about sophia
Hi, my name is Sophia, and I am a Cognitive Behavioural Therapist with both professional training and deeply personal experience of anxiety and trauma—both from my own childhood and later through my children’s experiences.
My journey into this work is not only academic, but lived. Having experienced adversity and emotional challenges growing up, I developed an early understanding of how deeply mental health can impact a child’s sense of safety and self-worth. Later in life, witnessing my own children struggle with anxiety—particularly following experiences of domestic violence—brought a new level of insight, as well as feelings of worry, fear, and at times helplessness as a parent.
While my qualifications allow me to practice safely and ethically, it is this combination of professional knowledge and lived experience that truly shapes my approach. I understand not only the theory behind anxiety, but also what it feels like to live through it, and to support a child through it.
Anxious Alfie was born from this journey. When Alfie came into our lives, something truly special happened. He helped my son begin to come out of a very dark and anxious place. Over time, he was also able to share more about what he had been through, and I saw first-hand the profound impact on his mental, emotional, and physical wellbeing.
The difference with a dog is they sit and listen they don’t respond swiftly or judge. They are just there to support your emotional and physical well-being. This is why I produced Alfie’s for each individual child to have, a little magic Alfie of their own to talk to express their emotions with, write in their journal two and start the journey of opening up.
My goal is to share Alfie’s magic with as many children and families as possible. What started as a personal story has become a mission—to help children feel safe, understood, and empowered, and to support parents who may be walking a similar path.