Meet Our Team - TheraSpace Services

Hayley Folley

Hayley is the director of TheraSpace Services Ltd. As a registered nurse and mental health professional, she has 30+ years’ experience of working with children / young people, parents / carers and families in a wide range of roles. For the past 10 years, Hayley has worked as a company director with primary responsibility for the delivery of both therapeutic and parent / carer support services and she is incredibly passionate about the work TheraSpace does.

Her particular skill set is in parent work and evidence shows us that when we provide the necessary advocacy and support for parents / carers, as well as therapeutic interventions for children / young people, we help to strengthen family systems and in turn protect vulnerable children from the risks associated with trauma and adversity. Hayley has the privilege of working with many parents and absolutely loves the opportunity to support their implementation of the principles and strategies of therapeutic parenting. This work is critical to successful outcomes and often under-recognised in terms of its importance.

Alongside her role at TheraSpace, Hayley is also a director of a Community Interest Company called Heartsight Services CIC. They provide a nature-based alternative to mainstream education for children / young people struggling to achieve a successful school experience.

However, first and foremost, she is a mum to two amazing girlies and a small furry pup called Rafi. So, when she’s not sat at her desk, she is often found taxi-ing teenagers around the county or traipsing through the beautiful Gloucestershire countryside – and she wouldn’t have it any other way!

Lucy Axon

Lucy is the Therapeutic Services Co-ordinator for TheraSpace Services and also a qualified counsellor with a Level 4 Diploma in Therapeutic Counselling and work with adults, children, and young people. She also runs her own separate counselling business, Lucy’s Therapy Space (www.lucystherapyspace.co.uk)

Lucy has over a decade of experience working alongside Hayley, and together they’ve supported individuals and families through a wide range of emotional and mental health challenges in therapeutic services.

Lucy also holds Level 2 and Level 3 AAT qualifications. Her background in administration and finance gives her a well-rounded perspective and supports her role in coordinating therapeutic services with clarity, care, and professionalism.

She is a mum of five and understands the many layers of family life, and how easy it can be to lose sight of yourself while supporting others. Her own lived experience deeply informs her work and the way she is able to connect with clients at TheraSpace.

Outside of work, you’ll often find her playing the piano, crocheting something colourful, or exploring independent coffee shops in search of the perfect flat white.

Caroline Anderson

With over 15 years of experience supporting individuals and families, Caroline offers a safe, non-judgemental space to explore the changes you’d like to see in your life. Her approach is grounded in compassion and collaboration, holding hope with you even when things feel difficult or stuck.

Caroline is a Systemic Practitioner, Mental Health Nurse, NVR (Non-Violent Resistance) Practitioner, and an EMDR Therapist in training. Her professional background spans CAMHS, adult mental health, substance misuse, domestic abuse, and supported housing services. This breadth of experience allows her to work flexibly and sensitively with complex needs and diverse family systems.

Her areas of specialist interest include attachment and developmental trauma, therapeutic parenting, adoption, family work, solution-focused practice, and NVR. Whatever brings you to therapy, her aim is to support you in finding new ways of understanding, connecting, and moving forward.

Carly Carslake

Carly is a Certified Play Therapist working in mainstream schools and private practice. She is a qualified teacher and spent 16 years teaching in primary schools, as well as 8 years as a SENDCo, where she worked closely with external professionals, supporting families and advocating for children with SEN.

Alongside her professional experience, she also has extensive personal experience of neurodiversity. As a parent of a child with autism, ADHD, Sensory Processing Disorder and PDA, she understands the daily challenges families can face. This lived experience fuels her passion for helping children flourish and supporting parents who may be navigating similar journeys. Having experienced life from the perspective of both a parent and a professional gives her a deep empathy and understanding that sits at the heart of her practice.

Outside of work, Carly loves spending time with her family, especially going for long walks in the countryside. She is also a keen distance runner and enjoys reading when she gets some down time.

Heath Abbott

Heath offers a safe, supportive space where you can slow down, feel seen, and make sense of your story. His work is integrative, trauma-informed, developmentally and relationally focused on supporting clients in finding clarity, confidence, and emotional well-being.

His experience includes working with individuals and families through emotional distress, relational breakdowns, and family conflict, including child-to-parent violence. He draws on a range of therapeutic models, alongside Non-Violent Resistance (NVR), to support long-term change.

Clients describe him as knowledgeable, engaged, and grounded. He is especially passionate about supporting people develop a stronger relationship with themselves and others, and to parent with greater presence and confidence.

Wendy Mitchell

Wendy is a qualified Play and Creative Arts Therapist working in mainstream and special schools as well as in private practice. She works with children and young people who have a wide range of mental health issues and with many who are in foster care, special guardianships or who have been adopted. A large number of the children and young people she sees are neurodivergent and she has her own lived experience with a son who is Autistic and has ADHD.

