Gateway Psychology

13/11/2025

🌟 LEAPlets is back this January! 🌟

We’re delighted to announce that our next LEAPlets group will begin in January 2026.

LEAPlets is an 11-week, hands-on BUSS® (Building Underdeveloped Sensorimotor Systems) programme for children aged 2-6 years and their parents or carers.

Through guided play, movement, and connection-based activities, families explore how early experiences shape a child’s development - and learn practical ways to strengthen the foundations for attention, regulation, and relationships.

👣 What to expect:

- Small, supportive groups (5–8 families)
- Led by qualified BUSS® practitioners
- A safe, nurturing space for connection and growth
- Real, noticeable progress — for both children and parents

🎥 Want to learn more about the BUSS® approach?
Watch this short video featuring Sarah Lloyd, founder of the BUSS® model, as she explains how the approach supports children’s development:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=080xZAeJxPE&t=1s

Programme dates: 12 January -13 April 2026
To learn more or make a referral, visit: https://www.gateway-psychology.co.uk/services/group-interventions/leaplets/ or email contact@gateway-psychology.co.uk

https://www.bussmodel.orgThe other videos referred to in this video can be found both on the website and on this YouTube channel.

11/11/2025

Teachers work hard to meet a huge range of needs every day. But for some children - especially those affected by early trauma or disrupted attachments - behaviour, concentration and relationships can be tough.

According to Adoption UK’s Adoption Barometer 2025 (England):
➡️ 84% of adopted children need more support in school than their peers
➡️ Only 32% of parents know their school has had training on trauma or attachment
➡️ Just 55% feel teachers understand their child’s needs

Our Trauma-Informed Classrooms CPD offers practical, evidence-based tools to help.

Delivered by clinical psychologists, this one-day online session explores:
🔹 Understanding trauma and attachment
🔹 Spotting trauma-related behaviour
🔹 Using regulation, empathy and structure to support learning

📅 24 November 2025 | ⏰ 9:30-16:00 | 💻 Online via Zoom
💷 Autumn offer: £160 + VAT (normally £230)

🎟️ Book your place: https://www.gateway-psychology.co.uk/event/trauma-informed-classrooms-sept-2025/
👥 Discounts for groups of 10+

Building trauma-informed schools isn’t about doing more — it’s about doing what works.

Our Trauma-Informed Classrooms CPD training equips primary school teachers and support staff with the practical knowledge and tools needed to support children affected by trauma and attachment difficulties. Across a focused, one-day online session, delivered by experienced clinical psychologists, pa...

10/11/2025

Caring for the carers matters just as much as caring for the children 💙

Working in a residential children’s home is deeply rewarding - but it can also be emotionally demanding and unpredictable. When staff feel supported, valued, and equipped to handle challenges, everyone benefits - especially the children.

Our latest blog explores how promoting staff wellbeing in children’s homes can reduce burnout, improve stability, and enhance the quality of care. From psychological consultation to team culture and recognition, we share practical ways to look after those who look after others.

👉 Read the full article: https://www.gateway-psychology.co.uk/caring-for-the-carers-promoting-wellbeing-in-residential-childrens-homes/

04/11/2025

💬 “They were adopted as a baby...so they’ll be fine, they won't remember.”

If you’ve ever heard this, you’ll know how complex those early experiences can really be.

Even before a child has words, their brains and bodies are learning about the world - and those preverbal experiences can shape how they connect, trust, and respond later on.

Our Preverbal Trauma Training for Parents and Carers explores exactly that. It’s a one-day online session designed to help you understand what’s happening beneath the surface, and how you can support your child’s healing and development.

🗓 17th November 2025
💻 Online via Zoom
🕘 9:30am–4:30pm (with a lunch break)
💷 £160 + VAT per person

Led by experienced clinicians, this day is packed with insight, compassion, and practical ideas you can use at home.

✨ There’s still time to join us — book your place before the deadline! https://www.gateway-psychology.co.uk/event/preverbal-trauma-training-for-parents-carers-nov-2025/

For group bookings (10+), we offer a 10% discount - just email us at training@gateway-psychology.co.uk

When you’re caring for an adopted child, fostering, or supporting a child as a special guardian, you may sometimes hear people say things like: “They were adopted as a baby, so they’ll be fine!” It’s natural to wonder how a child could have experienced trauma if they were removed from birt...

31/10/2025

🎃🍂🎨 Pumpkin mug painting at Gateway!

We had such a lovely time getting creative together on Wednesday before our reflective group - painting our own pumpkin-themed mugs while enjoying some tasty snacks and great company. 🍪🧡

It was a wonderful opportunity to unwind, connect as a team, and bring a bit of autumn colour into the office.

A huge thank you to everyone who joined in - your designs were fantastic and full of personality.

29/10/2025

🌿 Trauma-Informed Classrooms: CPD Training for Primary School Staff
📅 24 November 2025 | 9:30am-4:00pm | Online via Zoom

Are you a teacher, SENCO, or support staff member working with children who’ve experienced trauma or attachment difficulties? This one-day CPD training from Gateway Psychology will give you the tools, confidence, and understanding to create a truly trauma-informed classroom.

Led by experienced clinical psychologists, the session will cover:
💬 Understanding attachment and trauma-related behaviours
🧠 Practical strategies for regulation and connection
💛 Empathic discipline using PACE and logical consequences
🌱 Self-care and resilience for staff

You’ll come away equipped to foster safety, trust, and emotional growth - not just for your pupils, but across your whole school culture.

