Lucy Rutterford - Creative Therapeutic Counselling and Play Therapy
About me
A little on my approach to therapy
We live in a world where being busy, productive and a focus on doing and achieving takes prominence from an early age. This outward focus can create both stress and pressure, alongside an increasing longing for more time and space to feel more at ease in ourselves.
I believe in the value of a therapeutic space where there is more a focus on being; with an opportunity to slow down, be curious and to let whatever naturally unfolds come to the surface.
My approach is gentle and intuitive. I aim to offer a space in which complex and distressing feelings and experiences can be deeply heard, understood and held with care and compassion. Equally, I bring a sense of humour where appropriate, particularly so in play therapy sessions with children and view these moments of joy, playfulness and connection as part of a deepening in our work together. Connection to nature and a love of being outside is important to me, inspiring and supporting my work.
I am creative and love working with image, symbol, metaphor and story as a way of reaching a point of deeper meaning, insight and new understandings. I work from a belief that we are all innately creative, though some of us may have had difficult experiences as children affecting our relationship to creativity and we work with this dynamic in mind. No artistic or creative ability is needed.
I work relationally and I believe that the quality of the therapeutic relationship is the most important element. Developing a sense of safety in therapy can take time and I aim to work collaboratively with clients as the shape and direction of our work together emerges and develops.
My experience
I have worked with children and young people since 2006 in various roles. I have degrees in Music and subsequently in Community Justice, alongside a Post Qualifying award in Social Work. I began my career as a Probation Officer in London, before working with adolescents in Youth Offending Teams in London and then Wiltshire.
More recently, and after becoming a parent myself, I worked as a childminder and then as an independent leader of music classes for children. I have been working as a qualified play and creative arts therapist since 2021 and now work with adults as an integrative counsellor too. I have had varied career experiences, but with common threads of creativity and working with people from diverse experiences and backgrounds. My lived experiences and own process of self-development have led me to train to be a therapist, firstly with children and more recently extending my practice with adults.
Therapy qualifications and training
Post Graduate Diploma in Play Therapy – 2021 (Play Therapy UK - PTUK)
Diploma in Integrative Sandplay Therapy – 2024 (Association of Integrative Sandplay Therapists -AIST)
Advanced Diploma in Therapeutic Counselling - 2026 (NCPS Accredited Level 4 Equivalent)
I am a registered member of BACP (British Association for Counsellors and Psychotherapists). I am DBS checked and subscribe annually to the update service. I am fully insured and registered with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO). I have regular clinical supervision and undertake ongoing additional training to further develop my practice.
