about – Child Therapy International

About Me

I’ve had the privilege of living and working in many corners of the world—Switzerland, the United Kingdom, Jordan, China, and Uzbekistan. Through these diverse experiences, I have developed a deep understanding of the unique challenges that arise when living and working internationally. In particular, I’ve seen how schools and organizations supporting children from diverse cultural backgrounds face complex emotional and social hurdles.

As a Play Therapist (MA), Clinical Supervisor, and Child Safeguarding Consultant, I’ve spent many years in international schools, including as Head of Counselling. In these roles, I’ve walked alongside children, families, and professionals through moments of transition, emotional stress, and cultural adjustment. The demands of working abroad can sometimes feel isolating, but I’ve been there too. I know the weight of balancing professional responsibilities with the emotional challenges that come with living in a different culture.

I’m passionate about creating a safe space where children, families, and professionals feel understood and supported. It’s important to me that those I work with feel empowered to navigate their emotional journey’s and find resilience, no matter where they are in the world.

Based now in Devon, I follow the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy Ethical Framework and work in line with UK legislation, ensuring that all my practice is grounded in the highest standards of Child Protection and Safeguarding. This ensures that the children and vulnerable individuals I work with are always safe, supported, and treated with the utmost respect.

Sarah Elliott

Professional Endorsements

I wholeheartedly recommend Sarah for her incredible support as a counselor. From the moment we met her, she made a real difference in our child’s life and in our family as a whole.

Jenna Cirillo (Parent and Passionate Educator)

When the time came to address the Child Safeguarding focus area, Sarah was the lead on
this part of the project. Her subject matter expertise on not only the best practices of child
safeguarding, but as they applied to Uzbekistan and TIS was very evident from a variety of
perspectives.

Full reference here.

Jon Hansen (M.D. Global School Operations)

Working in a cross-cultural setting often means having different laws and understandings of some important issues, like child protection. It can be difficult when you are used to certain parameters that aren’t in use in your new context. It can be daunting to know what to do and how to begin. We have been so thankful for Sarah’s help in addressing this vital topic for our church. She has raised good questions, helped us prioritise our first steps, given advice on things that are essential and possible ways to achieve our purposes. She has helped with documentation, training and walking along with us to make it seem achievable, each step of the way. We hope the things we have been putting in place will help us now and others who come even after we’ve moved away. Child protection is such an important thing to do well. Sarah’s input, guidance and support have been indispensable.

Christine, Assistant Sundayschool Leader (Child Protection)

Sarah was a very key member of the team, was person focused, very calm and clear-headed throughout. There were a lot of tasks that needed completing, a large proportion of which Sarah led on and she was fantastic, she just took them on and managed them admirably.

Sian Jorgensen (Safeguarding Consultant & Trainer)

This was a complex case that required multiple ongoing decisions and a significant number of actions and tasks that needed completing. Sarah was a significant point of contact for the work and coordinated efforts between myself, the rest of the team and work streams. I would have no hesitation in recommending Sarah in recognition of the significant contribution that she made during this internal inquiry. Her knowledge, experience and clarity in the management of tasks was evident throughout.

Chris Gould (Independent Child Protection Consultant)

She makes herself available for students and parents, always patiently listening, being solution focused while exploring different options. Her kind and calm manner creates an atmosphere of safety and trust, making it easier for students and parents to open up and share worries or concerns.

Angelika Küster (Director of Teaching & Learning)

Sarah is one of the most effective and purposeful professionals I have had the opportunity to work with in my career. Her care for students (and adults) permeates everything she does. She is incredibly knowledgeable and skilled in the areas of safeguarding and child protection, I have learned so much from her and with her. As a school leader she makes me better through feedback, input and action. She makes things happen.

Derek Nelson (Elementary School Principal at Tashkent International School)

My son was new at TIS this year and this space was everything to him. Her office is an empathetic and honest place where students get individualised attention and parents can share their worries and concerns openly. I have two children that have learning needs and Sarah has been integral to building creative support plans for them. She always takes a calm, systematic and informed approach to every intervention and support plan.

Stefania Iaccelli (IB Educator, Coordinator, Parent)

Her expertise in navigating difficult conversations has been invaluable in equipping teachers with the confidence and strategies needed to support students effectively. She has provided clear, compassionate, and practical guidance, ensuring that teachers feel supported when addressing challenges in the classroom. Her ability to facilitate restorative dialogue has helped cultivate a culture of understanding, accountability, and growth among both staff and students.

Smita Gangola (Assistant Principal Secondary School, CIS Evaluator& IBEN)

Aesop Marketing worked with Ms Sarah Elliott as a child psychology consultant on a 13-episode animated series addressing violence against children, and sponsored by UNICEF – Jordan office, on May 2018. The episodes combined entertainment with behavior change messages targeting children ages 7 to 13 years.

Full Reference

Nur Sati-Ayoubi (Partner Aesop Marketing)

Mrs Elliott contributed much to MECI’s goals and knowledge in trauma-sensitive education, and her performance has proven to be effective in our organisation. (2016).

Full MECI letter

Dr Lina Farouqi (Regional Director, Middle East Children’s Institute MECI)

Research Interests and Projects

Between 2024-2025, I supported a church in Central Asia introducing and implementing Child Protection policies and procedures for their work with children. This included not only developing Safeguarding systems, but also training volunteers to ensure they understood and adhered to the best practices in Child Protection, fostering a safe and supportive environment for the children they serve.

In 2018, I provided consultancy services for a project focused on creating a series of stories for children in Jordan. The stories were designed to teach conflict resolution skills to children aged 5-10, while also helping them cope with violence they may face at home, school, or in their communities. The project was funded by UNICEF.
In 2017, the Middle East Children’s Institute (MECI) in Jordan hosted a project I set up for my MA research. It consisted of ten group Play Therapy sessions with 21 Syrian refugee children. The results of this study support the use of Play Therapy with Syrian refugee children, provide a comprehensive understanding of how resilience was strengthened and how this was observed by the parents, the children, the translator and the play therapist.

Read the article here.

In 2014, I spent time in Jordan, meeting Syrian refugee families in Marka and Mafraq. During this experience, I recognized the transformative potential of Play Therapy in helping these children. The artwork created by some of these children, shared with the consent of their parents, underscores the emotional impact and the therapeutic value of such interventions.