I would never say my life has been difficult but like many of us, it has had a good share of normal ups and downs, a few significant challenges and many happy events for good measure! My working life has been varied and saw me finally settling in teaching where I have stubbornly remained for over twenty years. I have now left a full-time role as Headteacher to follow my passion. I have been an Ofsted inspector, a Designated Safeguarding Lead, a SENCO, leader of various whole-school projects and subjects, led my school through the conversion process to academy status and have taught up and down the primary school ages including Early Years. I have taught in independent schools, maintained schools, academies and faith schools taking the positive experiences from each as I have moved into the next. I started The Talking Drawer due to my passion for helping children (and adults) to overcome emotional barriers.

Having worked in education, I have a good understanding of the pressures in the system and the way in which these pressures affect teachers and pupils alike - added to which, I have seen first-hand that so many children face significant difficulties in their day to day lives, the impact of which is seen in schools and in the child’s emotional wellbeing. I believe passionately in helping children to overcome their difficulties, be they educational or emotional, in order to help them become more confident, resilient young adults. In my past, I have found it easier to tuck away difficult or painful emotions and close the drawer on them until I have time to unpack them. However, it is often tempting not to open the drawer at all which of course means we never fully deal with difficult feelings to enable ourselves to move on positively. Children find it particularly difficult to talk about their feelings and emotions (they can struggle to express verbally how they feel) but most will draw quite willingly. Not long ago, I discovered the power of Drawing and Talking and realised how much better it is to talk about what is in the drawer.

Gill Robertson
Founder of The Talking Drawer

Unpacking the past for a positive future.

I am an Advanced practitioner in Drawing and Talking and also offer Sand Play, tailor-made interventions to emotionally support children who have experienced trauma, bereavement and anxiety and to support those with learning difficulties. I offer supervision to school leaders and pastoral teams to ensure they too are valued and supported in their roles. Supervision in education offers staff time to reflect on their practice, improve it where necessary and to ensure their own wellbeing is considered - it also provides evidence for a positive leadership and management judgement in Ofsted inspections. I also offer my services as an external adviser for Headteacher appraisals, ensuring that this process is supportive, robust, challenging, reflective and positive.

I work mostly with children and schools in Surrey, West Sussex and West Kent visiting schools for a day or half a day as required (distance dependent). I offer supervision online or in person.