Senior Therapy Team
Claire Smith, BSc, PGCERT, MRCOT
Clinical Specialist Occupational Therapist
Advanced Sensory Integration Practitioner (ASI ®)
Dialectical Behaviour Therapist (DBT)
Trained in interoception curriculum
Completed Advanced Trauma Treatment for Children and Adolescents -PESI
Former Lead Occupational Therapist for CAMHS secure service
Former visiting lecturer for Sensory Integration Network and ASI WISE [Ayres’ Sensory Integration® – Wales|Ireland|Scotland|England]
Former course lead on CAMHS trauma informed care training
Experience
Claire is a Clinical Specialised Occupational Therapist specialising in trauma, attachment and sensory processing. She has extensive experience working in a variety of clinical settings, NHS & charitable, including child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS), adult mental health and forensic services. She has worked with a wide range of difficulties including, Sensory processing difficulties, Dyspraxia, ADHD, Autism, borderline personality disorder, Learning Disabilities, Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders, Anxiety, Depression and other Mental Health Difficulties.
Claire is passionate about trauma informed care as an overarching philosophy and approach and working with children and young people who have experienced developmental trauma and neglect. Claire draws on a variety of therapeutic treatment modalities and approaches to provide bespoke, personalised intervention for children and young people with whom she works with. Approaches including Ayres Sensory Integration ® interventions, sensory attachment informed practise and Theraplay® Informed Practice(*).
*A registered service mark of The Theraplay® Institute, Evanston, IL, USA
Within Claire’s previous position a substantial part of the role was delivering training and workshops including sensory approaches in mental health, sensory strategies within education, DBT skills coaching and trauma informed care training as well as presenting at conferences nationally. She was also part of a small team chosen to complete DBT intensive training in order to set up a full DBT service within CAMHS. In addition she led the Occupational Therapy team in the development and implementation of a Sensory Integration assessment and care pathway, provided clinical mentorship for Occupational Therapists completing their modular Sensory Integration training and led the SI special interest group across the Charity.
About me
I love being an Occupational Therapist enabling me to work holistically and collaboratively with people, carers and families. I enjoy the creativity and variety within my work and the ability to be playful is a must! I am very excited about joining Creative Therapy Options to be part of this awesome therapeutic centre and I am in awe at all the Directors have achieved.
In my spare time I enjoy spending time with family and friends, being outdoors, running with the local running club and playing with and walking my dog. I am passionate about keeping up-to-date with evidence based practise and have completed a wide variety of courses to enable me to continue to do this, aswell as being a member of special interest groups and enjoying spending time listening to podcasts and reading. My enthusiasm for learning drives me in my passion to share this with others and support others in their development.
Professional Registration
British Association of Occupational Therapists and Royal College of Occupational Therapists www.cot.co.uk/
Health Professions Council www.hpc-uk.org
Specialist Group Memberships
College of Occupational Therapists Specialist Section - Children, Young People and Families
http://www.cot.co.uk/cotss-children-young-people-families/cot-ss-children-young-people-families
Sensory Integration Network UK and Ireland
www.sensoryintegration.org.uk
ASI WISE [Ayres’ Sensory Integration® – Wales|Ireland|Scotland|England]