Having worked in the field of psychological assessment and intervention since 1993, I began my career as an academic, researching language and emotional understanding in typically and atypically developing children, before deciding to move into Clinical Psychology.

The British Psychological Society awarded me Chartered Psychologist status in 1997. I am a Registered Practitioner Psychologist (Clinical) with the Health and Care Professions Council.

I worked in the field of clinical psychology within the National Health Service for ten years, and have also worked in a low secure psychiatric hospital for children and adults as Lead Consultant Clinical Psychologist.

As a Consultant Clinical Psychologist I have extensive experience of assessing, diagnosing and working therapeutically with adults, children and families across the ability spectrum; specifically those with disorders such as Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA), and generalised learning disabilities, (e.g. Down’s Syndrome), with my clinical practice being influenced by systemic family therapy. During the last 20 years I have been involved with the assessment of around 2,000 children and young adults for the above disorders. This includes working with children with Autism and profound learning difficulties in a residential school setting, who presented with extremely challenging behaviour, and with adults and young people with Autism Spectrum Disorders, co-morbid mental health difficulties and, at times, a forensic history who are detained under the Mental Health Act. I specialise in working with families where there are complex needs and/or very challenging behaviour.

I have considerable experience of working with adults with learning difficulties, personality disorders, schizophrenia and neuro-developmental difficulties such as Autism, including those who have a forensic history or who have offended. This has led to acquiring an extensive experience in the assessment and diagnosis of both children and adults with Autism, and experience in the management of challenging behaviour within in this client group. I have worked with women with a dual diagnosis of Personality Disorder and Autism, leading to a particular interest in the parenting capacity of women with mental health and/or neuro-developmental difficulties.

Areas of assessment and report writing include:

• Attachment / Children’s Emotional Needs / Psychological Profiles
• Complex Family Functioning
• Intellectual Ability and / or Social and Adaptive Functioning
• Parenting – including impact of a learning disability / mental health issue
• Assessment and diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorders in both children and adults, including Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA)

I have recently been appointed as a Research Associate in the department of Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatry, King’s College London, working with Prof Francesca Happe, Director of MRC Centre and Head of Department of SGDP, and Dr Liz O’Nions from the Parenting and Special Education Unit, KU Leuven in Belgium. I will be working on a research project entitled ‘Behaviour and Neurocognitive Profiles in ASD with and without Extreme Demand Avoidance’.