Emily Burns

I’m a child therapist working in Devon and Cornwall with therapy rooms in Tavistock. I have worked therapeutically with children, young people and families for twenty years. I have helped many children through difficult times using play and the arts to communicate emotions, often in a way words cannot. I’m also a trained yoga teacher, have an interest in the neuroscience of emotions and teach mindfulness, visualisations as well as other techniques to help the body cope with anxiety and strong emotions. I have specialisms in Adoption, Trauma and Attachment and as well seeing children privately I work for Psychology Associates with vulnerable and traumatised children.

My training equipped me to work creatively with children and young people, responding to their needs and interests. I use art, play, yoga, mindfulness, visualisation, movement, sandtray and other art forms where appropriate to help children and young people express what is difficult to communicate through words.

A positive, trusting relationship is at the heart of effective therapy but for those that would like further information on my particular approach I draw on different theories and models including Attachment Theory, Neuroscience, Somatic Trauma Therapy, Sensory Processing, CBT, Mindfulness, Creative Arts Therapy, Psychodynamic Therapy, Sandtray Therapy, Person Centred Therapy, Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy and Theraplay.

I am experienced in working with most areas of child and adolescent mental health and have additional specialist training and knowledge in working with adopted and fostered children, attachment, loss and with parents and children to improve relationships

I offer child only sessions, parent- child sessions and parent only sessions. I will take initial details in a free phone call arranged a mutually convenient time. I I feel I can help then your child can meet me for an initial session and decide if they would like to see me again. We start with an initial six sessions and then review the work to decide if longer term work is appropriate. Significant change for a child happens over a longer period of time and we will often work together for a number of months or longer.

I've been a Child Psychotherapeutic Counsellor for over thirteen years. Over this time I have worked in many different settings including primary and secondary schools, charities, adolescent inpatient ward, local authority, private practice and a child-parent assessment centre. I specialise in working with trauma and attachment and parent-child work. I have good personal and professional experience of neurodivergent children. I have completed a Diploma in Clinical Supervision.

I currently work in private practice with a varied case load, with adopted children and their parents and for a parent-child residential assessment centre as their Child Attachment Specialist.

I am registered with Ofsted to work with children who are affected by adoption.

I provide supervision by zoom or in person. I have a lot of knowledge and experience to support supervisees and also encourage them to develop heir own creativity, spontaneity and flexibility. I believe a positive, trusting relationship is at the heart of effective therapy and that this applies to the supervisees relationship with their supervisor also.

I support supervisees to develop their own areas of special interest and to work with clients within their capabilities but also to challenge themselves where appropriate. 

In my own practice I use creative arts and play whilst drawing on different theories and models including Attachment Theory, Neuroscience, Somatic Trauma Therapy, Sensory Processing, CBT, Mindfulness, Creative Arts Therapy, Psychodynamic Therapy, Sandtray Therapy, Person Centred Therapy, Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy and Theraplay.

I have a good working knowledge of safeguarding and guide supervisees in this area. I have a lot of experience of working as part of a multidisciplinary team and encourage supervisees to work systemically with the team around the child.

An initial free phone call is provided to understand your needs and ways we can work together.