Meet Our Team

About Us

As psychotherapists living and working in London, we have become increasingly aware of the challenges and distress faced by many children, teenagers and their parents; distress caused by things such as family breakdown, school pressures, social media, relationship challenges and the impact of the pandemic.

We have set up TeenMatters to offer specialist support to those at the beginning, middle and end of adolescence (now understood to take place between the ages of 10-24), as well as to parents supporting their children through this period of transition.

We are passionate about the work we do and are 100% committed to the people we work with, many of whom say they appreciate the warmth, authenticity, compassion and sense of humour that we bring to our work.

Our Expertise and Experience 

As psychotherapists, we have a wealth of experience within a broad range of settings: mental health, psychiatric, corporate and social settings.

We are committed to ongoing clinical development, training and supervision and working as a team to support each other, in order to be able to offer the highest standards of care to our clients.

Our Team

Liz Straker has been practising as a gestalt therapist for ten years and is committed to working with her clients to bring about fundamental change to their lives. She takes a holistic and systemic approach to her work and believes passionately in the potential of each individual.

Experience

As well as working as a therapist for the last 10 years in the NHS, different charities and private practice, Liz has a background in the corporate sector working in HR, talent management and leadership development. She also practises as an executive coach. She is a mother to three teenage children and finds there is nothing like learning on the job!

Education

• MSc in Gestalt Psychotherapy (Middlesex University)
• MSc in Organisational Psychology (Birbeck, University of London)
• BA (Hons) King’s College, London
• Diploma in Adolescent Counselling (Institute of Arts Therapy)
• Post Graduate Diplomas in Coaching and Human Resource Management
• Member of the UKCP (UK Council for Psychotherapy)
• Member of the CIPD (Institute of Personnel and Development)

Margaret Parker is an experienced psychotherapist who is committed to helping adults and teenagers get the most out of their lives. She is particularly interested in helping young people develop the understanding and skills they need to overcome obstacles and challenges they may face. She uses an eclectic approach depending on the needs of her clients, drawing on gestalt psychotherapy, CBT and mindfulness as appropriate.

Experience

She is an experienced psychotherapist having worked in many sectors including the NHS, the voluntary sector and more recently in private practice. Prior to retraining as a psychotherapist, she worked as an occupational psychologist in the corporate sector. Her role as mum to three teenagers gives her insight into and hands on experience of the challenges faced by both children and parents.

Education

• MSc in Gestalt Psychotherapy (Metanoia Institute)
• MSc in Occupational Psychology (The Queens University Belfast)
• BA (Hons) Psychology (University College Galway)
• Chartered Occupational Psychologist (British Psychological Society)
• Certificate in Counselling Teenagers (Institute for Arts in Education)
• Member of UKCP (UK Council for Psychotherapy)
• Member of BACP (British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy)
• Associate Fellow and Chartered Occupational Psychologist with the British Psychology Society.

Katie Burn is a child and adolescent psychotherapeutic counsellor who is committed to helping her clients to express themselves using a range of art, movement and talking therapy approaches. Katie believes that the fundamentals of good mental health comes from learning how to express a wide range of feelings in a safe way without self-judgement and she enjoys assisting her clients with this.

Experience

Katie has worked as a school therapist in various primary and secondary schools across London. Prior to this she worked for the NHS in settings such as eating disorders services and anxiety and depression community services. Katie has also worked in psychiatric research as well as volunteering at a charity for suicidal individuals. Katie enjoys working as a yoga teacher in London schools providing sessions such as yoga for anxiety, yoga for self-esteem and yoga for exam stress. She is sympathetic to the pressures our young people are under at school and is motivated to make schools an environment that is more supportive of their mental health.

Education

• Member of BACP (British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy)
• Post Graduate Diploma in child counselling (Institute of Arts in Therapy and Education)
• Certificate in Counselling Skills with Children Using the Arts – (Institute of Arts in Therapy and Education)
• Post Graduate Diploma in Mental Health Practice (Middlesex University)
• BSc Psychology (UCL)
• TeenYoga teacher (TeenYoga, Yoga Alliance)

Helen Gordon-Lee is a psychotherapeutic counsellor working with adults and young people to explore the things which help them and hold them back. Helen has a particular interest in managing change, resolving conflict, valuing difference, exploring motivation and maximising potential.

A versatile therapist, Helen tailors her approach to her clients’ needs and tolerance, working at relational depth or taking a more mindfulness-based approach and using coaching techniques to encourage self awareness and the ability to choose their own path. Helen is also an experienced facilitator and mediator.

Experience

Helen has worked as a school counsellor in a large secondary school in outer London and for a charity providing bereavement support and counselling for people at risk of suicide. Originally a lawyer, Helen qualified as an arbitrator before moving into mediation, coaching, facilitation, training and consultancy and establishing a blended independent practice in 2020. Helen continues to work as a school counsellor in a small academy trust school for 7-19 year-olds with autistic spectrum condition diagnoses and speech, language and communication challenges.

Education

• Professional Diploma in Psychotherapeutic Counselling Practice
• Diploma in Counselling Skills and Theory
• Certificate in Hypnotherapy and Counselling Skills
• Accredited interpersonal mediator
• Formerly a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators
• BA(Hons) Worcester College, Oxford

• Accredited Member of NCPS (National Counselling and Psychotherapy Society), listed on NCPS specialist register for working with Children, Young People and Families
• Member of BACP (British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy), member of BACP Children, Young People and Families and BACP Coaching divisions
• Accredited Member of the National Hypnotherapy Society

Dr Trixie Rawlinson is a therapist who works with adults and young people to help them express their feelings, unpick what is going on for them and work towards living a happier, more fulfilling life.  As a mother of two boys – now young men, she has her own hands on experience of parenting. 

 Experience

Trixie has worked in a variety of charity and NHS sectors including in low cost therapy settings, a GP surgery and HMP Feltham as well as private practice.  She believes that a warm and trusting working relationship is key to therapy that is useful and that a strong working alliance is co-created.  She also brings her experience as an executive coach to her work and can offer a range of approaches according to what is needed including somatic/body work, relational depth and coaching techniques. 

Education

• Member of the BACP (British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy)
• Diploma in Person Centred Counselling (Metanoia Institute)
• Diploma in Adolescent and Schools Counselling (Metanoia Institute)
• Masters in Psychodynamic Approaches and Process Consultancy (Tavistock and Portman)
• Doctorate in Organisational Change – with a specific focus on shame in helping relationships (Ashridge Hult Business School)

Professional  Accreditations

We are accredited with a range of psychological bodies including:

• The British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP)
• The UK Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP)
• The British Psychological Society (BPS)
• The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD)