Jessica Collier

Jessica Collier

Mentor

I’ve worked with children and young people throughout my life – from working with schoolchildren throughout my undergraduate degree in physics, then teaching maths at secondary school, moving on to training as a secondary school science teacher. In more recent years, I have worked one-to-one with children who cannot be in school for a number of reasons, especially those with PDA, ADHD and/or who are autistic.

I believe fundamentally all children want to be heard and understood, and so I try to listen to what is being said (and not said) carefully, in order to understand how it feels to be them. I strive to be a playful other person, who cares deeply about who a child is, what they’re going through, and their interests.

I was diagnosed with ADHD in 2018 and can now understand more of the reasons I struggled at school. I work with children who have so many talents and skills but the classroom is not the right environment for them to survive, let alone thrive. I am am proud of my work at MindJam where I facilitate an environment where children can bring their whole selves to sessions, and develop their confidence and self-esteem.

Mentees say I am a comforting presence, helpful, and that we think together to explore their problems and their future. I try generally not to give advice, instead offering a space for a mentee to explore their own thoughts and feelings about whatever is on their mind.

In my spare time, you’ll find me playing board games, computer games, baking, and I’m studying a pre-clinical masters with the Tavistock Clinic, hoping to become a child and adolescent psychotherapist. I love playing the Lego games (especially couch co op), Minecraft, Roblox, as well as any kind of RPG or strategy game.

Favourite Games

Fortnite, LEGO games, Minecraft, Mario Kart, Fall Guys, Civilisation 6, any skateboarding game.

Hobbies

Reading, music (listening to and playing piano), knitting and crafting, LEGO, learning languages, board games. I especially enjoy working with mentees who are members of the LGBTQIA+ community; I love learning about their identity and watching them grow as they understand themselves more.

We'd love to hear from you.

If you would like our team to get in touch with you to discuss how we can help you and your young people through our services, please feel free to fill out our contact form, and we will be in touch as soon as possible to talk you through enrolling with one of our mentors or counsellors

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