At Connect-Ed, we take immense pride in our dedicated team of therapists and counsellors. Each member is affiliated with a recognized professional body, such as the British Association of Counselling & Psychotherapy (BACP). With over 50 therapists and counsellors currently supporting schools across London, we invite you to learn more about some of these exceptional individuals.
Meet the team
Michelle Hegarty
Job: Head of School Services and Safeguarding
I am a psychoanalytic psychotherapist with a specialist training in Forensic Psychotherapy and working with adolescents.
What I love about my job: I love working with so many creative people who are so curious and committed to their work.
A typical work day for me: There is no such thing! I can be supporting my team delivering training; interviewing for new staff; writing new policy; supporting the teams with managing safeguarding, or many other tasks.
A surprising fact about me: I am learning to speak Italian.
Ioanna Baliou
School: St Joseph’s Catholic Junior School.
Job: School Therapist
What I love about my job: I love being ‘invited’ into the children’s world of imagination and emotions through art and play.
A typical workday for me: My day starts with setting up the room for the counselling sessions I will have with children throughout the day. I also collect the paper slips that children have placed into the Drop-in sessions box with requests for 15-minute sessions with me during their lunch-time break. Before and after sessions, I meet with teachers or parents to discuss how to better support the children, and check-in with them as well.
A surprise fact about me: I have studied Creative Writing and Drama.
Romany Jager
Schools: The Sacred Heart Language College and St Josephs Catholic Primary School
Job: Connect-Ed School counsellor
Humanistic and Integrative Child and Adolescent Counsellor
What I love about my job: I love helping with and seeing children thrive with confidence in their social environment.
A typical work day for me: The only typical routine I have is seeing the same students on their set days for counselling, though each session is different so the days are never the same. In-between counselling, I have drop-in sessions with different students each time, so these connections create new experiences every day. Working in two different schools each week gives me a change of environment which keeps my creativity fresh.
A surprise fact about me: I have a great trainer collection.
Louise Rylatt
Schools: Immanuel & St Andrews Primary School (Streatham) and St John XXIII Catholic Primary School (White City)
Job: Integrative Child Counsellor
What I love about my job: I really enjoy getting to know the children and hearing about their world view, including learning about what they enjoy, their opinions and their struggles.
A typical work day for me: I set up the room so it’s relaxing and comfortable and I make sure all the resources are out so children can choose what they’d like to do. I then see the children individually. In between sessions, I tidy up, do admin tasks and often speak with staff and parents.
A surprising fact about me: I am Australian, although after 25 years living in London my accent is (sadly) fading. I have a very bouncy dog called Maisie.
