I am a Chartered Psychologist. I have been working independently in Godalming since January 2016. Prior to that I accumulated twelve years post qualification NHS experience of working with children, young people and their families in both Paediatric and Child and Adolescent Mental Health (CAMHS) settings.
From 2011 – 2015 I worked as Principal Clinical Psychologist at Wexham Park Hospital, Slough, where I set up a new Paediatric Psychology service for children and young people living with a broad range of physical health conditions. This included dedicated and integrated psychology time for children and adolescents living with Cancer and Diabetes. The service was highly valued, and I was delighted that the funded psychology sessions doubled over my time there. I also delivered teaching to other professionals attending study days, offered consultation and support to colleagues and provided supervision to Trainee Clinical Psychologists and qualified Clinical Psychologists.
I have experience of working with children and young people with Cancer, Diabetes, Acute and Chronic Pain, and Sickle Cell and Thalassaemia. I also have eight years post qualification experience of conducting highly specialist neuropsychological assessment and rehabilitation with children and young people following Acquired Brain Injury.
When working at the Evelina Children’s Hospital from 2009 – 2010 I developed services for teenagers with Sickle Cell and Thalassaemia transitioning from paediatric to adult services and led a needs assessment to inform service provision of the psychological needs of teenagers and young adults living with Cancer, which we presented at the European Conference for Paediatric Psychologists in 2012.
Through my work in both Paediatric services as well as in CAMHS I have experience of providing effective, needs led support for children, young people and families experiencing difficulties with acute and chronic pain, anxiety, depression, anger, stress, adjustment to transitions/loss. I have also worked with parents to support them with overcoming challenges related to sleep, feeding, behaviour difficulties and soiling/encopresis.
Although I was sad to leave the NHS behind (I was unable to find a way around the challenges of the combination of managing travel and childcare) I strongly value being in a position to offer services to children and adolescents who find themselves in a position whereby their needs are not able to be met by current service provision.
I am about to complete a Certificate in EcoPsychotherapy and the emerging adolescent mind and am planning to offer sessions on Thursday mornings within nature, both in Hambledon in private woodland, and at Winkworth Arboretum in term time only