About Me

I am a clinical psychologist with over 15 years of post-qualification clinical experience, registered with the Health & Care Professions Council (HCPC)profile-picutre-lightened. I have experience of working in the NHS, charity settings, and private sector organisations.  I am qualified to work with clients of all ages with the full range of difficulties, including anxiety and low mood.

 

Specialisms

Through further training and clinical experience, I have developed several areas of specialism:

  • Neurodevelopmental assessments of both children and adults, specifically of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). 
  • Working with children and adults who have experienced loss and trauma
  • Working with children and adults who have experienced and/or have chronic physical heath difficulties. 
  • Working with looked after and adopted children, and the network around them.

 

My Therapeutic Approach

I work in an integrative way, which means that I draw upon a number of different therapeutic ideas and techniques, such as cognitive-behavioural therapy, narrative, systemic and attachment theory. I adapt my therapeutic style according to what seems to be the best fit for each client I work with.  Above all, I aim to provide an open, non-judgemental and safe space to explore any difficulties and potential solutions collaboratively. I may set tasks to do between sessions if I think this could be helpful, but this will not always be the case.

I have training and experience in a number of specific treatments for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), including Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR) and Trauma-Focussed Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy (TF-CBT). I have also completed level one and level two training in Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy (DDP), and regularly use these principles in my practice with adoptive children and their families.

I have undertaken trainings in order to gain specialist skills to undertake ADHD and ASD assessments with both adults and children, including the ADOS, and work collaboratively with colleagues in order to undertake these assessments as part of a multidisciplinary assessment team.

 

Work History

Within the NHS I worked in various services, including: a physical health rehabilitation unit with adults;  a specialist trauma service for adults; the Royal Marsden Hospital supporting adults and children diagnosed with cancer, and their families; a Child & Adolescent Mental Health Service; a specialist team working with looked after and adopted children; and a court assessment team during care proceedings. I have also worked in various charity settings, including a children’s bereavement charity and a charity supporting young people affected by AIDs, sickle cell anaemia and cancer.  I currently work in the private sector, including for an adoption agency and an organisation which supports young people and their families when a child has a experienced a brain injury and/or other physical health conditions. I also work as a part of a multidisciplinary team (www.fitzcaf.com) when working with children and families, and I undertake adult neurodevelopmental assessments as part of an adult multidisciplinary team.

 

Qualifications

  • Doctorate in Clinical Psychology (DClinPsych): Royal Holloway, University of London 2007
  • MSc Health Psychology with distinction: University of Bath 2003
  • BSc Psychology (Hons) First Class: University of Warwick 2002

 

Relevant Post-Qualification Trainings

  • Administration of the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule  (ADOS; 2022)
  • Autism Clinical Interview for Adults Training (ACIA; 2022).
  • Diagnosis and Assessment of Adults with ADHD (2022)
  • Assessing ADHD in Children and Young People (2022)
  • Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy Levels One and Two (2019 & 2021)
  • Narrative Exposure Therapy and Refugees (2 days, 2017)
  • Trauma-focussed CBT for Children & Young People with PTSD (2 days, 2017)
  • EMDR Training, Parts 1, 2, and 3 (2013, 2015, & 2016)
  • Managing Behaviour with Attachment in Mind Facilitator Training, (1 day, 2012)

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