Sarah Hampton
Founder & Director of Affirming Care Services
Sarah Hampton is the Founding Director of Affirming Care Services and an experienced Psychotherapist specialising in neuroaffirming therapeutic support for neurodivergent children and young people. With qualifications in psychology, psychotherapy and education, and over fifteen years of experience specialising in neurodiversity across the UK, New Zealand and Australia, Sarah brings both clinical expertise and lived experience to her work.
Sarah is a Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) Specialist, supporting the development of emotional literacy, self-awareness, regulation and relational capacity. Her work integrates trauma-informed, neurodiversity-affirming practice with somatic and sensory-informed approaches, Internal Family Systems and therapeutic play. She delivers individual therapy, structured Programs of Support and professional training, while also partnering with schools to strengthen inclusive practice and whole-school wellbeing frameworks.
Ashley
Ellis-Smith
Ashley Ellis-Smith is a qualified Social Worker with over twenty years of experience working across community services, education and family systems. At Affirming Care Services, Ashley provides neuroaffirming, regulation-informed support with a strong focus on adults and parents navigating the complexities of raising and advocating for neurodivergent children.
Ashley brings particular expertise in supporting families of children with a Persistent Drive for Autonomy/Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA) profile and in working with situations often described as "School Can't," where attendance, engagement or participation have broken down due to nervous system overload rather than defiance or refusal.
Ashley designed ACS's signature support model for supporting students at school the Neuroaffirming Care Plan (NCP), a structured framework used to support shared understanding of regulation profiles, early indicators of stress and responsive strategies across home and school settings.
Her work integrates systems thinking, demand-sensitive practice and relational safety. Ashley also brings lived experience of ADHD, informing her understanding of burnout, masking and the invisible cognitive load many neurodivergent adults carry.