Areas of Expertise
Young Children
The earliest years of a child's life matter enormously. The relationships they form, the experiences they have, and the care they receive all shape who they become in profound ways. If you have a young child and something doesn't feel right, it can be hard to know where to turn or whether your concerns will be taken seriously.
I have spent many years working with very young children and their families, and I know how easy it is for distress in infancy and early childhood to be missed or explained away. When we work together, I'll take the time to understand your child and your family as a whole. In my experience, supporting a parent to understand and respond to their child's emotional world is one of the most powerful things we can do. I draw on psychoanalytic thinking, Video Interactive Guidance (VIG), the Solihull Approach, and compassion-focused parenting to help families build stronger, more secure connections.
Trauma and Attachment
Childhood trauma doesn't always look the way people expect. It might stem from a single frightening event, or from the quieter accumulation of difficult experiences over time. This can include disrupted relationships, loss, instability, or simply not having felt safe or understood. Children rarely have the words for what they are carrying. Instead, you might notice it in their behaviour, mood, sleep, or ability to manage at school.
I am trained in EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing) for children, and I bring a trauma-informed perspective to everything I do. My clinical roots are in psychoanalytic psychotherapy, with a particular specialism in attachment and shame. So much of what children struggle with connects back to how safe they have felt in their closest relationships, and how they have come to see themselves as a result.
School Refusal and Anxiety
If your child is refusing school, this can become difficult not only for the child but for your whole family. What can look from the outside like avoidance or stubbornness is almost always something much more complex. Often, there is a deeper story involving their emotional life, their experiences at school, and sometimes things that have happened at home or earlier in their life.
School refusal is one of my core specialisms, and I approach it by trying to understand all of those layers together. I work with the young person, with parents and caregivers, and where it is helpful, with schools because lasting change usually requires everyone around a child to be part of it. I have spent many years working directly with schools and families in Islington and am experienced in navigating the systems that can feel so hard to manage when a child is struggling.
Neurodevelopmental Assessments (ADHD and Autism)
If you are wondering whether your child might have ADHD or autism, getting a thorough assessment can make an enormous difference. Beyond a diagnosis, it helps you and your child make sense of their experiences and access the right support.
My approach to neurodevelopmental assessments goes beyond a checklist. I consider the whole child: their personal history, how they are at home and at school, their family relationships, and whether stress or adversity may have shaped how they present. I believe you can only really understand a child when you understand their whole story, and I bring that same care and curiosity to every assessment I undertake.
Education & Training
Qualifications
- MA in Educational Psychotherapy — Caspari Foundation / Middlesex University (2014), specialism in attachment and shame
- MA (SENCO) — Institute of Education (2005)
- PGCE — Institute of Education (1993)
- BA Hons Geography — University of Reading (1992)
- PhD in Trauma (further details to confirm)
- Registered with the UK Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP), membership number 201164516
Specialist Training
- EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing) — adult and child, levels 1 and 2, EMDR Masterclass (2023, 2026)
- Compassion Focused Therapy and Parenting (2026)
- Video Interactive Guidance (VIG) — Tavistock (2020)
- Incredible Years — Whittington NHS Trust (2016)
- Solihull Approach (2013)
Experience
- Senior CAMHS Clinician, Islington CAMHS (2012–present)
- Lead Clinician for Trauma-Informed Practice in the Community
- Senior Clinician, Under Fives and Early Years Team
- Lead Clinician, Central Area (Early Years)
- Schools Team Lead Clinician
- Course Tutor, Lecturer and Supervisor — Caspari Foundation (2014–present)
- Educational Psychotherapist / SENCo — Rowland Hill Children's Centre, Haringey (2012–2015)
- Educational Psychotherapist / SENCo — Underhill Junior School, Barnet (2011–2012)
- Advisory Behaviour Outreach Teacher — Islington Pupil Referral Unit (2007–2009)