Wendy has completed Level 1 DDP training and she is a trainee supervisor for other Play Therapists.

Wendy has worked with children and young people for over 25 years. She is a qualified Primary School Teacher and also worked as a Health and Wellbeing Consultant for Gloucestershire County Council for many years. In her spare time, she loves long walks in the countryside with her labradoodle.

Janet Wilson

Janet is an Integrative Child and Adolescent Psychotherapist and has worked in various capacities in schools and colleges over the last thirty years.

She is trained using the therapeutic Arts and is passionate about using different creative art forms, such as drawing, sand tray work, puppets, clay, writing, and images and metaphor to help children explore and understand their experiences. Her training was integrative, drawing on psychoanalysis, attachment theory and neuroscience, and she adapts different therapeutic approaches appropriate to the needs to different clients.

Janet has always loved learning about people, and she enjoys books, writing, film and comedy. In her spare time, she likes nothing better than being outdoors with her family and dog.

Rachel Knowles-Matthews

Rachel is a HCPC registered Music Therapy and Neurologic Music Therapy working in specialist education and private practice. Rachel works with children and young adults with trauma, autism, physical and learning disabilities, and acquired brain injuries, and people living with dementia.

She is an advocate for diversity and learning about her clients’ backgrounds and musical cultures.

Outside of work, Rachel plays violin in a rock/indie band, enjoys calligraphy, kickboxing, and dog walks in the countryside.

Saara Nelson

Saara is an attachment and trauma informed Creative Arts/Dance Movement Psychotherapist. She graduated in 2015 and is a member of ADMP (Association of Dance Movement Psychotherapists). My UKCP accreditation is in process.

Over the years, she has worked with different client groups in various settings. She has worked in palliative care, with children and adults with special educational, emotional and physical needs, with students during lockdown, in various mental health settings, in primary schools, adult education centres and prisons. She loves working with people to help reconnect them to themselves, the fascinating world around us and to each other.

With a vast background in Community Arts – theatre, dance and music, she is able to tap into various mediums to respond towards the individual creative needs of a client. She is particularly interested in relationships and how to work with attachment trauma, how we can develop strong, healthy bonds with ourselves as well as others.

She is an empathic mentor and person-centred psychotherapist who can gently guide and support you, with or without creative interventions.

Georgia Wade

Georgia is a HCPC-registered Music Therapist offering a compassionate

and creative approach to supporting clients through music. Her work is

grounded in person-centred working, where each individual’s needs,

strengths, and experiences help guide the therapeutic process.

Over several years, she has gained experience supporting a wide range of

people across different settings, delivering Music therapy for children

and adults with complex additional and emotional needs. Georgia also has

experience supporting older adults living with dementia and patients

living in psychiatric and forensic settings.

Georgia believes that using a variety of techniques, alongside working

closely with families, carers and other professionals, helps provide the

most supportive and effective approach for each of her clients.

Outside of work Georgia is cat mum, singer and artist who enjoys long

walks in the sunshine to find the best places to eat delicious food. You

might also find her in an evening dance class.

Dave Rose

Dave supports families experiencing challenging behaviours, including child on parent violence, school refusal, developmental disorders and learning difficulties.

Dave uses DDP (Dyadic Developmental Practice) to inform his practice and has a background in residential social work, substance misuse and youth work. BILD accredited and provides Emotional & Mental Health support in schools.

His main passion in life is music, both listening to and learning to play and read.

Amy Hulme

I’m Amy Hulme, an HCPC-registered Music Therapist based in the Forest of

Dean. With over 20 years of experience as a musician, I bring

creativity, empathy, and expertise to my practice. My instruments

include drums, piano, accordion, guitar, music technology and voice—and

I specialise in improvisation to help clients express themselves

authentically.

Stuart Allen

TheraSpace Services Accountant

Stuart breaks the mould of your typical accountant. He is very personable, approachable, dynamic and patient.

He is inspired by entrepreneurs and individuals he can build strong relationships with and have a positive impact on their business and taxation situation.

He takes great pride in helping you build success and achieve your goals. Who says accountancy is boring?

Katie Armstead

Music Therapist

Katie is an HCPC registered Music Therapist based just outside Gloucester. She trained in piano and flute from an early age, and since her undergraduate degree has enjoyed adding Music Technology to her repertoire.

Katie is passionate about providing a safe, person-centered space, and with a background in SEN and SEMH, as well as lived experience of being neurodivergent, she is a strong advocate for self-expression and allowing people to come as they are.

In her spare time, you might find Katie writing songs, playing video games, or dabbling in whatever craft she can get her hands on.”

Meet Our Amazing Team

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