Laura Harrison is the Director of Therapy and Clinical Services at The Family Place. She is responsible for overseeing the Management of the Service and is the Responsible Individual. Along with Dr Vivien Norris (Founder and Director), Dr Emily Barnbrook (Clinical Director), and Michael Howlett (Finance Director), Laura leads the service.
Laura has considerable experience managing teams that provide therapy and therapeutic services to children and young adults who have experienced significant developmental trauma and loss.
A fully qualified teacher, Laura has a Masters level qualification in the National Award for Special Educational Needs Coordination (SENCo) and is trained in Theraplay and Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy (DDP). She has over 15 years’ experience as a senior teacher and manager within education, charitable, and fostering and adoption sectors in both private, not for profit and local authority organisations.
Laura’s earliest work experience was with children as a class teacher in primary schools in Bristol and London. She has held a number of senior positions in primary schools, leading on inclusion (including SENCo). For a number of years Laura was an Independent Fostering Panel member in a children’s local authority sector. For the past 10 years Laura has managed services that deliver specialist therapeutic services for children who have experienced complex trauma and loss in both England and Wales, working with families at home, looked-after children, and in residential and adoption sectors.
Laura is passionate that families receive the support they need to stay together in their communities and are able to attend local schools that have the skills and training to meet children’s needs.
