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Hello
Our Story
Bridge the Gap Child Mental Health C.I.C started back in 2017 when our founder, Jennifer Wyman, decided to take her passion for Emotional Literacy out into the wider arena. Jennifer had worked in Early Years for over 21 years at this point, once she attended her first Emotional Literacy training session a fire was ignited.
Jennifer has lived experience of trauma and mental health struggles so beginning to understand what emotions were, why they were there, and that that we didn't need to be scared of them, had a huge impact.
"It came back to this; I wish I'd have known it sooner. I felt strongly that this knowledge would have prevented so much trauma and pain in my life. I needed to share this with other people but back in 2017 I wasn't quite sure how that was going to happen. As a parent I was so grateful that I had the knowledge I had, so I felt by reaching parents and empowering them, well, I felt it was a fantastic place to start".
Jennifer researched and developed sessions for parents and teachers that helped them to join the links between mental health, emotional literacy and behaviour. After initial resistance Jennifer began being recognised for being the person who wouldn't judge, but who would listen and support.
As Jennifer became more well-known and the name of Bridge the Gap started to become respected, she received an email from Nikki Webster. Nikki was working in secondary mental health services within the NHS as a specialist mental health nurse and when she saw that Jennifer was going to be in her own children's school she decided to reach out.
"I just thought that it was brilliant that someone out there was doing this, so many people that I supported and cared for through my nursing told me that if they'd of had the emotional understanding earlier they didn't think they would be suffering as they were now. I knew I wanted to make a change earlier, I wanted to be proactive and preventative, rather than always waiting until someone was very mentally unwell, that meant that treatment and support was harder to receive. I met Jennifer for a coffee and the rest is Bridge the Gap history!".
In 2018 Nikki came on board as a Director at Bridge the Gap and the start of our child 1:1 emotional support service was born. Since this time Jennifer and Nikki have grown a wonderful multi-disciplinary team from their rainbow premises in Derby City, run community hubs, and deliver ACAMH award nominated training throughout schools, healthcare and beyond.
Having an experienced mental health nurse alongside a child development and emotional literacy specialist means that the quality of training and support we offer is deeper than surface level. When you have professionals who have worked 'on the wards' and in the community, with very mentally unwell young people and adults, it gives a perspective and understanding of mental health that is essential when working within this field.
What is our private support like?
In terms of our 1:1 support service, this is run privately, and we usually work with children for around 12 weeks, longer if needed; especially with children who have experienced trauma or who have additional needs. We work with a unique non-clinical, relationship focused approach, supporting children with their emotional education and understanding. What we mean by 'relationship focused' is that we work with the child's interests and don't have a set programme that we follow; we also build relationships with other adults in the child's network. Each practitioner will plan for each child that they support based on where they are at with their understanding and comfort, we then drip feed important emotional literacy and education into sessions, as well as supporting self-esteem, nurturing a growth mindset, teaching problem solving skills, and instilling an acceptance of all emotions that show up in life.
Underpinning all of this fantastic work is helping a child to build their 'toolbox of strategies', so that they feel empowered with knowing how to cope with difficult moments in life; evidence tells us that this builds authentic emotional resilience.
Each weekly session is £45-£60 and lasts around 45 minutes, payment is taken weekly by card. The starting point for this is an initial parent telephone assessment which is £45 and lasts around 45 minutes, you can book this in by messaging us via this website, emailing info@jwbridgethegap.com or by visiting our book online page.
Contact
If you have any questions about any of the support or services, we offer then please get in touch!
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FREE drop-in support - Days TBC (starting from September) - Pop along to our new Café space if you need on the day information and advice, come alone or bring your child.
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Compassionate Crafts 6-week volunteer led programme - FREE. Our 6-week, small group course where children explore emotions through creative activities. Aimed at children aged 7-11, this course provides a safe space to understand feelings like kindness, anger, worry, and more, with support from caring adults. Our sessions focus on building self-esteem and emotional literacy in a calm, nurturing environment.
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10 Week Emotions Course for parents and children aged 0-2 years - FREE ( please email staceymurray@jwbridgethegap.com to book). A free 10-week course for parents and their 0-2 year olds. Gently introduce emotional literacy through stories, play and creativity. Support the whole family’s wellbeing, ask questions, explore a different emotion each week, and access activities and ideas that you can continue at home.
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1:1 support with a Child Wellbeing Practitioner - £45 per session for 12 weeks. We create custom plans for each child based on their interests and learning styles. Weekly sessions focus on building a trusting relationship while working toward set goals. You'll get a report on progress, including the child's input and next steps. Plus, there's a quick mid-session parent check-in to keep everyone on the same page.
