I am an Educational Psychologist accredited with British Psychological Society (BPS) and Health and Care Professions Council UK (HCPC). I completed my doctoral training in Child, Community and Educational Psychology at the Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust in 2020. I also have an MSc in Experimental Psychology from Sussex University, a MA in Special Educational Needs Psychological perspectives from the Institute of Education, University of London, as well as a PGCE and a National SENCO Award from Chichester University. I regularly undergoes continued professional development including a Certificate in Counselling skills using the Arts from the Centre for Child Mental Health, Narrative based Life Story work, Systemic Family Therapy, Play therapy approaches, Mental Health First Aid training as well as training in the use of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy approaches.

I have worked in a number of Local Authorities and a Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service, gaining experience of working within multiagency teams to support Looked After Children. Prior to starting my doctorate, I was employed as an Assistant Educational Psychologist and a teacher in primary education for approximately twenty years. This included working in senior leadership in specialist social, emotional, and mental health settings and running a Primary Learning Support Unit. My doctoral thesis explored the experiences of Virtual School Advisory Teachers and Designated Safeguarding Teachers for Looked After Children, an area of interest resulting from my experience working to safeguard children and young people.

During my work with Kent County Council, I was involved in two new projects; the first working collaboratively with the Virtual School Kent to develop the new Children with a Social Worker advisory provision to schools and the second, a multi-agency approach to supporting school with pupils who are Emotion or Anxiety Based School Avoiders (ABSA). I have also provided supervision to school staff alongside consultation, observation, and assessment and have experience of delivering Emotional Literacy Support Assistant (ELSA) training and supervising groups of ELSAs.

I currently work as an independent Educational Psychologist, which includes completing statutory assessments for several Local Authorities, work with independent consultants, a national fostering agency and individual requests from parents or schools. I use a range of psychological approaches for assessment and consultation, as well as providing training on a variety of topics, including supporting girls with autism in education. My interests include the use of Non-Violent Resistance (NVR), person-centered and solution focused approaches to support young people, parents, and school staff. I am currently continuing my training as Video Interactive Guidance (VIG) practitioner and am qualified as a supervisor.