Trauma-informed care for Care Experienced individuals

Dr. Lisa Cherry

Dr. Lisa Cherry is a leading

activist and one of the early pioneers to bring trauma-informed knowledge into the care experience arena. Recognising long before it was widely understood that trauma shapes the lives of children and young people in care. Lisa has fought to reshape systems, services, and support networks with compassion, science, and lived experience at their heart.

Through decades of work as a trainer, speaker, and consultant, she has empowered thousands to understand the true impact of adversity — and to create environments where care-experienced people can heal, belong, and thrive.

Trauma-Informed Advocate and Trainer

As founder and previous director of Trauma Informed Consultancy Services Ltd (TICS), Lisa leads efforts to embed trauma-informed practices into schools, social services, and justice systems—helping professionals (educators, social workers, probation staff) recognise and respond sensitively to the legacy of trauma.

Care-Experienced Researcher and Voice for Belonging

Drawing from her own lived experience in foster care and school exclusion, and DPhil research: How do care experienced adults who were also excluded from school make sense of belonging? at Oxford, explores how care‑experienced adults understand their identity and sense of belonging—particularly those who faced exclusion from school.

Author and Connector of Conversations

Her award-winning books—The Brightness of Stars, Conversations That Make a Difference, and Weaving a Web of Belonging: Developing a Trauma-Informed Culture for All Children—blend scholarly insight, personal narrative, and frontline experiences, emphasizing the power of relationship-based discussion to support children and vulnerable young people.

International Trainer & Changemaker

Over 35 years, she has trained more than 35,000 professionals across the UK and globally (including US, Australia, Pakistan), bridging research and real-world. In 2024 she was named one of the Big Issue’s Top 100 Changemakers, spotlighting her role in transforming how schools and services engage with trauma. 

Community Builder & Founder of ‘No More Labels’

Lisa began a “No More Labels” initiative in 2017, where she challenged problematic terminology (like “care leaver”) and supported care‑experienced adults with free online coaching focused on trauma recovery and identity beyond care. myfamilycoach.co.uk+3thetcj.org+3rightresolutioncic.org+3

Dr. Lisa Cherry channels her lived experience, research, writing, training, and grassroots leadership to reform how society understands and supports care‑experienced, excluded, and trauma‑impacted individuals. She fosters belonging, resilience, and systemic compassion—making her a powerful activist and driving force in child welfare and trauma-informed care today.