With Kids - MSc Play Therapy Staff
In collaboration with Queen Margaret University, With Kids offers a professionally accredited MSc in Play Therapy, designed for those who are passionate about supporting children and their emotional wellbeing.
Taught by practising therapists, this 3 year course provides real-world insights and clinical expertise which helps students to work safely and therapeutically with children and families with complex needs.
The following are the current members of staff within the With Kids teaching team:
Anne Barnes
Lecturer, MSc Play Therapy
BAPT Retired Member | BAPT Approved Clinical Supervisor®
Anne Barnes is an experienced Play Therapist, educator and clinical supervisor with over 25 years’ experience working with children, young people and families. She has a specialist background in attachment, developmental trauma and therapeutic practice across education, social work and clinical settings, including the Notre Dame Centre Child Guidance Clinic and Harmeny Education Trust.
Anne has extensive expertise working with adoptive and foster families, children with neurodevelopmental needs, and those affected by neglect, abuse and loss. She provides therapy, specialist assessment, supervision and consultation, and has delivered training for professionals across health, education and social work.
Her teaching experience includes play therapy training on the Notre Dame Centre's MSc in Play Therapy, delivered in partnership with the University of Strathclyde, as well as post-qualifying social work education and guest lecturing at the University of York. She joined the MSc Play Therapy team at With Kids and Queen Margaret University in 2021.
Anne’s research interests focus on attachment, developmental trauma, reflective practice, therapeutic intervention with traumatised children, and the use of language in play therapy. Her publications include Integrative Work with Children in Long-term Placements (British Journal of Play Therapy).
Dorothy Brownlie
Module Leader and Lecturer, MSc Play Therapy
BAPT Retired Member | BAPT Approved Clinical Supervisor®
Dorothy qualified as a Play Therapist in 2002 and completed her Master's degree exploring children's views of the play therapy experience in 2006. Prior to this, she worked in social work and the third sector, developing a particular interest in supporting children to express and process feelings arising from traumatic experiences.
After qualifying as a Social Worker in 1991, Dorothy worked in a range of settings including area social work teams, a women’s counselling service, a maternity hospital, a child development centre, and a family support project for disabled children. These experiences led her to train as a Play Therapist, recognising the importance of non-verbal and play-based approaches in direct work with children.
Following qualification, Dorothy worked across schools, social work and specialist trauma services, supporting children and young people affected by adversity and trauma. She later became Course Director of the Notre Dame Centre’s MSc in Play Therapy, delivered in partnership with the University of Strathclyde.
In 2010, Dorothy joined CAMHS, where she worked within a multidisciplinary team using both social work and play therapy approaches. She later returned to social work practice within a trauma recovery service for children, young people and families. Since 2024, she has been a Module Leader and Lecturer on the MSc Play Therapy programme.
Dorothy enjoys reading, walking, spending time with family and friends, and visiting the Highlands and Islands.
Hannah Ireland
Module Leader and Lecturer, MSc Play Therapy
BAPT Registered Play Therapist® | Certified Supervisor of Play and Creative Arts
I am an experienced Play Therapist, Certified Supervisor of Play and Creative Arts, and Clinical Manager. My work is grounded in clinical practice and focuses on trauma-informed therapeutic interventions for children and families in private practice and third-sector organisations, including within some of Scotland’s most disadvantaged communities.
Central to my approach is a deep consideration of each child’s developmental stage, ensuring therapeutic interventions are tailored to their individual needs.
Alongside clinical practice, I provide supervision for practitioners and trainees and deliver training on play therapy, child development, neurobiology and therapeutic techniques. As a Module Leader and Lecturer on the MSc Play Therapy programme, I am passionate about supporting students as they develop into confident and reflective practitioners.
My research interests include trauma-informed practice, neurodiversity-affirming therapeutic approaches, and the impact of early intervention on child development.
Keeley Craw
Module Leader and Lecturer, MSc Play Therapy
BACP Registered Member | BAPT Registered Play Therapist®
Keeley Craw is a Module Leader and Lecturer on the MSc Play Therapy programme. She completed a Postgraduate Diploma in Practice-Based Non-Directive Play Therapy (PTUK, accredited by the University of Canterbury) and a Diploma in Clinical Supervision (COSCA).
Keeley has worked as a Play Therapist for over 18 years, primarily within schools and with care-experienced children living in adoptive families, foster care and residential care settings. She has also held management positions with Place2Be and CrossReach Counselling Services.
In addition to her work with children, Keeley previously ran a private practice supporting women during pregnancy and the postnatal period. Alongside her role with Queen Margaret University and With Kids, she works as a Clinical Supervisor for Play Therapists and Counsellors.
Eileen Young
Lecturer, MSc Play Therapy
BAPT Retired Member | BAPT Approved Clinical Supervisor®
I am a Lecturer on the MSc Play Therapy programme, facilitating lectures, seminars and clinical supervision. My professional background is grounded in over 30 years of clinical practice within the NHS.
My career began in mental health nursing, working with adults and young people in inpatient settings before specialising in child and adolescent mental health and progressing to advanced roles within CAMHS. For more than 20 years, play therapy has been central to my work with children, young people and families, supporting therapeutic relationships and positive mental health outcomes.
Alongside clinical practice, I have provided supervision, consultation and training across CAMHS and the wider mental health workforce. My work has also included contributing to service development and delivery models for children and families. Since 2022, I have been part of the MSc Play Therapy teaching team, sharing my clinical expertise with postgraduate students.
I hold an MSc in Play Therapy and a BSc in Nursing, alongside advanced training in Cognitive Analytic Therapy, Infant Mental Health, Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy, Theraplay and Filial Therapy. My interests include attachment, trauma, neurodevelopment and the application of the Neurosequential Model in work with children and young people who have experienced complex trauma.
I have contributed to research exploring attachment-based interventions for children with attachment difficulties and co-authored a paper in Clinical Child Psychology and Psychiatry on cultural and language mismatch in child and adolescent mental health services.
I am committed to lifelong learning and to promoting environments in which children and families can thrive.
Jenny Cunningham
Course Director, MSc Play Therapy
BAPT Registered Play Therapist® | BAPT Approved Clinical Supervisor®
Jenny Cunningham is a BAPT Registered Play Therapist and Approved Clinical Supervisor with over 20 years’ experience working with children, young people and families. She has practised as a Play Therapist since 2006 in community and school-based settings and was a founding member of the With Kids therapeutic service in the east end of Glasgow.
Jenny is Course Director for the MSc Play Therapy programme delivered in collaboration between With Kids and Queen Margaret University, where she leads the planning, delivery and ongoing development of this BAPT-accredited training. Prior to this role, she served as Seminar Leader and Module Leader on the programme, teaching child development, observation, skills practice and delivering clinical supervision.
Jenny is passionate about children’s rights, anti-discriminatory practice and fostering emotionally attuned therapeutic relationships. Her academic interests include child development, reflective practice, clinical supervision, diversity and inclusion in therapeutic training, and the psychological impact of environmental concerns on children and young people, including eco-anxiety.
