rønning SB, Bjørkly S. The use of clinical role-play and reflection in learning therapeutic communication skills in mental health education: An integrative review. Advances in Medical Education and Practice. 2019;10:415. doi: 10.2147/AMEP.S202115.

Caltabiano M, Errington E, Sorin R, Nickson A. The potential of role-play in undergraduate psychology training. Asian Journal of University Education (AJUE) 2018;14(1):1–14.

Sargent, M. S. (2014). Exploring mental dungeons and slaying psychic dragons: An exploratory study. [Master’s Thesis, Smith College]. Smiths Scholar Works https://scholarworks.smith.edu/theses/837/

Drawing and Talking - Ms Gibney

Hello, I am Mrs Gibney, I am based in Student Support on Wednesdays. I have been with Corley for three years as a teaching assistant. Since September 2024 I have been a Drawing and Talking Practitioner offering interventions to individual students.  In contrast to current solution-focused and cognitive-based therapies and interventions, Drawing and Talking enables people to explore and express emotions through an undirected method. To promote trauma recovery, drawing and talking therapy go beyond our frequently restricted cognitive abilities or logical and sequential processing. Drawing and Talking Therapy goes beyond simply asking "Why?" and improves Corley Academy's capacity to assist the emotional health of the students under our care. Consequently, creating the emotional space needed to reflect, process and heal, (Drawing and Talking, 2024).

 

 Lego Therapy - Mr Knox 

Lego Therapy is a play-based intervention designed to focus on developing social skills and collaboration, predominately with children who have autism or social interaction difficulties, however it can be used with all children. Lego interventions work on key areas of social interaction such as; turn taking, listening, initiation, problem solving and sharing, which can result in increased social confidence and willingness to initiate social interactions. Although predominately used in small groups, it can be tailored to be used individually to work on skills such as impulse control, memory, keeping attention and resist distraction, whilst all in a playful environment.

 

 

Sensory Support - Ms Yianni 

Sensory Circuits: Are a regular session that includes beneficial sensory activities to help self-regulate/ alert and calm. Each circuit includes alerting activities, organising activities and calming activities, all of which enable students to achieve optimal levels of alertness requires for effective learning. 

Helpful website: https://childrenschoicetherapy.co.uk/sensory-circuits/