Meet The Founders

Meet Polly

Co-Founder of BRAVEaid Parenting

I hold an MA in Social Work from the University of Exeter, a Post-Qualifying award in Children and Families and am registered with both Social Work England and the HCPC. My Level 2 EMDR training with children and adolescents, accredited with the EMDR Europe Association, has given me a deep understanding of how anxiety becomes rooted in the nervous system and what it takes, at a neurological and relational level, to help a child feel safe again. Central to that safety is the parent, whose regulated, attuned presence is often the most therapeutic factor of all. This trauma-informed lens runs through my holistic practice.

Meet Annette

Co-Founder of BRAVEaid Parenting

I am a registered nurse (RN) and a specialist community public health nurse (SCPHN), for children and young people aged 5-19 years, holding a PGDip in Public Health. I am professionally accountable to the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC), adhering to a strict code of conduct that ensures honesty, integrity and the highest standards of care. The tools used in The BRAVEaid Method are rooted in my Enhanced Evidence-Based Practice (for Children, Young People and Families) qualification (PGCert) from the University of Exeter, combining models of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and Behavioural Activation. Through my trainings and frontline clinical practice, I have gained a comprehensive understanding, not only of the complex physical and mental health needs of children and young people, but also of the families who support them.

Meet BRAVEaid Parenting

For a combined 20 years, we have worked as senior clinicians within NHS Children and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS), sitting with children, young people and their families at some of the most difficult points in their lives. Childhood anxiety, in all its complexity, has been at the heart of our clinical work throughout this time. This depth of experience is what we now bring into private practice.

We offer parent-led coaching for childhood anxiety because the evidence is unambiguous: informed, responsive parenting is one of the most powerful interventions available to a child who experiences anxiety. Drawing on our combined years of frontline clinical practice, we work with parents to build a clear, practical understanding of their child's anxiety and support them to guide their child through their episodes of anxiety. We bring this specialist clinical knowledge, directly into the parenting coaching space using “gold standard” strategies proven to be effective for child anxiety.