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Glimmer
Definition: A faint glow of light, a suggestion of possibility, 'a glimmer of hope'.
In the trauma literature: The opposite of a 'trigger' - moments that spark joy, warmth and/or peace - fostering comfort, safety, connection, self-compassion, and nervous system regulation. 'Glimmer-seeking': The practice of intentionally noticing glimmers to promote gratitude, wellbeing, resilience, and healing.
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GPS lead: Dr. Alexandra Gregory
Educational Psychologist
Qualified teacher; NME trained; ELSA supervisor; Independent Visitor; Mother ♥
BSc, PGCE, O. A. Dip, DEdPsy, CPsychol
A very warm welcome to Glimmer Psychology Services - thank you for visiting our website. GPS is an educational psychology and family support service. We provide psychological support in education for children and young people, families, professionals, and organisations, through the roles of consultation, supervision, assessment, intervention, training, and research. Based in Worthing, West Sussex, we typically work across South East England.
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Mission & values
The GPS mission is to promote hope, drive positive change, and help make a difference for children and young people, particularly those within vulnerable groups, as well as for all those who support them. We aim to integrate evidence-based psychological research, with real-world practice-based experience, and the personal and professional expertise of all those we work with, in order to contribute meaningfully to child, family, staff and school development outcomes. ​​
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Our core values involve ways of working that are psychological, respectful, relational, nurturing, compassionate, curious, reflective, aspirational, empowering, holistic, flexible, creative, inclusive, collaborative, ethical, and systemic, as well as person-centred, trauma-informed, evidence-based, strengths-based, and solution-oriented.
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Specialist interests
Alex has specialist interests in support for siblings of children with complex needs, and in developmental trauma, with lived family experiences in these areas. As a mum, she is particularly passionate about parent/carer support and wellbeing, as well as promoting attachment and nurtured parenting approaches, especially important in the critical early years for attachment security, stress resilience, emotional regulation, and consequent mental health and wellbeing. She is also an advocate of person-centred planning processes for young people, psychological supervision for professionals, and positive psychology (aka the science of wellbeing and flourishing). Within organisations, Alex is particularly keen to work with specialist social, emotional and mental health (SEMH) school settings and residential children's homes, with children and young people who have care experiences, and those who have been excluded (or are at-risk of exclusion) from mainstream settings.
Current GPS Services
Developmental
trauma
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Training: Having completed the NME (the Neurosequential Model in Education) Trainer programme with Dr Bruce Perry and the Neurosequential Network in America - we provide training (and ongoing psychological supervision) for settings in the area of stress, trauma, and attachment - drawing upon neurobiological trauma-informed approaches to promote regulation, relationships, and readiness for learning.
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Casework: We offer consultation, assessment, and supervisory support for children with early experiences of trauma and attachment disruption.
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Organisational work: We are working with a new local residential children's home - supporting staff through training, consultation and supervision to meet the needs of their young people.
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Volunteering: Alex works as an Independent Visitor (befriender) for a young person in foster care.
Sibling/family
support
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Family support: We plan to set up a local support group for new parents/carers - a reflective space focused on parental wellbeing and evidence-based attachment and nurtured parenting approaches.
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Sibling events: We run talks and workshops for siblings of children with additional needs.
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Therapeutic work: We offer 1-1 therapeutic work for siblings - providing the time/a safe space for young people to explore/process their unique family experiences.
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Volunteering - sibling sessions: We assist with sibling support group sessions and events through Super Siblings.
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Volunteering - sibling research: We help co-supervise masters and doctoral sibling research projects at the University of Southampton - along-side Dr Hanna Kovshoff and Professor Richard Hastings.
Staff
supervision
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Staff supervision: We facilitate individual and group psychological supervision sessions for professionals, including members of school senior leadership teams, as well as for staff working in children's homes.
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ELSA supervision: We run group supervision sessions for Emotional Literacy Support Assistants (the ELSA programme) within early years, primary, secondary and specialist settings through Psychology First.
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Trauma-informed supervision: We facilitate regular ongoing supervision for settings who have received trauma-informed training.
Additional
EP work
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Link EP: We offer a link EP service for schools.
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Consultation: We offer consultation services for schools, families and/or professionals.
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PCP: We facilitate person-centred planning meetings for children and young people, professionals, school teams, and organisations.
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Casework: We carry out assessment work, including casework over time. We also provide psychological advice for EHCNAs directly through West Sussex County Council as an Associate EP.
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Therapeutic work: We offer 1-1 therapeutic work for children experiencing emotionally-based school avoidance (EBSA).
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EP role: We run sessions for college and university psychology students on the EP role.
