Emma Snowdon is the owner and principal therapist at Happy Senses Children’s Therapy.
Emma Snowdon BSC (hons) MCSP, is a highly experienced Paediatric Physiotherapist and an Advanced Sensory Integration Practitioner. Emma has a special interest in, and extensive post-graduate training in the field of trauma and attachment.
Bio: Emma worked for many years in the NHS, as a Highly Specialised Paediatric Physiotherapist, before entering the independent sector full time in 2017. Emma now offers private assessments and therapy to a range of clients as well as providing clinical supervision and regularly delivering training sessions to numerous agencies including Adoption Central England (ACE) and the Sensory Integration Network. Emma is also currently an approved provider to ACE, Warwickshire CC, Solihull MBC, AIM (Regional Adoption Agency for Merseyside), amongst many others.
After completing a BSc (hons) degree in Medical Sciences with Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at Leeds University, Emma graduated from the University of Coventry with a BSc(hons) degree in Physiotherapy in 2002. Since that time, she worked in the NHS in a variety of settings and specialised in Paediatrics since 2003.
Emma worked in several special schools, mainstream schools and community settings and ran various clinics including orthotics, dynamic movement orthoses, developmental coordination disorder and developmental delay. She has been heavily involved in service development, setting up community assessment clinics to reduce waiting times, introducing outcome measure tools, and developing services to ensure equity across a countywide demographic.
Emma has completed a variety of post graduate training courses and has achieved her Post-Graduate Certificate and her Post-Graduate Diploma in Sensory Integration. Emma has completed all four of the Sensory Integration Network modules awarding her the title of Advanced Sensory Integration therapist. Emma has also completed the Sensory Attachment Intervention Level One training. Emma is currently training to become a Somatic Experiencing Practitioner.
Other relevant training that Emma has completed:
- The Just Right State Programme (E. Bhreathnach)
- The meaning of the Child Interview (Cambridge Centre for Attachment)
- Attachment & Psychopathology (P. Crittenden)
- Attachment: Parent-Child Relationships (H. Johnson & E. Bhreathnach)
- Clinical Interpretation & Report Writing (C. West & E. Bhreathnach)
- Complex Trauma in Children (Sensory Integration Network)
Emma is Health Professions Council (HCPC) registered, a member of the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy (CSP) and has undertaken a full, enhanced DBS check. She is also a member of the Association of Paediatric Chartered Physiotherapists (APCP) and Sensory Integration Education.
Emma says: “I am fascinated by neuroscience and in particular how trauma can impact how our nervous system develops. In addition to impacting upon our ‘stress response’ systems and impacting upon ‘survival behaviours’, developmental trauma frequently impacts how our sensory systems develop. Developmental trauma and associated sensory integration dysfunction can massively impact on the development of motor milestones and motor skills and can affect academic learning, social participation, self-esteem and quality of life. I strongly believe that all behaviour is a means of communication, and it is my job to understand this and make sense of it, when the child is unable to do so. To me, Sensory Integration is often the missing piece of the jigsaw puzzle that helps me to help children and their families make sense of many of the difficulties they are facing.”
HPC Registration number: PH63449
DBS Enhanced Disclosure number: 001856689974, 17/11/2023