Summit Team Member
Tracie Ward Profile
Tracie began her career as a specialist primary teacher. In her early career, she worked in various specialist settings, supporting children and young people who were struggling to make sense of their lived experiences, often connected to trauma and neurodiversity. Tracie has been working using a systemic approach since 2019. Following completion of four years training at MSc level, she is a qualified Family and Systemic Family Psychotherapist (UKCP registration pending Sept 2024). Tracie works with the whole family, taking a systemic approach to supporting change.
Qualifications & Licensure
- BA Hons Sociology
- PGCE Primary Education (QTS)
- Higher Diploma, PG Certificate, and MSc in Family and Systemic Psychotherapy
- UKCP Registered (Registration pending September 2024)
Professional Experience
- Primary school teacher
- Specialist primary school teacher in specialist provisions (Emotional and Behavioural Difficulties)
- Outreach worker for a local authority Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Hub
- Trainee Family and Systemic and Psychotherapist (CAMHS, Inpatient, Community)
- Family and Systemic Psychotherapist
Areas of Specialisation
- Developmental trauma and attachment needs
- Autism and neurodiversity, particularly masked difficulties within family and educational contexts and sensory experiences
- Systemic, relational approach to addressing difficulties experienced by individuals and within family and school contexts
Therapeutic Approaches
Tracie is trained as a systemic psychotherapist, which means taking a relational, systemic approach rather than an individual approach to understanding difficulties. Change is generated within a system rather than by an individual. By addressing the interactions and relationships within the system, Tracie helps uncover underlying patterns and dynamics that may contribute to difficulties, facilitating more holistic and sustainable solutions.
Accreditations & Memberships
- UKCP accredited (Pending September 2024)
Personal Philosophy
Tracie believes that all behaviour is communication and that all difficulties are understood and changed within the relational context of an individual, be that family, close relationships or relationships in the wider system context of school, work etc. Tracie aims to hold hope of change for families
Personal Interests
Tracie loves being outdoors walking with her family and rescue dog. She loves gardening and being in wide open spaces. She is passionate about hearing the lived experiences of autistic people, having experienced first hand the mental health struggles of her own daughter, diagnosed at 16 as autistic. She has a strong faith and is part of a church community
Testimonials
“Thanks again – you really are great at what you do, and I appreciate you letting me be myself and not have to put on a face! We are so grateful we have met you and are beginning to feel the first murmurs of hopefulness for our future together as a family.”
- A Staffordshire family struggling to understand and communicate with their son (Autistic experience).
“Thank you for all your help and support, we are a better family because of you.”
- Staffordshire family whose sons were struggling to communicate at home and at secondary school.
“Tracie has been such an invaluable support for me and my son since April this year. She has listened to us and validated our experiences. She has helped my son to explore who he is and given him the ability to share his thoughts and feelings more. Her kindness, compassion and professional experience have been incredibly important in supporting us to understand my son’s needs, as well as for me as his parent, to advocate clearly for him when I’ve needed to. I would highly recommend Tracie to other families who need to explore their child’s SEN or need help to support emotional and mental health.”
- A Staffordshire family whose son was struggling in primary school (neurodiverse experience).
Continuing Interests and Professional Development
- Research to explore systemic psychotherapy as a useful approach for autistic families
- Peer group programmes to support young people to explore their differences and build self esteem
- Developing systemic practice in schools
Contact Information
Office Address: Summit Psychology Services Ltd, 15a High Street, Newcastle-Under-Lyme, Staffordshire. ST5 1RB