About Creative Practice Therapy

Creative Practice was founded in 2018 by Neil Reid MA, a qualified Dramatherapist and professional actor.

Neil completed his MA in Dramatherapy at Roehampton University in 2016. During his studies, he gained extensive experience working with children with special educational needs in primary schools across the London boroughs of Southwark and Lambeth.

Following this, Neil led a dramatherapy group for adults diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia within a high-support residential unit operated by St Christopher's Trust, supporting a group of eight clients with complex mental health needs.

Alongside this role, Neil was invited to deliver one-to-one therapy sessions within a sister residential service, working with individuals diagnosed with severe and enduring mental health conditions. He later joined the NHS, working as a Dramatherapist within Tolworth Hospital's Children and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) Outpatient Unit. Here, Neil supported children and young people with a wide range of diagnoses and behavioural presentations, including autism, Asperger's syndrome, depression, and ADHD.

Since graduating, Neil has worked extensively as a freelance Dramatherapist for FACT (Family and Children Therapeutic Services), providing therapeutic support to children and families experiencing bereavement, as well as those navigating fostering and adoption. This work also involved mentoring and supporting parents new to parenthood.

Neil has also delivered mentoring and dramatherapy workshops for teenagers through the Wandsworth Inclusion Project Summer Programmes, helping young people build confidence, self-esteem, and emotional resilience as they transition into independent living.

Currently, Neil works across St Magnus Hospital and Rosemary Park Nursing Home, supporting adults - both able-bodied and disabled - diagnosed with complex mental health conditions including dementia, Huntington’s disease, and schizophrenia. He provides specialist assessment, therapy, and ongoing support as part of a multidisciplinary team. Many of the individuals Neil works with are admitted from secure and open hospitals, prisons, and community placements, presenting significant challenges around risk management and care planning.

Neil is deeply committed to maintaining the highest professional standards and regularly attends Continuing Professional Development (CPD) courses, workshops, and seminars to ensure his therapeutic practice remains current, ethical, and effective.

What sets Neil apart is his dual professional background. In addition to his therapeutic work, he is an accomplished professional actor, with experience across film, television, theatre, voiceover, and musical performance. His acting career spans Shakespeare, contemporary theatre, feature films, and screen work. Neil has performed alongside notable actors including Sir Derek Jacobi, David Tennant, John Barrowman, Mackenzie Crook, Shane Richie, Don Warrington, Martin Freeman, Cathy Tyson, Alexandra Burke, and Nicole Kidman.

Drawing on the best of both disciplines, Neil brings creativity, empathy, and lived professional experience to his therapeutic work - and is passionate about sharing these skills through Creative Practice.