About the founder

Alison Waterhouse has had an exciting and varied career in Education over the past 30 years. She has worked as a Class Teacher, SENCo, Head of Inclusion, Head Teacher, Consultant and Educational Psychotherapist. She was the founding Head of a Therapeutic Special school in Kent which gained an excellent reputation for managing both the academic and social and emotional needs of the children it supported. During her time as a Head Alison trained at the Tavistock and Portman Clinic in London and then The Caspari Foundation as an Educational Psychotherapist.

Alison decided to return to mainstream school in 2006 working as a Teacher in Charge of the Social and Emotional Needs of the Whole School Community and Head of Inclusion before deciding to become an Independent Consultant for SEN and Wellbeing. Alison has also worked as an Independent Consultant for Young Minds, The Anna Freud Foundation and is an Advisor for Optimus Education advising schools on how to achieve their Wellbeing Award.

Alison has been developing Circles for Learning over the past 8 years and has 9 books published by Routledge, five of which are the Mental Health & Wellbeing Toolkit. The toolkit contains exciting lesson plans and resources to support the Circles for Learning project.

Alison lives in East Sussex and has her own Educational Psychotherapy practice where she works with children, schools and families. She supports other school counsellors and therapists who work in schools and also undertakes supervision for Head Teachers. Alison is passionate about supporting Teachers develop the skills to create a classroom culture that creates strong foundations for Mental Health and Wellbeing as well as learning.

Alison Waterhouse: B.Ed Hons; Post Grad Diploma: Psychotherapeutic Observational Studies; Post Grad Diploma: Educational Psychotherapy; MA in Education by Research looking at the impact of the Circles for Learning Project in Secondary Schools.