Kate Matthews
Westbury-on-Trym,Bristol
Summary
A dedicated and compassionate Play Therapist with over a decade of experience working with vulnerable children and and 5 years of therapeutic experience supporting children living through trauma, anxiety, low mood and regulatory difficulties. Skilled in Child-Centred Play Therapy (CCPT), sandplay and creative arts interventions with a focus on the benefits of sensory and narrative play. Adopting a joyful, accepting and collaborative approach to supporting the emotional wellbeing of children and young people.
Overview
22
22
years of professional experience
Work History
Play Therapist
Kate Matthews Child Therapy
10.2024 - Current
- Offering Child Centered Play Therapy sessions to around 10 children per week.
- Building trusting, accepting, long-term professional relationships with children and families, particularly those who have experienced developmental or single event trauma, adopted children and children who have a diagnosis or ADHD and/or autism.
- Supporting children through illness, loss, anxiety, low mood, and self-regulation challenges.
- Providing opportunities for regulatory sensory play and facilitating the child’s understanding of their emotional world as well as providing opportunities for regulatory play and development.
- Working collaboratively with parents and carers through intake and regular progress review meetings to mutually understand and meet each child’s needs, and help align home strategies and understanding with playroom learning and interventions.
- Working closely with school staff, social workers and other professionals to best support the child and their family.
1:1 Learning Support Assistant
Elmlea Schools
09.2018 - 08.2024
- Established trusting 1:1 support for children with developmental trauma, ADHD, Autism and Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder, enhancing their ability to thrive in school settings.
- Tailored learning tasks and delivered 1:1 lessons to facilitate successful integration into classroom activities.
- Designed and implemented play-based activities to support emotional regulation and confidence in children. for 1:1 and small groups.
- Supported emotional and physical regulation during classroom and playground transitions.
- Enhanced student engagement and emotional regulation through coaching with North Star Outreach Advisor, positively impacting wellbeing and learning outcomes.
- Collaborated with parents, play therapist, class teacher, and SENDCO.
- Followed risk assessments to keep child and others safe during dysregulation.
- Contributed to trust-wide good behaviour policy review for relational approach.
Business Manager
LIFT Psychology, AWP
01.2013 - 09.2013
- Managed administrative and operational functions for NHS talking therapies services across Bristol and South Gloucestershire, overseeing referrals and waiting lists to ensure efficient service delivery.
- Line management of the administrative and analyst team.
- Monitored performance metrics to identify areas for improvement and ensure service quality.
- Planning and delivering new services, such as post-natal depression courses.
- Enhanced access to services for diverse populations, improving engagement and utilisation of mental health resources.
Service Improvement Manager
NHS Bristol/Bristol Clinical Commissioning Group
10.2009 - 01.2013
- Managed Service Development Groups (SDGs) for adult End of Life and Respiratory Care to enhance service provision and improve health outcomes across the care pathway, including joint working on standardised End of Life plans, obtaining funding for and roll-out of End of Life training for care home staff and additional home oxygen nurse roles.
- Coordinated service improvement meetings with service users and professionals from primary and secondary care, St Peter's Hospice and Marie Curie.
- Collaborated with clinical leads to plan and deliver service improvement events for a number of service areas such as unplanned hospital admissions for children, ambulance turnaround times, dementia care and the use of elective services for people with learning difficulties.
Commissioning Manager
Bristol Primary Care Trust
01.2006 - 10.2009
- With a focus on elective care areas, collaborating with care providers to monitor performance, improve outcomes and develop new care pathways. Partnered with providers of large service contracts, including home oxygen services, Marie Curie, and St Peter's Hospice.
NHS Graduate Management Trainee
NHS Innovation Agency
09.2004 - 01.2006
- Placement 1: Assistant Manager, Clinical Support Directorate, North Bristol NHS Trust. Offering General management support and management of phlebotomy services.
- Placement 2: Commissioning Manager, Bristol North PCT. Assisting in developing a community musculoskeletal assessment and treatment service (MATS).
- Elective placement: National Assembly for Wales. Assisting consultation events for a national reconfiguration of Local Health Boards.
Education
Master of Science - Play Therapy
University of South Wales
01-2024
NVQ Level 3 - Supporting Teaching and Learning in Schools
City of Bristol College
01-2017
Master of Science - Leadership and Management of Healthcare
Universities of Birmingham and Warwick
01-2006
Bachelor of Science - Psychology
University of Manchester
01-2004
A-Levels - English, German, French
Caerleon Comprehensive School
Caerleon01-2000
Skills
- Developing trusting, accepting relationships with children and families
- Child Centred Play Therapy
- Facilitating therapeutic play
- Sensory integration and regulatory techniques
- Understanding the therpeutic benefits of play for trauma
- Child-centred engagement
- Collaborative multidisciplinary work
Additional Information
- Safeguarding Level 3, Virtual College, Sept 2026
- AutPlay Therapy Practitioner Training (12 hours), AutPlay Therapy Clinic, July 2026
- ADHD In The Classroom: Accommodations and Behavioural Supports, The Association for Child and Adolescent Mental Health, July 2026
- Introduction to Synergetic Play Therapy Program (26 hours), Synergetic Play Therapy Institute, August 2025
- Traumatic Bereavement: Working Therapeutically with CYP, UK Trauma Council and Anna Freud, May 2025
Timeline
Play Therapist
Kate Matthews Child Therapy
10.2024 - Current
1:1 Learning Support Assistant
Elmlea Schools
09.2018 - 08.2024
Business Manager
LIFT Psychology, AWP
01.2013 - 09.2013
Service Improvement Manager
NHS Bristol/Bristol Clinical Commissioning Group
10.2009 - 01.2013
Commissioning Manager
Bristol Primary Care Trust
01.2006 - 10.2009
NHS Graduate Management Trainee
NHS Innovation Agency
09.2004 - 01.2006
Master of Science - Play Therapy
University of South Wales
NVQ Level 3 - Supporting Teaching and Learning in Schools
City of Bristol College
Master of Science - Leadership and Management of Healthcare
Universities of Birmingham and Warwick
Bachelor of Science - Psychology
University of Manchester
A-Levels - English, German, French
Caerleon Comprehensive School