Gill Tree; Founder and Director of Adoption Academy

Having been a foster carer for two years Gill became a single adopter in 2011 to a highly traumatised boy with a complex attachment disorder.

The family received a lot of assistance including two years of Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy, but it was Non-Violent Resistance that turned things around. Gill was so convinced by the therapy that she trained in it professionally.. She is  a member of the International Stress Management Association and the BABCP (British Association for Behavioural Cognitive Psychotherapies).

Her lived experience of child to parent violence, attachment disorder and blocked care, provides her with a unique empathy and understanding for other parents and carers. Gill is a regular contributor to Adoption Today magazine

Professional background

Gill has a background in community development, twenty years both teaching stress management to industry and providing mentoring for stressed individuals and seven years owning Adoption Academy. She is a qualified teacher and experienced mentor in facilitating change in individuals. Although only recently trained as a professional in NVR, her personal experience makes her NVR mentoring highly effective.

She has been offering one to one NVR therapy mentoring since March 2021 to both adopters and birth families and also provides group work.

Relevant Professional Qualifications: 

Neuro-Linguistic Programming Practitioner 1997

Neuro-Linguistic Programming Master Practitioner 2007

Rhythmic Movement Training Consultant 2016

Neuro-Agility Practitioner 2020

Non-Violent Resistance 2021

Presenter at Conferences

The South-East Post Adoption Network, The Fostering Network, The European Council of Independent Schools, Professional Nursing

Gill is well known for her imaginative, engaging and entertaining training style. She is refreshingly honest in the mistakes she makes as a parent and is a constant seeker of knowledge and ways to be a better Mum. View Gill's CV

"The mind-body connection has always fascinated me and this is increasingly so as I help my son heal from the trauma of his early years of neglect."

Author of the “Manifesto for a Pro-Touch Society, She intends to influence society both as individuals and in our organisations to become more nurturing and pro positive appropriate touch. 

Gill has writtien for many publications including Adoption Today, her first book Total Massage was published in 2006 and she has appeared on GMTV, Radio 4 and BBC Bristol.

Now with a handle on her own stress as an adopter, Gill once again loves to cook, read, garden, flower arrange, socialise, dance and go to the theatre, museum and galleries.