Menu
I have worked for 20 years as a Clinical Psychologist with Children, Adolescents & Families, 13 of which were as a Consultant Clinical Psychologist with Looked After & Adopted Children who have experienced significant trauma and neglect. As well as assessment of children, I have significant expertise in advising about and directly providing therapeutic support to enable children to begin to recover from their earlier life experiences. Extensive professional consultation to social services about a range of issues from care planning, contact & sibling placements were core to my role. I have also provided significant NHS leadership especially in the last 12-14 years.
The following are areas of my expertise for independent assessment: Child/Adolescent & Family Assessment especially in relation to developmental impact of trauma and neglect and attachment presentation/needs. Specific assessment about contact and placement needs, complex sibling placements & therapeutic requirements. DDP/Systemic Therapies can also be offered for parents and children in court proceedings.
The British Psychological Society- Chartered Clinical Psychologist- Registration Number 089716
Health Care Professionals Council- Registration Number-PYL23015
Doctorate in Clinical Psychology Pass QUB 1999-2002
BSC (Hons) Psychology 2:1 University of Glasgow 1994-1998
The British Psychological Society
Division of Clinical Psychology
Faculty of Children & Young People, Special Interest Group
Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy Institute
I led the therapeutic services for Looked After and Adopted Children for nearly 13 years. These services included children placed in foster care, kinship care, adoption, residential services & secure care. I managed and supervised a team of thirteen psychological therapy staff, including Clinical Psychology, Social Work and Mental Health Nursing.
I provided extensive consultation and training across social services through referrals directly about children and young people and as a specialist advisor in the trust permanence and pre-linking panels and regional Restriction of Liberty Panel for Secure Care. I provided training across a range of areas in relation to attachment, impact of trauma/neglect on development, especially neuro-development, to social workers, residential care staff, foster carers, adopters and other health care professionals.
I offered an extensive range of direct therapeutic approaches to children and their care-givers such as Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy, Theraplay, Systemic/Narrative approaches, EMDR and other Trauma based models.
As a service manager within the trust I worked with fostering, adoption and residential managers in relation to service development. I was also part of various regional working groups, including the Strategic Development of the Northern Ireland Framework for Integrated Care for Looked After Children.
· Developed service along with other senior staff.
· Led the social, emotional & behavioural aspect of the service.
· Provided extensive consultation to multidisciplinary team, social workers and various educational personnel including LAC EWO service.
· Assessment and direct therapeutic work with children, parent and teaching staff.
Comprehensive assessment and intervention with a range of children, adolescents and families with mental health needs (including mental state assessment). This included children with ASD, ADHD, attachment, trauma and other developmental difficulties.
· Therapies included play therapy, systemic family therapy, narrative therapies, trauma and attachment based therapies.
· Consultation, reflective practice and therapeutic planning provided to children’s homes.
Designed by ZCM Digital