About Lucy Robertson-Ritchie
I’m a Systemic and Family Psychotherapist, supervisor, trainer, and lecturer with over three decades of experience supporting individuals, couples, children, young people, and families across NHS, charity, educational, and private settings.
My work draws on systemic psychotherapy, attachment theory, trauma-informed practice, Theraplay-informed ideas, mindfulness, and nervous system awareness. Alongside talking therapy, I may also integrate body-based and grounding approaches where appropriate, informed by my experience teaching therapeutic yoga within mental health services for anxiety, trauma, self-harm, and emotional regulation.
I offer a warm, thoughtful, and collaborative therapeutic space where people can feel heard, respected, and supported without judgment. My approach is relational, trauma-informed, and flexible. I am committed to anti-oppressive and anti-discriminatory practice, lifelong learning, and understanding how culture, gender, race, sexuality, spirituality, and wider social contexts shape people’s experiences and relationships. I believe therapy works best when we work together at a pace that feels manageable and safe for you.
Alongside my clinical work, I’m deeply involved in teaching, training, and supervising other professionals. I currently work as Training and Operational Lead at the Institute for Family Therapy and Social Action (IFT). I also lecture, supervise, and deliver training for NHS services, charities, local authorities, and therapeutic organisations.
I’ve worked extensively with adoptive families, foster carers, children and adolescents, and families experiencing high levels of stress, conflict, or emotional strain. I support people experiencing burnout, phobias, post-adoption and fostering challenges, LGBTQI+ related issues, and the impact of oppression or discrimination. I also support individuals and couples wanting to better understand patterns in relationships, strengthen communication, and create meaningful change in their lives.
My guiding beliefs:
“Change becomes possible when people feel safe enough to be understood.”
“Relationships can heal when people are supported with compassion, curiosity, and care.”
Whatever brings you to therapy, my priority is to create a supportive and reflective space where you can make sense of your experiences and move towards the changes that matter most to you.
Offering individual, couples, and family therapy online.
Areas I Can Support You With:
- Family therapy and parenting support
- Adoption and fostering support
- Trauma and developmental trauma
- Anxiety, depression, and emotional distress
- Self-harm and emotional regulation
- Neurodiversity (ASD/ADHD)
- Relationship and communication difficulties
- Trauma-informed therapy for children, adolescents, and adults
- Attachment and relational difficulties
- LGBTQI+ affirming support
- Cultural, cross-cultural, and identity-related experiences
- Support for foster carers and adoptive parents
- High-conflict and high-emotion family systems
Qualifications and Memberships:
- MSc in Systemic Psychotherapy
- Postgraduate Diploma in Systemic Theory
- Postgraduate Certificate in Systemic Practice
- BSc (Hons) Psychology
- CYP IAPT Systemic Supervision Training
- Trauma-Informed Practice Training
- Theraplay Level 1 and Level 2 Training
- Yoga Teacher Training (200 hours)
- Additional training in mindfulness, Yoga Nidra, nervous system regulation, attachment, and trauma-informed approaches
- Senior Lecturer, Trainer, and Supervisor in Systemic Practice
- Training and Operational Lead at the Institute for Family Therapy and Social Action (IFT)
- Project Manager for the Supporting Families national research programme in partnership with Coram and the Department for Education
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