DClinPsy, BSc (Hons)

HCPC: PYL26191
DBS: 001557679958

I am a Chartered Clinical Psychologist with 15 years’ experience of working with children, families, and adults experiencing a wide variety of mental health difficulties.

I completed my BSc (Hons) Psychology at Northumbria University in 2000. Following this, I worked as a research assistant for Newcastle University in a specialist affective disorders service. I was then an Assistant Psychologist for 5 years before completing my Doctorate in Clinical Psychology at Newcastle University in 2010. During my elective I specialised in working with Looked After Children and developed a passion to promote the mental health and well-being of young people who have experienced a disrupted childhood and trauma.  I am particularly interested in the impact of attachment difficulties, and the challenges inherent in parenting and caring for these children and young people.

In addition to being a Clinical Psychologist I am also trained in Cognitive Analytic Therapy (CAT). CAT is a talking therapy that focuses on relationship patterns. It is readily accessible for looked after children, and effective for those caring for young people in providing an understanding of their relationship patterns and attachment strategies, and how best to manage these to improve future outcomes. CAT also has a growing evidence base for consultation, making it useful for residential care staff teams and the system around a child.

I also have training in Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy and experience of working with foster carers, kinship carers, and adoptive parents using a DDP framework.

I have completed the British Psychological Society (BPS) accredited supervisor training and have enjoyed supervising staff from a number of different professions.

Trained to DDP level 2, Certified CAT Practitioner

I also have a specialist interest in providing consultation to care teams, including social workers, residential staff, fostering officers, and foster carers. I have experience of running attachment training for adoptive parents, foster carers and kinship carers. I have also delivered attachment training to schools and worked together with teachers to tackle the effects of trauma and attachment insecurity in schools.