ABSTRACT
People with disabilities are trapped in systems, may have limited cognition and communication skills, and develop defences in order to survive. It has been found that providing training to help staff manage their emotions reduces staff turnover, increases skill, and reduces breakdown in support packages. Valerie has given a deeper understanding of some key concepts and these have been incorporated into the training courses for direct support staff and therapists. Valerie proceeded along an educational pathway before finding psychoanalysis for children, and then adults, and then specialising in difference. Valerie's work and influence in this field has been extended to support staff who also support people with dissociative identity disorder (DID) who have twenty-four-hour support services. Humanity, respect for individuality, empathy, compassion, and enabling individuals to be supported and understood are all qualities which Valerie models in her professional and personal life.
