I am deeply committed to helping to bring more consciousness to our care of very young children. They are the hope of the world. 

I came to my work with families and carers of very young children when I became a mum. I originally trained as a Steiner early childhood kindergarten teacher and counsellor in the 1990s, whilst setting up the Lancaster Steiner Education initiative with other families.  For many years I created workshop and courses for parents and parent and child group leaders, mostly in York and London. 

More recent extensive training in the Pikler approach with the European Pikler Association, at the Pikler Institute in Budapest, RIE in USA, counselling and in Psychoanalytic Child Observation added to the depth and sensitivity I have for the needs of the very young child.  My specialism is birth to three.

I brought the Pikler approach to the UK in 2008 and co-founded the Pikler UK Association, chairing its early beginnings for 7 years.  For several years I organised the Pikler trainings for the European Pikler Association. In 2020 I graduated to the level of Pikler Pedagogue with the European Pikler Association. This is a recognition of my understanding and experience of using the Pikler principles.  I am the first to have reached this level in the UK.

In 2014, I created and am course leader for the Emerson College (EYE) Level 3 Diploma in Holistic Baby and child Care. The course is on the National Framework for early years trainings. This is a ground-breaking and very successful course which synthesises Steiner early childhood understanding, an introduction to the Pikler approach and the UK government’s early years statutory regulations. It has a unique birth to three focus.  

I have authored an 85,000 word resource book called the The Parent and Child Group Handbook and write articles for Steiner, Pikler and mainstream magazines such as Nursery World, Teach Nursery and EYE. In 2019 I contributed a chapter to the Routledge book The Physical Developmental Needs of Young Children, edited by Rebecca Duncombe. This chapter describes my 11 years experience of running support groups for parents and babies using the Pikler approach, and the obstacles that prevent babies experiencing the crucial natural motor progression in the first 18 months. 

For 10 years I was the national representative on the UK Steiner/Waldorf Early Childhood Steering Group and chair of the Steiner UK Birth to Three Working Group. 

I offer inspiring consultancy and introductory workshops to nurseries and undergraduate trainings in the UK on the Pikler approach, and also workshops on various aspects of holistic child care. I regularly speak at conferences, and have been to China and Japan twice lecturing on birth to three development and learning and introducing the Pikler approach. 

I am an advocate for our youngest children. Being freelance gives me the freedom to stay true to my deep quest to ever go deeper to clarify what young children need in order to be loving, confident, resilient and creative.  And most important … how we can help them unfold into their precious uniqueness and individuality, in relationship to others and the world. 

Specialist Trainings

• Steiner/Waldorf Early Years teacher Diploma 1995
• Advanced Diploma in Developing People and Human Relations Practice – Counselling at  Oasis School of Human Development, Boston Spa. 2007
• Pikler Training Level 1 and 2  with the European Pikler Association and Basic and advanced courses at Pikler Institute, Budapest  2007, 2009, 2013, 2014, 2018, 2020
• Diploma – The First Years of Life training at Sophia’s Hearth, NH,USA  2008 and 2009
• Resources for Infant Educarers (RIE) Training, Level 1, Florida USA 2009
• Simplicity Parenting Group Leadership 2011
• Post Graduate Diploma in Psychoanalytical Child Observational Studies, NSCAP 2013
• Discipline and parent guidance coach training with Simplicity Parenting 2018

Early Education

• BSc (Hons) in Rural Environmental Science  (1976)
• BLD in Landscape Design (1979)