About Laura

I currently work with people of all ages in the woods of the Stroud valleys, with young adults with learning disabilities and autism at National Star College in Cheltenham, and with refugees and asylum seekers at Bristol Refugee Rights.

My arts psychotherapy practice has grown through my work in human rights activism and storytelling, my practices of meditation, yoga, movement and puppetry, and my ever-deepening love of nature.

I qualified with an Environmental Arts Therapy Post Graduate Certificate at the London Art Therapy Centre and an MA (Distinction) in Drama & Movement Therapy (SESAME) at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, where I was awarded the Jeremy Shehan Scholarship.

I am an Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) registered Dramatherapist (Registration Number: AS15523). I work in accordance with the HCPC Arts Therapists Standards and hold full Professional Liability Insurance.

Previous therapy groups, projects and services

  • Heart’s Wild Path of Spring Awakening (Online)

  • Heart’s Wild Path through Winter, Sladebank Woods, Stroud

  • Heart Story into Summer, Beehive Centre for older people (Bristol Aging Better funded project)

  • Story Club at Easton Primary School (Bristol City Council Health & Wellbeing funded project)

  • Off The Record, Bristol, working young people experiencing emotional and mental health issues

  • Kingsweston School, Bristol

  • CAMHS Tier 4 Acute Unit Priory Hospital North London (Trainee)

  • Moorcroft School, London (Trainee)

  • NHS Camden & Islington Highgate Adult Mental Health Day Centre (Trainee)

  • Oakleigh Primary School, London (Trainee)

Human rights work

  • VOICE project Bristol Refugee Rights: Supporting members to advocate for asylum system change by telling the stories of their lived experience

  • Freedom from Torture: Survivor Activism Manager at rehabilitation organisation standing with survivors of torture, providing therapy and support, and fighting for change.

  • Amnesty International UK: Communications Manager, Education and Student Team, working with youth and student human rights activists and schools across the UK. Discovering the power of speaking out about untold stories of injustice to activate and connect people, and how standing up for ourselves and each other transform both us and our world.

  • Room to Heal: One-year story-telling project with refugees and asylum seekers

Storytelling: Campaigns, films, communications, events

  • Guardians of the Forest Tour 2017: Managing London events for indigenous delegation en route to COP23 Climate Change Conference

  • Co-author ‘Bearing The Unknown’ chapter: Dramatherapy, Reflections and Praxis, Palgrave 2017

  • British Association of Dramatherapists (BADth) conferences: Social media, film production, yoga

  • BBC Manchester: Big Screen Project

  • Southwark Council: Writer

  • UWE Bristol: Communications

  • Candella Films: Film-making group projects

Participatory Arts groups

  • ArtBurst: Workshops for children and parents

  • Little Angel Theatre: Saturday Puppet Club for young people

  • Ministry of Stories: Writing workshops for young people

  • Amnesty UK creative human rights activism workshops: CAMHS, Great Ormond Street Hospital, Refugee Week Festival