Denise and Margaret initially introduced NVR into Southampton City training over 40 professionals and parents to become NVR practitioners (level 3) including members of, Child Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS), and Social Services. Over 30 NVR groups are now run per year within the city from early intervention to specialist autism groups. Since then they have worked in partnership with Educational Psychologists in Renfrewshire to blend the NVR interventions with their existing nurture programme within the educational setting. Over the last two years they have trained staff to deliver in NVR so they can use whole school approaches, group work and individual work throughout Renfrewshire. They are currently training a small number of staff to become trainers so that they can maintain NVR within their agencies.
Alongside delivering training to individuals, Denise and Margaret have also delivered training to City Councils and have just completed a year long project to train 41 staff to Hampshire County Council so that they can provide NVR groups across the region.
Dr. Margaret Smith, PhD, PGCE, NPSLBA
With Denise I developed NVR within Southampton and currently coordinate the training and delivery of NVR within the city working part-time at the BRS (Building Resilience and Strengths), a multi-agency CAHMS (Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service) team specialising in attachment- and trauma-focused approaches. I joined the BRS as Specialist Teacher in 2003, focusing on educational inclusion for young people and also working with families, carers and members of the multi-agency network, providing assessment, individual and group interventions, supervision, consultancy and training, including to student social workers and teachers. With a background in mainstream and then specialist education I achieved the status of National Specialist Leader in Behaviour and Attendance. I completed a Doctorate at Southampton University in 2014 focussing on Multi-agency working and Inclusion. I have undertaken specialist training in the areas of Autistic Spectrum Conditions and Attachment Difficulties including undertaking Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy Level 1.
I spend a lot of time at home with my family but, despite this and my partner’s hoard of DIY equipment, our house has been going through the ‘decorating’ stage since we moved in 15 years ago.We have two dogs; Ted is a small terrier with a large presence and Lucy is a rescue dog all the way from Romania. I enjoy seeing exhibitions and shows with my daughter who is studying Art and Drama. My eyesight is really terrible but I have an inbuilt radar for locating bargains in a charity shop and have an impressive collection (definitely not a hoard!) of shoes and handbags. I enjoy new challenges and have just signed up for a hula hoop course.
Mrs. Denise Wilson, BA(open) Diploma S.W, Diploma HE. MSc Family Therapy, Diploma Teaching, Training & Supervision, NVR Practitioner/Trainer
I have been working with children and adolescents, specialising in mental health issues for over 30 years. I first qualified as a social worker in 1993, and then went on to train in Systemic Family Therapy and have a MSc from Oxford Brookes University. In 2006 I embarked on further training in order to teach, a train, and supervise in family therapy, I have studied with Dan Hughes to achieve level 2 of Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy.
I have recently retired from CAMHS to focus on NVR training and supervision. Although, I continue to work independently with a small number of individual NVR families as I find I learn so much from every family I work with and this enriches my teaching. Margaret and I both teach NVR on the Clinical Doctorate Course at the University of Southampton. I have been an NVR practitioner, teacher, trainer, and supervisor for over 15 years. Along with Margaret I have presented at national and international conferences throughout Europe.
An important component of NVR is to look after ourselves and I try and top up my ‘wells’ by going to the gym, sewing, learning Greek, walking the dog ( Bailey) and spending time with my family. I especially enjoy my one day a week with my little grandson who bring us all so much joy.