Circle of Security Project Consultants
Erin Atkinson
Brisbane, AU
Erin is a Clinical Psychologist residing in Brisbane, Australia. Erin completed a PhD in Clinical Psychology at Griffith University, graduating in 2006. Since the beginning of her studies Erin has been interested in the links between early relationships and development. She attended her first Circle training in the early 2000s when COS co-originator Kent Hoffman travelled to Australia to introduce the COS model. She was very struck by how deeply COS resonated with her own professional and personal experiences, and quickly sought to learn and understand as much as she could from Kent, Bert and Glen each time they circled the globe and landed in Australia. She was grateful to have the opportunity to receive clinical supervision from Bert Powell. She was also fortunate to spend time learning more deeply about the human condition from Kent at his Attachment and Spirituality workshops, something which has brought much comfort to her over the years. Erin has worked in a variety of government and non-government organisations, hospitals and school settings with people across the lifespan. However, she has developed a passion for working with the early years sector as time has gone by. She has been blessed to meet and work with many infants, children and families across her career who have taught her so much about the centrality of early attachment relationships. She continues to deepen her learning of the COS model in connection with Deidre and Neil and the many wonderful opportunities they have afforded her in her ongoing journey of learning about the Circle of Security, and learning to be the Circle of Security.
Outside of work, Erin enjoys being with her husband and together raising their two gorgeous boys. She also loves running, classical Pilates, all things architecture, and connecting with friends over a cup of tea and chocolate.
Lynn Henderson
Minnesota, USA
Lynn Henderson is an Early Childhood Teacher and Parent Educator with the Duluth Public Schools, a registered Circle of Security Parenting Facilitator, and a COS-Classroom Coach. She has been working in early care and education for 30 years. In her career, Lynn has held a variety of roles — teacher, center director, trainer, and Anti-Bias curriculum development. She has been a trainer to staff, leadership and management personnel.
Lynn was immediately attracted to the Circle of Security because of its focus on strengthening parent and caregiver child relationships. She believes that the Circle gives caregivers confidence and makes it simpler for them to understand their child’s needs. This work has affected her personal relationships and as a mother she believes that that Circle of Security has been a game changer in the raising of her 4 children! Lynn is passionate about helping parents as well as caregivers in the classroom start to see what is hidden in plain sight in their relationships with children.
Lynn lives with her husband, 4 children and 2 Westies. She enjoys gardening, taking lake walks by Lake Superior, and spending time with family and friends. She is pursuing her Master’s degree in Family Science from Concordia-St Paul.
Brooke Poulsen
Sunshine Coast, AU
Brooke is a Clinical Psychologist who lives on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland, Australia. She has been inspired by Circle of Security from her first introduction to the model during her Doctorate of Clinical Psychology. Brooke chose to focus on attachment theory, relational models of therapy and particularly, Circle of Security, in her postgraduate training as a Clinical Psychologist. Her doctoral thesis focused on Core Sensitivities, an immensely rich and a powerful source of learning both personally and professionally and one that brought coherence to relationship experiences. As a clinician, she joined the Health Department in Queensland, working with parents and families in child and adolescent mental health and early intervention services. Brooke offered clinical parenting and mental health intervention. More recently, Brooke has been a lecturer and supervisor at the Queensland University of Technology and she continues to work with parents and families using both the Circle of Security-Intensive model and Circle of Security Parenting program. She is continually humbled by the willingness of caregivers to face pain and struggle to offer security to their children. It has been Brooke’s transition to parenthood that has provided the richest opportunities and challenges in engaging with the Circle of Security model and further grounded her commitment to the wisdom of this lens.
Brooke lives with her husband Jason, their daughter Olivia, and twin sons Heath and Henry. Outside of work, you’ll find her riding her bike, engaged in various creative pursuits and drinking coffee with friends.
Map of Regions