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1:1 support with a Community Mental Health Practitioner - £50 per session for 12 weeks. Community Mental Health Practitioners work in the same way as Child Wellbeing Practitioners but hold protected professional titles. They work with more specialised needs and experiences.
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1:1 Compassionate Craft sessions with a Child Wellbeing Practitioner - £45 per session for 6 weeks. This 6-week program uses crafts to help children explore and understand emotions like worry, anger, happiness, self-esteem, kindness, and sadness. It’s like 6 weeks of emotional swimming lessons, designed as early intervention or a proactive way to support emotional growth.
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1:1 Parent Support Sessions with Director Jennifer Wyman - £50 per hour. Parent support sessions offer a non-judgmental, safe space to discuss your child’s challenges, whether it’s behaviour, emotions, separation, bereavement, or mental health. We’re here to listen, support, and share helpful ideas to help you move forward. Jennifer has over 25 years experience supporting parents so that they can best plan for a child's next steps.
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1:1 Parent Support Session with a Lead Child Wellbeing Practitioner - £45 per session. Parent support sessions offer a non-judgmental, safe space to discuss your child’s challenges, if you have concerns about how to respond to your child's situation or emotions then these sessions provide an opportunity to learn and reflect.
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1:1 Online Adult and Child Workshop - £45 per session. We offer a wide range of online workshops to help children understand and manage tough emotions like anger, anxiety, and self-esteem. You can access these engaging and thought-provoking sessions from the comfort of your home. Perfect as a stand-alone intervention or as a follow-up to 1:1 support, our Zoom workshops are both fun and effective! Let us help you find the right workshop for your needs.
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Out of hours (after 5pm and weekends) Assessment Call with Director Jennifer Wyman or Clinical Lead Kate Hardy - £80 per session (please email jenniferwyman@jwbridgethegap.com to book with Jennifer or book online for availability with Kate). If you're considering Bridge the Gap support, start with a 45-minute phone consultation with one of our team members. This call is a safe, non-judgmental space for parents and carers to discuss concerns about their child's mental health, whether it’s sleep, friendships, behaviour, self-esteem, anxiety, anger, or self-harm. We’ll work with you to develop a plan for moving forward. While we're not a clinical service and can’t diagnose, we offer relationship-focused support tailored to your child's needs. This call is your gateway to our services, whether you're interested in one-on-one support, group sessions, or just need someone to talk to.
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Out of hours (after 5pm and weekends) Online Adult and Child Workshop with Director Jennifer Wyman - £80 per session. We offer a wide range of online workshops to help children understand and manage tough emotions like anger, anxiety, and self-esteem. You can access these engaging and thought-provoking sessions from the comfort of your home. Perfect as a stand-alone intervention or as a follow-up to 1:1 support, our Zoom workshops are both fun and effective! Let us help you find the right workshop for your needs.
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In person Groups start from £5 and go up to £95 for a 4-week course. We offer a wide variety of in-person small group sessions that you can book online, designed to be fun, empowering, and educational. From Chess Club to Glow Girls, there's something for everyone! Our standout offering is the in-person adult and child workshops, where we help kids share with their safe adults, normalise big emotions, and explore practical tools together.
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1:1 4-week Adult and Child Emotions Course - £200 (includes all resources). Some children find small groups difficult which is why we offer our popular 4-weeks emotions course as a 1:1 service. Meet with the same practitioner for 4-weeks to discover more about where we feel our feelings, anxiety, anger and self-esteem! A creative based course that makes a difference.
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Private Mental Health Assessment with Clinical Director Nikki Webster - £150 (please email nikkiwebster@jwbridgethegap.com to book). A mental health assessment may be required if we are concerned about a child's mental health, we may suggest this so that we can effectively safeguard and risk assess before they enter our service; or use it to determine the best support for your child's needs. You may also request an assessment to help you advocate for your child. We will only agree to complete a mental health assessment if we deem it necessary and ethical to do so.
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Online Parent Webinars - from £7.50 Easy and accessible support and empowering information! If you want to learn more about anxiety, responding to behaviour, all things emotions or coping tools then we have a webinar for you! Each webinar is recorded and you get access for 30 days after the live delivery. Book via our Eventbrite page here.
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Online Adult and Child Workshops - from £7.50 Just like our in-person sessions we have successfully developed online workshops that children can attend in the comfort in their own home with a safe and trusted adult. All you need is some paper and pens to take part! You can ask questions anonymously, and our practitioners camera is the only one turned on so you can be in your PJ's if you like! As with our parent webinars, sessions are recorded and you get access for 30 days after the live delivery. Book via our Eventbrite page here.
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Training - rates depending on needs, please email jenniferwyman@jwbridgethegap.com to enquire. Please visit our dedicated page for more details.
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