About Tina

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Tina's Experience, Qualifications & Approach

Tina has 17 years of professional experience working with children and young people across education, pastoral care, and mental health services, with a strong focus on children's mental health. Earlier in her career, during her 20s, she worked as an Occupational Therapy Nurse in a psychiatric hospital. She later established Messy Minds, which has been providing therapeutic support for families for 5 years.

Child & Young Person’s Counsellor

Therapeutic Coach Dip4

SEN Mentor

Family Support Worker Dip3

Mental Health Practitioner

Specialisms: Children | Teens | Parents | Families

“My work is grounded in the belief that behaviour is communication, not defiance. I support children, young people, and families who are often misunderstood, particularly those navigating anxiety, trauma, neurodiversity affirmation, and school-based stress.

I take a practical, relational approach, helping families make sense of big emotions, shutdowns, meltdowns, and withdrawal with compassion rather than blame. Sessions are collaborative, gentle, and realistic, focused on building safety, trust, and emotional understanding before change is expected.

I work alongside parents, not above them, offering clear guidance, tools that work in real life, and space for reflection. My aim is not to “fix” a child, but to help families reconnect, regulate, and move forward with confidence.

Mother-Daughter Team

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Messy Minds is led by a mother–daughter duo who are deeply committed to creating safe, compassionate, and neurodiversity-affirming spaces for children and young people, particularly focusing on children's mental health.

Tina brings over 17 years of experience working with children and young people across education, pastoral care, and mental health settings. Her background includes early career experience as an Occupational Therapy Nurse in a psychiatric hospital, alongside many years of hands-on therapeutic support for families through pastoral work. Tina provides the clinical insight, experience, and reflective practice that underpin Messy Minds.

Alongside Tina, Esme brings extensive experience in marketing, communications, and customer care. With a strong background in building relationships and supporting families, she plays a key role in ensuring Messy Minds is accessible, welcoming, and responsive. Her experience helps families feel informed, supported, and listened to from the very first point of contact, while also ensuring the service runs smoothly behind the scenes.

Together, we combine clinical expertise with strong communication, organization, and genuine care—working collaboratively to create supportive environments where young people and families feel understood, valued, and safe.

(It is solely Tina who leads and provides any service advertised.)

Mission & Values

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Safety First

Emotional and psychological safety are at the heart of everything we do, particularly in supporting children's mental health. A young person’s sense of safety is always prioritized before outcomes, expectations, or progress, especially when we embrace neurodiversity affirmation and provide therapeutic support for families.

Neurodiversity Affirmation

We believe that neurodivergent minds are valuable and valid, especially when considering children's mental health. Difference is not deficit; instead, we embrace neurodiversity affirmation and do not aim to 'normalize' or suppress neurodivergent traits. Our focus includes providing therapeutic support for families to foster understanding and acceptance.

Choice & Consent

Young people are offered choice and control wherever possible, particularly in the context of children's mental health. Participation is invited, never forced, and consent is respected at all times, ensuring that neurodiversity affirmation is upheld. This approach also supports therapeutic support for families, fostering an inclusive environment.

Relationship Led Practice

Trusting, authentic relationships are essential for supporting children's mental health, far outweighing the importance of rigid rules or behavior management systems. In the context of neurodiversity affirmation, it's crucial to recognize that connection comes before correction, ensuring effective therapeutic support for families.

Strengths-Based Support

We focus on interests, abilities, and potential rather than labels or limitations, emphasizing the importance of children's mental health. Every young person has strengths worth recognizing and nurturing, which aligns with the principles of neurodiversity affirmation. Our approach includes providing therapeutic support for families to foster these strengths.

All Communication is Valid

Words, art, silence, movement, behavior, and emotion are all forms of communication that deserve respect and curiosity, especially when considering children's mental health and the importance of neurodiversity affirmation. These elements play a crucial role in providing therapeutic support for families navigating various challenges.

Regulation Before Reasoning

We understand that for children’s mental health, learning, reflection, and growth can only happen when a young person feels calm, regulated, and understood. This is especially important in the context of neurodiversity affirmation, where therapeutic support for families plays a crucial role in fostering a nurturing environment.

Inclusivity & Identity Affirmation

We welcome and affirm all identities, including neurodivergent individuals, LGBTQ+ communities, and diverse cultural experiences. We believe that children's mental health is vital, and everyone, including those seeking neurodiversity affirmation, deserves therapeutic support for families to feel they belong.

Compassion Over Compliance

We do not aim to control behaviour. Instead, we strive to understand what a behaviour is communicating, particularly in the context of children's mental health, and respond with empathy and support. Our approach embraces neurodiversity affirmation and provides therapeutic support for families to foster a nurturing environment.

Growth at an Individual Pace

There is no rush and no one-size-fits-all pathway when it comes to children's mental health. Progress looks different for everyone, reflecting the importance of neurodiversity affirmation, and that is respected. Families can find therapeutic support tailored to their unique journeys.

Safeguarding & Confidentiality

At Messy Minds, the safety and wellbeing of children and young people is our highest priority.

Tina is committed to providing a safe, supportive, and respectful environment for everyone who accesses our services, particularly focusing on children's mental health and neurodiversity affirmation. We treat all personal information and conversations with care and confidentiality, sharing information only in accordance with our safeguarding responsibilities. If we are concerned about a young person’s safety, we may need to share information with appropriate professionals to ensure they receive the right therapeutic support for families. This will be discussed openly and sensitively whenever possible.

We follow clear safeguarding procedures and adhere to relevant policies and best practices to ensure that children and young people are protected and supported at all times.

Client care and administrative support at Messy Minds is non-clinical and focuses on communication, bookings, and practical arrangements. All clinical or therapeutic work is carried out by the appropriate practitioner.