About Lisa
She is registered with the following professional bodies; Health Care Professionals Council (HCPC) and is a member of the British Dietetic Association (BDA), The British Association of Perinatal Medicine (BAPM) and Lactation Consultants of Great Britain (Associate member).
Experience
Lisa currently works full time in the NHS at an internationally known university teaching hospital that provides tertiary care to the East of England. She has worked in acute care across three major university teaching hospitals which has given her an excellent grounding and knowledge base within the speciality of paediatrics.
She has also spent time working in the community setting and in public health in paediatric and maternal healthcare.
Prior to training as a dietitian Lisa worked across East Amber Valley providing breastfeeding support to families, it is her love for good nutrition and supporting the family unit that lead her to train in the field of dietetics.
Expertise
Lisa prefers to dedicate the majority of her time to neonatal and paediatric care and is able to treat patients with a wide range of clinical conditions such as poor growth, breastfeeding issues, chronic lung disease, cardiac conditions, genetic conditions, coeliac disease, cancer, reflux, cow's milk protein allergy, neurodisability, poor feed tolerance.
Areas of Interest
Providing good nutrition to support growth and development is very important to Lisa, she has a keen interest in blended diet via gastrostomy, caring for ex preterm babies, supporting breastfeeding families and children with complex feeding issues.
She has always had a passion for supporting families, she is trained in SOS feeding therapy and has recently completed lactation consultant training.
Professionals working with Fenland Paediatric Dietitian:
- Blossom's Play Therapy:
Paula is a Certified Play Therapist and holds a Postgraduate Certificate in Therapeutic Play Skills (APAC - Academy of Play and Child Psychotherapy) with Merit, and was awarded a Provisional Post Graduate Diploma in July 2021. She is also qualified Rehabilitation Specialist and ran a family service for fifteen years for a local charity. She is experienced in working with children who are autistic, have ADHD, sensory processing and behavioural problems. Recently she has undertaken training in “Parent, child relationships”
As a Therapeutic Play Practitioner, she supports children and young people aged 3 to 18 years living with low self-esteem, anxiety, behavioural problems, anger and emotional regulation difficulties or struggling with peer and family relationships. Children may not have words to express these fears and worries. Play enables the children to explore their thoughts and feelings in creative and dynamic ways without the need for words to articulate themselves. Play Therapy is a non-directive approach - children choose how they express their fears and emotions through sand and clay; dance and movement; drawing and painting and a wide range of books, toys and crafts. Play enables the children to build self-esteem and healthy friendships. They recognise when they are no longer in control of their emotions and put strategies in place to regulate them. Children have better mental health and the emotional resilience they need to move successfully through their lives in school.
On receipt of a referral for a child, Paula contacts their parents, carries out a holistic assessment and completes a Strength and Difficulty Questionnaire. She meets the child, shows them the playroom, completes any paperwork and ensures they are happy and confident with the process. Once their sessions are completed, she carries out end of therapy meetings with their parents and teachers, and the school receives a report of progress and recommendations.
If you would like to get in touch with Paula and find out more about her services, please contact her directly on:
Paula Bird - Certified Play Therapist
Telephone: 07494292654
Testimonies:
Words of a Headteacher:
"Paula brings a lot of knowledge, experience and understanding to our school."
Words of a Parent:
"Since starting Play Therapy, my child is being more responsible and has settled in class. I no longer feel as stressed with my child as he has changed and become calmer since seeing Paula."
Words of a Teacher:
"I no longer have to spend time out of the classroom attending to one child’s needs whilst the rest of the class do crafts. We are very lucky to have Paula in the school."
Words of a Child:
"I never want to leave this room – it’s peaceful and gives me time to think."