Our Story

From Clinical Expertise to Personal Passion

Jana, founder of Room to Bloom Therapies

Meet the founder

Welcome to Room to Bloom Therapies

Hi, I am Jana and I am the founder of Room to Bloom Therapies (RtB), based in Pembury.

I am a registered Health Play Specialist and a certified, PTUK-registered Play and Creative Arts Therapist with 20 years of experience supporting children, young people, and families. My mission is to provide a safe, nurturing space where children can navigate their emotions, heal, grow, and be fully understood.

  • 20 years as a Health Play Specialist
  • PTUK-registered Play & Creative Arts Therapist
  • Trauma-informed practice
  • Neurodiversity-affirming Play Therapist

My Journey

  1. NHS Journey

    For 20 years, I worked as a Health Play Specialist across various medical specialities in Great Ormond Street (GOSH) and other London hospitals, most recently specialising in supporting victims of child sexual abuse and exploitation. Throughout my hospital career, my mission was always clear: to improve children’s healthcare experiences and protect their well-being during stressful times.

  2. A personal turn

    However, my path took a deeply personal turn when my own son was diagnosed as neurodivergent. Watching him face immense difficulties at school, and seeing how the ‘one size fits all’ motto had affected his mental health, changed everything for me.

  3. Training as a therapist

    As a parent, I truly understood the heartache of watching your child struggle, the challenges of navigating the school system, and the gaps in available support. This lived experience inspired me to expand my skills and train as a certified Play and Creative Arts Therapist. I wanted to use my professional background to make a direct, meaningful difference in children's day-to-day mental health both at school and at home.

  4. Today

    Having worked extensively across mainstream and special education schools, as well as the NHS, I bring a wealth of practical experience to my practice. I am a proud neurodiversity-affirming therapist. This means I do not see your child as something to be "fixed". Instead, I celebrate their unique identity, meet them exactly where they are, and help them navigate a world that isn't always built for them.

Professional Background

  • Listed on the PTUK register for Play and Creative Arts Therapists (accredited by the Professional Standards Authority) – playtherapyregister.org.uk
  • Annual re-registration with the Society of Health Play Specialists (SoHPS) – you can check registration & credentials anytime on the SoHPS public register
  • Registered SandStory Therapist with The International SandStory Association
  • Certificate in Child and Adolescent Counselling Skills with the Institute for Arts in Therapy and Education
  • Registered with the ICO (Information Commissioner's Office) and hold all relevant Indemnity and Public Liability Insurances
  • Current enhanced DBS and up to date safeguarding and Prevent training
  • Regular clinical supervision to support my professional practice
  • Paediatric First Aid, with the NHS
  • Additional training in Developmental Trauma and Sensory Processing Disorder
  • Ongoing CPD to keep practice up to date

Ready to take the first step?

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