Melissa Purnell

I offer online or face-to-face, Educational Reflective Supervision to school staff, such as SLT, Safeguarding Leads, and ASD, SEMH Staff.

I hold an MA in Psychodynamic Counselling and a BSc in Psychology. I work with Adults, Adolescents, and Children.

I am a qualified primary teacher and have worked in Educational Additional Resource Provisions (ARPs) and Mainstream Education supporting children with Trauma, Autism, and ADHD.

Work Experience

I have substantial experience (25 years) working in East London within the Education sector as a Trauma, SEMH Practitioner, Primary Teacher, and Psychodynamic Counsellor.

I have previously supported Farleigh Hospice as a child and adolescent (4-18 years) bereavement counsellor and Kids Inspire as an outreach schools counsellor.

I have a private psychodynamic practice in Chelmsford and work with adolescents, children and adults. 

Educational Supervision

Online or face-to-face

I offer reflective supervision for school staff, who are working with complex cases such as Looked After Children, SEN, and Mental Health needs. Educational supervision provides additional support to reflect upon the dynamics of their workload to ensure they are working efficiently by understanding the conscious and unconscious needs of the children/ families they support. Depending on your caseload, It is suggested we meet for one hour a month as a minimum. The case and direction of the discussion are chosen by the supervisee, who is then guided to examine their thoughts and feelings about the case and use this awareness to serve the client better. This service can be offered online using the Zoom platform or face-to-face sessions in my consultancy office. 

Parent Support/ Supervision

Sometimes, children choose not to engage in one-to-one counselling themselves, and they feel helpless, and unsure where to turn. It may be that you are looking for help on how to support your child through a turbulent period or for either ongoing support as a parent or just a one-off consultation for advice on a particular difficulty. At Dynamic-Minds we can provide you with a space to reflect on your circumstances and support you to make positive changes in your relationship with your children. 

Weekdays. £60 per session. Various times available.

Saturday - Waiting list at present. £70 per session

Sunday morning - £80 per session (one session available)

• I can provide short-term or long-term sessions depending on your needs. 
• I offer weekly, face-to-face sessions. 
• I can offer online or face-to-face, Educational Reflective Supervision to school staff, such as SLT, Safeguarding Leads, and ASD, SEMH Staff. 

I hold an MA in Psychodynamic Counselling and a BSc in Psychology. I work with Adults, Adolescents and Children. 

I am a qualified primary teacher (QTS) and have worked in Educational Additional Resource Provisions (ARPs) Pupil Referral Units (PRUs) and Mainstream Education supporting children with Trauma, Autism and ADHD. 

I am registered with the BACP, have the relevant insurance and registered with the ICO.

Work Experience

• I have substantial experience (25 years) working in East London within the Education sector as a Trauma, SEMH Practitioner, Primary Teacher and Psychodynamic Counsellor. 
• I have previously supported Farleigh Hospice as a child and adolescent (4-18 years) bereavement counsellor and Kids Inspire as an outreach schools counsellor. 
• I have a private psychodynamic practice based in Chelmsford and work with adolescents, children and adults. 
  

Benefits of Counselling

Life is not always straightforward, our lives can become challenging at times, causing us to feel overwhelmed with an array of complex emotions which can impact our daily lives.

Very often we don’t have someone we can completely share our innermost thoughts and emotions with so having someone who is a trained professional, not connected with their life allows the opportunity to open up and confide in.

Dedicating time to yourself to explore issues which affect your life is beneficial, as it will give you the time and space you need to work things out.

I trust that I can provide a safe, non-judgmental space to work collaboratively with you to explore ways to help you move forward.

Psychodynamic counselling is a non-directive therapy that aims to assist people in exploring the more unconscious aspects of their behaviour, thoughts and feelings. By examining these issues we can gain clarity and make the necessary changes to improve psychological well-being and aid personal growth.

I offer individual counselling with each session lasting 50 minutes. 

I provide long or short-term counselling, depending on your needs.

I can also provide online sessions via Zoom or face-to-face sessions. 

My consultancy office is spacious, with a welcoming, calm feel. It has the benefit of on-site parking for your session or easy access to bus routes. 

Adults and Teenagers

Psychodynamic therapy is a form of in-depth talk therapy that aims to bring unconscious or deeply buried thoughts and feelings to the conscious mind so that repressed experiences and emotions, often from childhood, can be brought to the surface and examined.

Children and Young People 

When working with children or young people, I also offer creative and play therapy if talking directly feels too difficult. 

I offer Sand Tray Therapy which is a form of non-directive counselling. Clients are encouraged to create three-dimensional pictures in sand trays using miniature objects or figures. It is an expressive, non-verbal, creative approach that can be used with people of all ages.

I also offer Clay Field Therapy for those who may find talking too difficult when expressing emotions. The therapeutic focus is not on object creation, but on the touch connection with the clay as a symbolic external world. 

Educational Supervision 

I also offer reflective supervision for school staff, who are working with complex cases and need additional support to reflect upon the dynamics of their workload to ensure they are working efficiently by understanding the conscious and unconscious needs of the children/ families they support.  Depending on your caseload, It is suggested we meet for one hour a month as a minimum. The case and direction of the discussion are chosen by the supervisee, who is then guided to examine their thoughts and feelings about the case and use this awareness to serve the client better.  This service can be offered online using the Zoom platform or face-to-face sessions in my consultancy office. 

Initially, it is advisable to have a 15-minute phone consultation to orient ourselves on how and why we would want to work together and to answer any questions you might have. Phone consultations are free of charge.

If we decide to further our work, I would invite you for an assessment, where we could establish your therapy goals and get to know each other better. This is also an opportunity to organise our meetings for regular counselling sessions and discuss fees and other, concerning details. This session may take up to 90 minutes and is charged at £80.