At Safe Steps, we often work using a co-working model in which two therapists support the family system in parallel, one meeting with the child and the other with the parent or carer at the same time.
The child’s therapy provides a developmentally attuned space for play, reflection, and emotional expression, while the parent work focuses on helping caregivers to understand the meaning beneath the child’s behaviour and emotional communication. Through exploration and reflection, parents and carers are supported to respond in ways that are regulated, attuned, and developmentally sensitive, allowing the child to feel deeply seen and understood.
This collaborative model facilitates change across both sides of the attachment relationship. As the child experiences safety and containment within therapy, the parent develops increased capacity to see and feel the child’s internal world and to respond with empathy and consistency. Over time, this process enables the parent or carer to actively support the child in re-authoring their story - helping them to recognise that their experiences can now be held and understood, and that they are no longer alone.
This is a very powerful and safe way of working with children who hold very big and scary stories in their bodies. Stories that are just simply too big to try and navigate alone.
About Us
Safe Steps is a small, specialist, not for profit therapeutic organisation supporting children, adolescents, and parents/carers. We work with children aged 3 to 18 who are struggling emotionally, developmentally, or relationally - often in the context of trauma, loss, or disrupted attachment.
We offer both individual psychotherapy and systemic support for the adults around the child - parents, foster carers, schools, and professionals. Our goal is to hold the child and their world together, gently, safely, and in relationship.
Our Approach and what informs our work
Our work at Safe Steps is grounded in attachment and interpersonal neurobiology - the understanding that the mind, brain, and relationships are deeply interconnected, and that healing occurs within safe, attuned connection. We draw on the work of theorists such as Bruce Perry, Bessel van der Kolk, Daniel Siegel, Dan Hughes, and Allan Schore, whose research highlights how trauma and early relationships shape the developing brain and nervous system.
We integrate principles from Polyvagal Theory and the Neurosequential Model of Therapeutics (and its adaptations within school environments), recognising the central role of the nervous system in helping children and parents move from survival states toward regulation, safety, and connection. Our clinical practice is also informed by Humanistic and Integrative Psychotherapy, which values the uniqueness of each individual and the healing potential of authentic, empathic relationship.
Therapeutically, we combine trauma-informed models including EMDR, Sensorimotor Psychotherapy, and TIST, alongside attachment, relational and play-based interventions such as Theraplay. Creative mediums, including play, art, and other expressive forms, are integral to our work, offering developmentally appropriate ways for children to communicate experiences that words cannot yet reach.
As a team, we continually reflect on and develop our practice, bringing together psychological understanding, body-based awareness, and creative expression. This integration allows us to meet each family where they are, holding both the science of trauma and the art of human connection at the centre of our work
Co-Working Model
Our Therapists
Olive Connaughton
Child & Adolescent Psychotherapist and Co-Founder of Safe Steps
I am an accredited Child and Adolescent Psychotherapist with a deep commitment to supporting children, young people, and the adults who care for them. My work is grounded in the belief that relationships—safe, steady, and attuned—are the foundation of healing.
I hold a MA in Child and Adolescent Psychotherapy and a Post-Grad in Play Therapy. I am accredited with the Irish Association of Play Therapy and Psychotherapy (IAPTP) and the European Association for Integrative Psychotherapy (EAIP). My approach is shaped by further training in:
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Sensorimotor Psychotherapy (Level 1)
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The Neurosequential Model of Therapeutics & Education
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The clinical application of Polyvagal Theory
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Humanistic and Integrative Psychotherapy
These models help me to understand how early experiences shape a child’s nervous system, behaviours, and ability to connect. I bring this understanding into every space I work in—whether with a child in therapy, a school team needing support, or a foster carer seeking a way to reach their young person.
My practice is relational and developmentally informed, integrating current neuroscience and trauma theory with deep respect for the child’s unique story. I work with an awareness of how the nervous system holds experience and how this shapes behaviour, learning, and relationship. Whether working with a child, a school, or a family system, my focus is on creating the conditions for safety, connection, and growth—within and around the child.
About Me
My name is Amanda Donovan and I am a Child and Adolescent Psychotherapist and co-founder of Safe Steps. My background in psychiatric nursing and later training in both adult and child psychotherapy have shaped a practice that is trauma-informed, relational, and grounded in developmental understanding, not just for the child, but for parents and carers also.
I hold a post graduate diploma in Play Therapy, and an MA in humanistic and integrative child and adolescent psychotherapy and additional training in Theraplay, Sensorimotor Psychotherapy, EMDR, TIST, and a year-long programme in the clinical application of Polyvagal Theory.
With children, I integrate both directive and non-directive approaches, adapting to the needs of the child in the room. My focus is heavily focused on creating safety, fostering connection, and supporting growth through relationship. The relationship here referring not only to the therapist and client, but also the child and the parent, and the child’s relationship with themselves.