1:1 Therapeutic Mentoring
A relational, trauma-informed support offer for secondary schools, and families
Supporting young people to feel safer, more understood and more connected — in school, at home and in everyday life.
Led by Carly Uttridge and shaped by The Wonder Within approach, this work offers consistent, person-centred support for young people who may need a trusted space to explore what is going on beneath behaviour, anxiety, overwhelm or disengagement. Supporting them in refunding their ' Wonder Within'
Introduction
Developed by Carly Uttridge, The Wonder Within 1:1 Therapeutic Mentoring offer is built on the belief that every young person deserves to feel understood, supported and able to discover the wonder within themselves.
This relational, trauma-informed and neuro-affirming approach works alongside secondary school teams and Families, to support young people who may be experiencing anxiety, emotional overwhelm, EBSA, low self-worth, social or emotional barriers, exclusion risk, or wider disconnection from school, relationships and everyday life.
The work bridges therapeutic understanding and education, creating a trusted space where young people can explore what may sit beneath behaviour, rebuild emotional safety, develop self-awareness and begin to reconnect with learning, their setting and the wider community.
This support can be especially helpful for young people with SEMH needs, Children in Care, students at risk of exclusion, those experiencing EBSA, and young people who need consistent, compassionate support around them.
Our Approach
Our Therapeutic mentoring operates through three interconnected levels of support, which together
support the individual to find the wonder within themselves.
1. Emotional Education and Self-Awareness
Gentle psychoeducation around emotions, the nervous system, and identity. Developmentally appropriate language and tools to build emotional literacy and understanding.
2. Relational Mentoring and Consistent Support
Regular one-to-one or small-group sessions, centred on connection and emotional safety. Co-regulation, reflection, and coaching conversations to help students make sense of their experiences and strengthen self-worth.
3. Growth, Confidence, and Re-Connection
Encouragement of personal voice, agency, and belonging. Gentle goal-setting and reflective activities that
build resilience and confidence. Support for re-engagement in education and community life; working
alongside education staff and adults at home, to support each young person's needs.
This framework aligns with behaviour, attendance, SEND and safeguarding priorities, complementing existing pastoral systems to provide holistic, joined-up support around the young person — both in education and beyond the school gates.
Ideal For:
- Young people navigating family instability, safeguarding concerns or wider vulnerability
- Children in Care, previously looked-after children, or young people with a Social Worker
- Students whose behaviour is communicating unmet need, including those at risk of exclusion
- Students masking, withdrawing or struggling with anxiety
- SEND and neurodivergent learners who may benefit from consistent, relational adult support
- Young people experiencing Emotionally Based School Avoidance / EBSA
- Young people who need support reconnecting with school, relationships and everyday life
Working Alongside:
- Inclusion teams
- Behaviour leads
- SENCos
- DSLs and safeguarding teams
- Pastoral and year teams
- Attendance leads
What this looks like in practise
Therapeutic Coaching in Schools is available as a weekly in-school service, working in partnership with school teams to deliver a compassionate, relational model of inclusion and wellbeing.
Key Service Components
- On-site presence: one day per week (additional days available)
- Individual student sessions: Up to five
- individual student sessions (45 minutes each)
- Lunchtime drop-in: A lunchtime drop-in for emotional or safeguarding concerns, or for staff who might need some gentle support
- Liaison: Liaison and communication with pastoral and safeguarding staff(named member of staff preferred for easy and simple communication.
1:1 mentoring can also be booked privately by families
Impact and Collaboration
- Connection and regulation: both in school and at home
- Measurable outcomes: in self-regulation, attendance, and engagement
- Contributions: to EHCPs, reintegration, and pastoral support plans
- Regular communication: with DSLs, SENDCos,
- Attendance and Behaviour Leads to ensure continuity and consistency
- Communication with HOY if school feel this is appropriate
This integrated approach strengthens the bridge between therapeutic insight and educational progress, supporting students to thrive emotionally, socially, and academically.
Our Approach: Non-Clinical Therapeutic Support
All sessions are therapeutic in nature but non-clinical, focusing on fostering internal safety, insight, self-awareness, and personal resourcing for young people. All sessions are personalised, child led, inspired by the students interests and Neuro-affirming.
Standard Package
From £295 per day
Adhoc sessions bookable on request/prices on request.
Includes:
- On-site presence, up to 5 students session, Plus, pre registration and lunchtime drop-in,(for all students and staff ) liaison with staff, session planning & notes.
- Termly commitment preferred (minimum Half-term to book).
- Termly impact summaries aligned with inclusion and wellbeing priorities. Bespoke offers available on request.
About Carly Uttridge
Therapeutic Practitioner | Child, Teen & Family Coach
For over twenty years, I’ve supported young people, families and professionals across schools, hospital settings, alternative provisions and community spaces.
My work is guided by the belief that every young person deserves to feel seen, safe and understood. I bring together experience in education, SEND, safeguarding and family support with training in coaching, NLP, BWRT, play-based approaches and mindfulness.
The Wonder Within approach is relational, trauma-informed and holistic — supporting not only the young person, but also the adults and environments around them.
My aim is to create nurturing, ethical and emotionally safe spaces where young people can rebuild trust, strengthen connection and feel ready to grow.
Specialising in:
- Anxious, sensitive or neurodivergent young people
- Behaviour and inclusion pathways
- Young people struggling with overwhelm, masking or emotional disconnection
- Families navigating school-based distress, EBSA or mental health needs
- Parents who feel lost, isolated or under-resourced
Key Experience
- Previously founded and managed an alternative provision, outdoor nursery and Forest School. focussing on therapeutic support, neurodiverse groups , charities and those in need of a safe space to flourish.
- Hospital play therapy specialism, supporting children with life-threatening illnesses and providing end-of-life care, through therapeutic support and play.
- Supported Heads of Year, behaviour leads, attendance leads, and DSLs. Worked alongside school leadership teams to build relationships and embed trauma-informed practice, within a secondary safeguarding team.
Next Steps for Schools
To explore how our Therapeutic Coaching programme could support your students and staff, or to arrange a trial day in your setting, please get in touch.
