About Us

Joe and Olga met in 2022 as students at The Neufeld Institute. We knew we wanted to work together to bring the wisdom of the attachment-based developmental lens to parents in our communities.
In 2022 we ran our first parent support group: Conversations about Our Pre-schoolers.
Two courses followed (Housework for Children and Find Calm and Joy), then The Caring Instinct Podcast (we got to talk to our favourite parenting authors and experts on childhood).
Before The Caring Instinct, we both used to be teachers with a passion for self-directed learning (Joe: Sudbury school; Olga: Montessori education).
Joe trained as a play therapist but believes play doesn’t have to be confined to a therapist’s office to help children (and adults!) heal and grow.
When he became a father, Joe’s switched to working with adults, for a bit of balance. He is a parent coach and therapist (Compassionate Inquiry + EMDR).
Joe lives in East Sussex with his wife Monica and two kids.
He’s happiest chasing his kids around the house as an expert Daddy monster and when Newcastle Utd FC is on a winning streak!

Similarly, when she had her own kids, Olga realized that everything starts with us, parents. When parents are supported, everybody thrives.
Olga worked as a co-facilitator in an anger management programme, helping parents learn to find calm in the chaos.
She is now training as a Nurture Neuroscience practitioner, preparing to support families from pregnancy to toddlerhood.
Olga lives in Cambridgeshire with her husband Andy and two kids.
Olga’s happiest when she has her hands in the soil, growing her edible garden, with her boys playing alongside.
If we talked to each other about football and gardening, we’d instantly bore each other to death, so good job we both love talking about our work!
Through coaching parents, we become part of the change we long for in our community: nurtured beginnings for the little ones, parents who are feeling empowered and supported, who trust their instinct and raise resilient, kind and creative kids.

Joe Atkinson

BSc Psychology

PGDip Counselling + Addiction

PG Dip Play Therapy

BACP Accredited Member

Trained in the attachment-based developmental paradigm at the Neufeld Institute, 2020-present

Certified Compassionate Inquiry Practitioner (2020)

EMDR basic training

Olga Cherrington

Diploma Counselling Skills

BA Linguistics

Trained in the attachment-based developmental paradigm at the Neufeld Institute, 2017-present

KHT Montessori certificate

Non-Violent Communication foundational training

Nurture Neuroscience practitioner certification (in progress)

Kids think and feel differently - but how exactly? Get a free recording of our favourite 40-minute webinar to find out!

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From Toddler Tantrums to Emotional Competence: How to Help Kids Get There? FREE

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- based on developmental science - useful knowledge, simply put - fun and real-life examples - under 35 minutes Understand how children feel, think and make sense of the world and when they become ready for such grown-up virtues as patience, consideration, responsibility and perseverance. Learn what we can do to support their emotional competence and wellbeing and how to survive the emotional storms of early years.