Carleen Kirk

Programme Lead

After completing a Business Degree in the Netherlands and moving to the UK for her first job, Carleen retrained in Counselling and Psychotherapy. She completed a foundation diploma in counselling and psychotherapy at the Centre for Counselling and Psychotherapy Education and went on to provide one-to-one support to children with special educational needs whilst undertaking Psychoanalytical Observational Studies training at the Tavistock.

At Victim Support, Carleen supported young victims of crimes and piloted a restorative justice programme with the Sutton Youth Offending Team, which fuelled her passion for early intervention. She has experience working as a school counsellor in both primary and secondary schools, including setting up a whole school project. Carleen has a passion for children and young people’s voices and has been involved in the Learning Together research project led by UCL, which aims to improve wellbeing in schools.

She completed the L3 and the Post Graduate Diploma at Place2Be herself and after becoming a tutor on the Programme, she became Acting Lead and has subsequently taken on the role of Programme Lead. She runs a small private practice and has a particular interest in intergenerational trauma, compassion focussed therapy, transpersonal perspectives and the mind body connection. She is an accredited member of the BACP.

Paul Lucia

Programme Manager

Paul has worked at Place2Be since 2015 in various positions, initially working in our placements team supporting counsellors on placement, before working on our professional qualifications and most recently managing all Mental Health & Wellbeing Programmes training for schools, teacher training institutions and youth groups. He has overseen the rollout and delivery of the Mental Health Champions - Foundation programme, Senior Mental Health Leads, and Staffroom.

As Programme Manager for qualifying courses Paul holds responsibility for the operational running of the programme, working closely with the clinicians, wider operational team and external partners. Paul has an academic background in Psychology and in his own time has completed a Level 3 in Counselling Skills. Paul’s professional interests are in supporting wellbeing in the workplace and increasing knowledge around mental health to better support open conversations. Paul is also a big fan of dogs, film & TV, nature and food!

Analy Reed

PGDip Tutor

After studying for her chemistry degree, Analy retrained as a Montessori teacher before enrolling on the Postgraduate Diploma for Counselling Children and Young People in Schools with Place2Be. She completed further training to work with couples and individuals and in Psychopathology.

Analy currently works with children, young people, parents and adults at Rephael House Counselling Centre while running her Private Practice using psychodynamic, relational and attachment-based techniques. She is a member of BACP.

Eleni Vambouli

PGDip Tutor

With an academic background in philosophy, Eleni trained as a Child and Adolescent Psychotherapist at the Institute for Arts in Therapy and Education. She has worked for over ten years in both primary and secondary schools, setting up, supervising and running therapeutic services and offering support to children, families and staff.

Eleni maintains a clinical and supervision practice. She is particularly interested in treating inter-generational trauma and integrating neuro-scientific research into therapeutic processes.

Esther Pozzani

PGDip Tutor

Esther has a background in outdoor learning and Forest School. She trained with Place2Be to gain a PGDip and master's and has worked within Place2Be school services for over eight years. Esther is an accredited member of the BACP.

Samia Quddus

PGDip Tutor

Samia initially trained as a primary school teacher, working in schools for over 15 years, during which she developed an interest in working with pupils exhibiting challenging needs. She specialised in the special educational needs (SEN) area of social, emotional and mental health (SEMH) before re-training as a specialist child and adolescent therapist with Place2Be.

Samia is a published BACP writer and has self-published the UK’s first psychospiritual Islamic gratitude journal and an award-winning children's title. She still works as a clinician in secondary schools and appears on Islam Channel discussing mental health and wellbeing-related topics.

Kali Turabi

PG Dip Tutor

Kali Turabi has over 16 years’ experience working in various mental health settings. She has worked with children and young people as an Art Psychotherapist in mainstream and special educational needs schools. Kali has also worked with adults in community settings and at Studio Upstairs. Kali provides Sand play workshops for students on the Postgraduate Diploma at Place2Be as well as at other organisations. Kali has a passion for creative expression, including writing and painting. Her first novel, The Last Beekeeper was published in 2021 by Harper Collins and she's currently working on her second.

Kali has worked as a Place2Be Postgraduate Diploma Tutor for several years including acting as Interim Programme Leader during the pandemic for one year. She is passionate about the role of nonverbal communication and play in the therapeutic relationship.

Sachiko Kishi

Experiential Group Facilitator

Sachiko trained in group and individual Gestalt psychotherapy and creative supervision. Her background is in the arts, mental health in the community, and higher education.

Sachiko provides individual and group supervision for Third sector organisations and NHS staff specialising in trauma work and has a private practice. She runs experiential workshops and is also a member of the teaching faculty at the Gestalt Centre.

Elena Konstantinova

PG Dip Tutor

Elena qualified with a Postgraduate Diploma in Psychotherapeutic Counselling for Children and Adolescents from the University of Cambridge. She developed a keen interest in clinical practice in schools and has undertaken research into therapists’ experiences in secondary schools in the UK, earning her a Masters degree.

Elena has experience working therapeutically with children, adolescents and their families in different settings. She currently works as a BACP Accredited Counsellor/ Psychotherapist in schools and has a small private practice. Elena uses relational, child-centred approach, informed by psychodynamic perspective and current neurobiological research. Her area of interest lies in embodied practice and regulation of nervous system using play, arts, music and drama. She is also a member of UKCP.

In her free time, Elena enjoys walks outdoors and reading.

Sally Stamp

Experiential Group Facilitator

Sally completed a degree in English Literature from York University and then taught Drama and Basic Education in men’s prisons in London before training as a Dramatherapist at the University of Hertfordshire. She worked in forensic settings as a dramatherapist, including Adolescent Secure Units, men’s prisons and a Regional Secure Unit. She then trained as a Group Analyst (Institute of Group Analysis and Birkbeck College). Following this she has worked in NHS Adult Mental Health community services as a group analyst and reflect practice facilitator, and was a Clinical Lead for Complex Emotional Needs Services (Personality Disorder). She has also worked with Third Sector organisations. She has a private practice.

Matthew Audley

Experiential Group Facilitator

Matthew is a UKCP registered psychotherapist with over thirty years experience in private practice with individuals, couples and groups. He has also trained as a Group Analyst with the Institute of Group Analysis as well as with the Tavistock and Portman in Consulting to Leadership and Organisations. He has worked extensively as a supervisor, trainer and group facilitator in educational, health and voluntary settings.

Bushra Abdul Khaliq

Programme Coordinator

Bushra began her career in the Civil Service after completing a Law LLB. She worked within HM Prison and Probation Services to support the delivery and coordination of casework for people on probation. Her growing interest in supporting women affected by domestic violence led her to work within the Pre-Release Team at HMP Bronzefield, a women’s custody, and volunteer for Refuge’s National Domestic Abuse Helpline. In this role, Bushra provided support to survivors of Domestic Abuse, including children and young people, through crisis intervention, safety planning, and signposting to specialist services.

Driven by a passion for mental health and its impact on children and families, Bushra joined Place2Be. As Programme Coordinator, she works with the clinical team and external partners to support the operational delivery of the Postgraduate Diploma programme. Through her role, Bushra is keen to support the training of future child counsellors, while contributing to the wider goal of building a strong and diverse mental health workforce.