✨ Autumn Discount: £160 + VAT per person (usually £230 + VAT)

👉 Book your place today and join us in building trauma-sensitive schools where every child can thrive.
🔗 https://www.gateway-psychology.co.uk/event/trauma-informed-classrooms-sept-2025/

Gateway Psychology provides for the psychological needs of children, young people and families in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, Cheshire and nationwide.

28/10/2025

There’s still time to join us this Thursday! 🌟

Our Understanding Blocked Care training is designed for professionals supporting adoptive parents, SGO carers, and foster carers who may be at risk of or currently experiencing blocked care.

This one-day online course explores the brain science behind blocked care, offering insight into how professionals can assess and support carers affected by it. Delivered by an experienced clinician, the session combines research, reflection, and practical strategies you can take straight into your work.

📅 Thursday 30 October 2025
🕤 9:30–16:30 (online via Zoom)
💰 £160 + VAT (6 CPD hours)

🎟️ Book your place today:

This one-day course for professionals working with adoptive parents, SGO carers or foster carers who may be at risk of or currently experiencing blocked care. It is designed to provide an understanding of the theory and research behind the brain science of blocked care, as well as strategies for ass...

24/10/2025

As National Adoption Week comes to an end, we’re reflecting on how connection shapes not only the work we do with families, but also the systems and policies that support them 💛

Decisions about adoption support - including the Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund (ASGSF) - have a significant impact on the help available to children, parents and professionals. The government is currently reviewing what next year’s funding will look like and how the Fund will work in the longer term.

We know, from years of working alongside adoptive families, that consistent and accessible support makes a real difference. Therapeutic services help children feel safe and understood, and help parents sustain the relationships that matter most.

We would encourage government and policy-makers to stay connected with the people who use and deliver adoption support - to listen, consult, and build on what’s already working well. Decisions made in connection with families and professionals are more likely to create stable, effective systems that truly meet children’s needs.

At Gateway Psychology, we remain committed to working in partnership with local authorities, regional adoption agencies and national bodies to keep connection at the centre of adoption support 🌿

23/10/2025

Connection sits at the heart of how we work - not just with families, but with the professionals who support them too 💛

We work closely with social workers, schools, local authorities and regional adoption agencies to help ensure that children and families experience joined-up support. That might mean sharing ideas, planning around a child’s needs, or keeping communication open so that everyone feels informed and supported.

When professionals stay connected, it makes a difference. Children and families experience consistency, professionals understand each other’s perspectives, and trust is easier to build. It helps everyone move in the same direction, with a shared focus on what matters most for each child.

We really value the relationships we’ve built with colleagues across the adoption network, and we’re always learning from the experience, commitment and care they bring to their work 🌿

22/10/2025

At Gateway Psychology, we know that connection doesn’t just happen. It takes time, attention and care - in relationships, in therapy and in our team 💛

As a team, we build connection in lots of small, meaningful ways. When it’s someone’s birthday, their desk is decorated with fairy lights and a card from the team. There are communal snacks to share and a shelf of interesting teas to try, along with our guinea pig tea chart which helps us explain our preferred tea strength (a surprisingly useful communication tool!).

We have regular team meetings to keep communication open and a monthly reflective space where we pause, think and learn together.

These small traditions help us stay connected, especially when things are busy. They remind us to slow down, notice each other’s efforts and stay grounded in what matters most.

Here's what Meagan, our fabulous Business Support Assistant, has to say:

"We dedicate time to building strong relationships - both professionally and personally - because we know that meaningful connection fuels collaboration, resilience, and wellbeing. Whether it’s a quick kitchen catch-up over tea and biscuits, a lunchtime walk, or a thoughtful conversation between meetings, these moments matter.

We also come together for team celebrations, creative afternoons, and deeper chats when needed - because in our line of work, support and camaraderie make all the difference. If there’s a team that can turn a meeting into a party, it’s us! The people you meet and the connections you build truly shape your experience - and at Gateway, we make sure those connections count."

These everyday moments of connection help us support one another so that we can offer the same warmth, consistency and care to the families we work with 🌿

21/10/2025

Starting therapy can sometimes feel daunting for children, young people and their parents. It’s normal to feel nervous, unsure or to not want to come at all.

That’s why we take time to build connection right from the start. April, who greets families on reception, offers a calm, friendly welcome and always takes time to get to know the people she meets - remembering familiar faces and even favourite drinks.

Our clinicians do the same in the therapy room. They build connection by introducing activities that feel safe and familiar, keeping things consistent (such as using the same therapy room each week) and listening carefully to each child’s feelings and wishes.

We know that connection isn’t something that can be rushed. It’s built through small, consistent moments of care and understanding 🌿

20/10/2025

This week is National Adoption Week, and at Gateway Psychology we’re focusing on Building Connection Together 💛

Connection runs through every part of our work: in therapy sessions with families, in the way our admin team welcomes and supports children, young people and parents, and in how we collaborate as a team and with social workers, schools, and partner organisations.

Every day we see that connection helps families feel understood, supported, and safe. It also helps professionals work well together and make thoughtful decisions about support and funding. Connection builds trust, creates understanding, and helps everyone involved in adoption feel part of the same purpose.

“For us, connection isn’t just something that happens in the therapy room. It’s the foundation of how we work with families, colleagues, and wider services. When people feel connected and understood, real change becomes possible.”
Dr Meryl Forse, Clinical Director, Gateway Psychology

Throughout the week, we’ll be reflecting on what connection looks like in practice - in therapy, in our team, and across the adoption community 🌿