ARE YOU READY FOR CHANGE?
The Nurture Room
Are you ready for change?
We are.
The Nurture Room was started in 2013 by experienced therapist Kathy Thompson, providing an emotional well-being service to primary schools and private counselling to individuals of all ages in need of emotional support.
Now, in 2021, the Nurture Room has expanded with two new team members and a range of new services!
Kathy will still offer private counselling at reasonable rates to improve the emotional well-being of both adults and children, as well as in-school emotional support, but is now joined by Kahlia Bament and Romea Cafasso. Both our new team members are experienced primary teachers with a passion for nurturing mental well-being who are working hard to establish 'The Retreat', a new kind of kids club with a daytime session for home-educated children, and another after-school session for those that attend school but find it difficult to cope.
Kahlia and Romea also provide private tuition individually tailored to the needs of the tutee, but with an emphasis on growing their confidence and resilience to develop them into independent learners who feel ready to take risks and solve problems.
For schools, the Nurture Room team now offer mental-health awareness and resilience training. Tailored to the needs of the individual setting, the training will provide insight into the mental health issues of children and staff within school and how to provide the appropriate support. This can be paired with an ongoing telephone support service provided by the Nurture Room.
Finally, psychoeducation and emotion management training is offered in-school for children in Key Stage 2 to help them understand why they feel the way they do and teach them strategies for dealing with emotional difficulties.
Find out more about the Nurture Room team in our Meet the team section, explore our offerings in more detail in Our Services section, or contact us if you'd like more information.
Many of our services offer a free initial session, so we look forward to hearing from you soon!
Our services
Click on the panels below to explore our services.
Mental health in schools
Latest news
4 September 2021
We've hit the headlines!
The Daily Gazette, Colchester's local paper has published an article about our new kids club, The Retreat.
You can read the article in full on the Gazette's website, or find out more and book your place on our dedicated page for The Retreat.
3 September 2021
The Retreat kids club... goes live!
Today we welcomed our first families to The Retreat, our new club for children aimed at supporting kids with anxiety and/or ASD to develop their confidence, self-care skills and sense of connectedness.
Each session features a range of fun activities, and there's something for parents too! Follow us on social media for updates on what happened on our first day.
We still have places available for both our daytime sessions (for home-educated children) and our after-school sessions, and you can still join us next week for your free taster session.
Visit our dedicated page for The Retreat for more information and to book your place.
Meet the team
Kathy Thompson
Therapist
I currently work with primary aged children, in school settings, to help them to address their emotional difficulties, as well as working with children, adolescents and adults, both in person and online in one-to-one therapy sessions.
I have been practicing since 2011 and have had a great deal of experience working with children in care, children with invisible disabilities and whole families, particularly those affected by domestic abuse, drug and alcohol misuse and/or mental health issues.
I have been a Member of The British Psychological Society since 2006.
I have a BSc Psychology (Hons) and a Certificate in Therapeutic Fostering. I am trained in:
-
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy
-
Transactional Analysis Psychotherapy
-
Solution Focused Therapy
-
Existential Well-Being and Person Centred Counselling
I also have extensive knowledge relating to Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) & Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
Kahlia Bament
Mental Health Trainer and Education Lead
I spent almost 20 years teaching in primary education, during which time my goal was always about building children’s confidence and creating an environment in which they felt safe, secure and able to make mistakes without judgement.
Over the years I have seen more and more children struggling with the stresses of modern life and I decided that I wanted to do more to support them in their emotional well-being so I began learning about mental health in my spare time. My studies only served to cement my passion for improving the mental health of children and adults alike, both in and out of school.
Throughout my career I have noticed a real lack of mental health training to better equip teaching staff to support not just their own well-being, but also that of the children in their care. I want to help fill that gap as I believe that everybody has the right to good mental health
I adore the creative arts and feel that these can be hugely beneficial for well-being and can provide great self-care strategies for children and adults alike.
I am trained in first aid and safeguarding, and hold an enhanced DBS check.
My qualifications are:
-
BA History of Art and Architecture
-
Post-Graduate Certificate in Education
-
NCFE Cache Level 2 Certificate in Awareness of Mental Health Problems
-
NCFE Cache Level 2 Certificate in Understanding Children and Young People's Mental Health
-
Certificate in Psychological First Aid
Romea Cafasso
Tutor and Club Coordinator
My passion for science and health awareness has always been the driver for my career. I have 13 years experience of working within the education environment, including the last 4 as a qualified primary school teacher. During these times I have used science to build children's confidence by using their natural curiosity to explore different areas allowing them to understand that there doesn't have to be a right or wrong answer.
I had the experience and pleasure of working and living in Australia for five years before returning to my family and friends in the UK and starting a family. This was an exciting time and broadened my horizons about different cultures and lifestyles.
I am trained in first aid and safeguarding, and hold an enhanced DBS check.
My qualifications are:
-
BSc Applied Science (Environmental Health)
-
Post Graduate Certificate in Education
Our policies
Your emotional well-being is our priority
...and that's why we have implemented the following policies which can be viewed online or downloaded.
