Qualifications and Experience
Professional Qualifications
I am a fully qualified Educational Psychologist with full chartered status and a member of the Health Care Professionals Council (HCPC). I am a affiliate member of the British Psychological Society (BPS) and the Association of Educational Psychologists (AEP). I have the following qualifications:
- Social Psychology degree (BA hons)
- Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) (secondary level)
- MSc in Educational, Child and Adolescent Psychology
- MSc in Applied Forensic Psychology including Level one Practising Certificate as a Forensic Psychologist
- Postgraduate Certificate in the Fundamentals of Counselling and Psychotherapy
- Certificate in Cognitive Therapies
- Theraplay levels 1 and Level 2 undergoing certification as a Theraplay Practitioner
- Certificate and accreditation in Critical Incidence Debriefing
- Consultant Psychologist in Pillars of Parenting (therapeutic parenting model for children in care) including being a trauma-Informed accredited supervisor for professionals
- Professional Doctorate in Educational, Child and Adolescent Psychology
Further Training and Professional Development
Solution Fcussed Brief Therapy- Acreditation in Restorative Justice in residential care settings
- Motivational Interviewing
- Developmental trauma
- Mentalisation Therapy for children and young people
- Schema Therapy for children and young people
- Therapeutic Life Story Work
- Attachment based interventions for school and the home setting including interventions based on the principles of P.ACE,
therapeutic story writing and schema- based therapeutic interventions ( undergoing certification as a schema therapist) - Childhood anxiety and mood dysregulation and best practice approaches to evidenced-based intervention
- Dialectical BehaviourTherapy (DBT) to manage emotional and behavioural dysregulation
- Children's drawings and personal construct approaches to assessment and intervention
- ASD initial identification as part of a multiagency assessment
- ADHD initial identification as part of a multiagency assessment
- Language and social communication and best practice to identification and evidenced-based interventions
- SPLd and best practice to identification in schools and evidence-based interventions
- Self-harming and best practice to evidenced-based intervention in schools and residential childrens homes
- Emotionally Based School Avoidance -EBSA identification and best practices for evidence-based intervention
- Sensory sensitivities/processing and sensory regulation best practice approaches to evidenced -based interventions for schools and residential childrens homes
- Dynamic assessment approaches to learning- drawing on Vygotskian approaches and the use of scaffolding
- Neurodiversity, monotropism and the double empathy problem implications for evidenced-based intervention and the focus on the child's voice including the development of the authentic self
Areas of Specialism
I was a qualified secondary school teacher in an inner city London school for three years where I became Head of Year 10 before training as a psychologist. As a Head of Year I managed a variety of issues including, antisocial behaviours, school exclusion, bullying and various needs related to mental health. As a child and adolescent Psychologist I have over 20 years experience (including three years in an assistant post) working with children, teens and young people who have complex mental health, developmental and learning needs. I also have extensive experience with working with adults caring for children and carry out direct therapeutic work with parents/ carers education staff and social workers.
I worked for a local authority (children's services) for 18 years and had a specialist post with children in care. My areas of specialisms are working with children, teens, young people and families who are experiencing emotional and behavioural needs, including those who have experienced traumatic events. They may be related to attachment insecurity and trauma in response to Adverse Childhood Experiences-ACE, child protection and safeguarding, bullying, negative sense of self anxiety, depression, challenges with connecting with peer relationships, eating challenges and self-harming behaviours, as well as working with youth justice, for the latter, I am a strong advocate regarding protecting young people from adultfication and crimilisation. I have worked closely with CAMHS ( including Forensic CAMHS) and YOT (Youth Offending), schools, colleges, preschools and parents. In addition, I have offered extensive individual therapeutic support to parents who are struggling. I am also a registered provider for the ASSGF fund across various LA's.
I have extensive experience with working with children and teens with a variety of needs including needs related to attachment insecurity and developmental trauma, Autism,, emotional and behavioural dysregulation, ADHD as well as language and learning diffierences. I have various publications including guidance for schools on how to manage the needs of children and teens experiencing attachment insecurity and trauma linked to Adverse Childhood Experiences - ACE in school and have regularly spoken at national and international conferences and having some of my work rolled out internationally, and regularly provide training and supervision in a wide variety of settings including schools and residential childrens homes.
Personal Approach
I take a systemic approach to working with children and teens. By this I mean I will look at the presenting concerns and needs of that individual but I will also explore what is happening in the life of the child/teen. This is carried out through a mixture of direct assessment and consultation with parents and child/teen. Influencing factors may be family factors, school factors, learning difficulties, forming meaningful and authentic connections with peers,, bereavement, or any significant life event. I believe in working closely with parents to utilise support for their child/teen and will offer individual therapeutic support/guidance to parents if requested.
