Before coming to see Julie, my daughter was just not happy, struggling to form relationships with her peers that she felt secure in and often behaving defensively with aggression that isolated her further. She could flip between being vulnerable and upset and then fierce, defiant, and uncooperative and often this resulted in refusing to go to school. Everything felt like a battle and drop off at school was really upsetting for the both of us. I was starting feel like I was failing as a parent and at a loss as to how to help her navigate the very strong and often rollercoasting feelings she was experiencing. There was a growing sense of distance instead of the deep connection I had always felt with her. Julie just seemed to get my daughter, really see her in all her strengths and complexity. I found this so reassuring as it really felt like a space where my daughter could be herself and feel good about it. It was so helpful to have Julie’s suggestions as to how to support her to express her feelings, even the more challenging ones and the significance of holding space for her to do this safely. My daughter loved her sessions with Julie, I think it was significant that she had control to choose what she did and quite often she didn’t share with me what that was. I think it felt like her special time and I really feel she felt safe, accepted, and not judged and this allowed her to relax and explore. There was a period where things at home became a little more intense, but Julie was always there to offer support and reassurance that this was often part of the process of the child working through their feelings. This understanding meant I was better equipped to support my daughter through the process. Over time I started to noticed shifts in her behaviour, she would stop and think more before reacting and she started to enjoy school more and talk about friends rather than saying she had no friends. School also provided feedback that they had seen improvements in the way she managed conflicts with peers and navigated friendships. She began telling me about things that were going well in school, in particular how well she was doing in handwork (she was making a knitted doll). A softness returned and we started to have a deeper connection again and I have the sense that she feels secure and more able to love and value herself and what she had to offer. I am hugely grateful to Julie for providing a safe space for my daughter to explore and figure out her internal world, so she was able to make more sense of her place in the external world, and for all the support and care she showed to me. I feel a deep sense that things are going to be ok, and we will be able to navigate the challenges, and this means so much.