At Connect-Ed, we take immense pride in our dedicated team of therapists and counsellors. Each member is affiliated with a recognised 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
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.
Magda Florek
Schools: St Mary’s RC Primary School (Lambeth) and St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School (Hanwell)
Job: Art Therapist/School Counsellor
What I love about my job: Encounters with children and their families, collaborations with other professionals who feel passionate about what they do.
A typical workday for me: Each day is different, and it still surprises me. My days include meeting parents, consulting staff and running art therapy sessions for children.
A surprise fact about me: When I was a young adult, I made a short documentary film.
Gigi Kawisara Limaksorn
Schools: St. Anselm’s Catholic Primary (Southall), Longfield Primary School, Harmondsworth Primary School, St. Mary Catholic Primary (H&F)
Job: Play Therapist
What I love about my job: No two days are alike. It’s a privilege to witness each child make progress no matter how big or small. I love helping children make sense of their experience and heal through play. I also really enjoy working one-to-one with the children and the creative part of this work. I can tailor my approach to fit each child’s unique needs.
A typical work day for me: I typically arrive at school and prepare the room with art supplies and play materials. I arrange the room with resources and generally work with three children in the morning, and two in the afternoon. In addition to the sessions, my day can include writing progress notes, answering emails, attending individual and group clinical supervision, writing reports, attending parent review meetings and management meetings, and collaborating with other professionals.
A surprise fact about me: I actually really like cold weather despite coming from a warm country.
Alex Goodship
School: St John Fisher Primary School
Job/Role: Art Therapist/ School Counsellor
What I love about my job: I love working with the children, helping them through challenges, seeing them grow in many different ways and utilising creativity and play to empower and support them. I also value working with the team around the child.
A typical work day for me: Checking in with teachers, setting up the room, reading over notes and preparing myself for each client, working with children one to one, supporting children through the drop in and staff where required, regular check-ins with parents/carers and personal creative reflection, supported by supervision throughout the term.
A surprise fact about me: I’m Greek Cypriot, born and raised in London, and practise my Greek a lot on Duo-Lingo!
Ella Brunton
Schools: Halley Primary School and Harrow College
Job: Art Psychotherapist and Clinical Manager
What I love about my job: Continually learning and having the honour of thinking with people about their worlds.
A typical work day for me: Usually I am facilitating art therapy sessions with children, adolescents or young adults; working with parents/carers and teams around families; reflecting on clinical work in supervision and through artmaking; supporting art therapy trainees on their placements; and sometimes washing up paint palettes!
A surprising fact about me: I once sang on stage at the Royal Albert Hall (badly).
