Our Team

Dr. Gia Whitecross is a Consultant Psychiatrist with expertise in adult mental health, providing in-depth assessments and bespoke treatment at The Child and Family Practice in Bloomsbury. She also works as a Consultant Psychiatrist within the NHS in Islington. With specialised training in Cognitive Analytic Therapy (PGDipCAT), Dr. Whitecross offers integrative, person-centred therapeutic care.

Dr. Whitecross was awarded Higher Psychiatry Trainee of the Year by the Royal College of Psychiatrists, recognising her commitment to excellence in her field. She also holds an MSc in Mental Health Sciences (Distinction) from University College London, where her research focused on innovative approaches to mental health treatment Her published work on the therapeutic use of technology for severe mental illness has appeared in The Lancet Psychiatry and BJPsych Advances, with presentations at the RCPsych International Congress, the European Network for Mental Health Service Evaluation, and the House of Lords.

She treats a range of conditions, including depression, anxiety, OCD, ADHD, and women’s mental health, using a compassionate, evidence-based approach dedicated to delivering personalised mental health care.

Dr Roger Kennedy worked as a Consultant Family Psychiatrist in the NHS at the Cassel Hospital Richmond, for 29 years and was an Honorary Senior Lecturer in Psychiatry at Imperial College, London. He is trained as a Child Psychiatrist and a Medical Psychotherapist.

He has extensive experience of providing courts and social services with expert opinion on multi-problem families as well as in private law cases, though he no longer appears in court. He also has considerable experience in assessing compensation cases. He is acknowledged as a leading expert in the field and has published several books and many papers. He sees adolescents, couples and families for therapeutic work, and offers assessments for children and parents, for emotional and behavioural problems, and does screening assessments for autism spectrum disorder and ADHD.

Dr Kennedy is also a Training Psychoanalyst of the British Psychoanalytical Society and was their President 2004-6. He has an extensive psychoanalytic and psychotherapy practice for adults, has many years’ experience of teaching and training in the therapy field, and is often involved in presenting at conferences both in the UK and abroad.

Dr Shadi Shahnavaz is a UKCP registered couple and family Systemic Therapist with over 25 years experience of working with adolescents, individuals, couples and families.

Dr Shahnavaz worked in the NHS for 10 years and currently works at the Anna Freud Center where she is in the Contact and Residence Dispute Team and is also part of the teaching staff there.

Dr Shahnavaz specializes in trauma, loss and working with multicultural families. She also has a lot of experience with working with adolescents.

Dr Shahnavaz is trained in EMDR and trauma work.

She is also trained in working with attachment and parenting and is a ‘Circle of Security’ facilitator.

Dr Shahnavaz speaks French, Farsi and Swedish fluently.

Ceara is a UKCP registered Psychotherapist specialising in Cognitive Analytic Therapy. She has worked with individuals experiencing difficulties in relationships. She has a special interest in helping people make sense of the impact of social constructs, such as race and gender, on their sense of identity, self-worth, sense of belonging and ways of relating in the world.

She has experience supporting people through periods of depression, anxiety, losses and relationship transitions such as beginning a new relationship, becoming a parent or losing a partner.

Ceara works with individuals aged between 18 to 65 from a range of social class and racial backgrounds who experience issues such as low self esteem, overwhelm with life transitions, relationship losses or difficulties. Bringing a person centred approach, Ceara works with a Cognitive Analytic holistic lens to understand the person beyond a diagnosis.

Ceara uses a collaborative and Cognitive Analytic approach to support people. This involves making links between present difficulties and past experiences with a view to creatively nurturing new areas for change and growth to develop.

Alongside her private practice, Ceara works in the NHS and is a lead editor for ACAT’s journal publication, Reformulation.

Ceara is fluent in English.

Dr Jo Allen has a long history of working as a Consultant Clinical Psychologist and Systemic Psychotherapist in the NHS and privately. She has worked in mental health services in the NHS for 20 years supporting families and people with severe mental health difficulties. She has extensive experience of working with people with neurodiversity, behavioural difficulties, psychosis, bipolar, depression and anxiety. She has a history of supporting families at times of change and processing difficult life events and family dynamics. This includes supporting couples in times of change and challenge through couples therapy including supporting couples to separate and navigate divorce, parents in supporting children with challenges and families where the children are now adults and the family want to support a change in their relationship. She also supports individuals working through moving on from trauma in relationships and managing anxiety and depression.

She developed and edited national guidance for working with families affected by psychosis and complex mental health. She is the co-chair of the complex mental health faculty within the British Psychological Society and has a role in training clinical psychology trainees and systemic psychotherapy trainees at Royal Holloway, Kings College and Salomons Universities. She also supervises and consults with qualified practitioners. She is passionate about supporting thinking in systems and understanding mental distress in context of life events and the challenge of working in a family system.

Julia Kalaydjian is a BACP registered Couple and Individual Psychodynamic Counsellor and Psychotherapist working with adults of all ages and backgrounds, primarily with couples and within the framework of psychodynamic therapy.

Julia specialises in working with intercultural couples and has published papers on the subject. She can offer therapy in an inter-lingual format for Armenian, Greek, and Italian speakers.

Alongside her private practice, Julia works as a Visiting Clinician at Tavistock Relationships where she is also a Tutor on the PGDip in Couple and Individual Psychodynamic Counselling and Psychotherapy and holds an Honorary Teaching Fellowship at Birkbeck University.

Suzanne Hutchison is a UKCP registered Family & Couple Systemic Psychotherapist and Supervisor with 20 years of clinical experience. She works with individuals, couples and families and supports people experiencing a variety of challenges that may impact them such as: physical and/or severe mental health difficulties, life changes and transitions, loss and bereavement, abuse and trauma. Suzanne works systemically (with a focus on relationships to self and others) and collaboratively, integrating a range of approaches to suit clients/families needs.

Suzanne has experience working in Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) and Adult Mental Health Services in a range of NHS services including specialist eating disorders and psychosis services. She has worked with individuals, couples and families privately at The Child and Family Practice for over 13 years.

Suzanne has researched and published in the following areas: understanding the experience of siblings of adolescents with eating disorders, experience of  inter-faith couples and supporting families with inherited genetic conditions.

Suzanne is fluent in English and Spanish and works in person and online.

Dr Shadi Shahnavaz is a UKCP registered couple and family Systemic Therapist with over 25 years experience of working with adolescents, individuals, couples and families.

Dr Shahnavaz worked in the NHS for 10 years and currently works at the Anna Freud Center where she is in the Contact and Residence Dispute Team and is also part of the teaching staff there.

Dr Shahnavaz specializes in trauma, loss and working with multicultural families. She also has a lot of experience with working with adolescents.

Dr Shahnavaz is trained in EMDR and trauma work.

She is also trained in working with attachment and parenting and is a ‘Circle of Security’ facilitator.

Dr Shahnavaz speaks French, Farsi and Swedish fluently.

Lesley Maroni trained as a child and adolescent psychotherapist at the Tavistock Clinic, after which she took up a highly specialist post in the Family Unit at the Cassel Hospital, assessing and treating parents with their infants and children. This work involved report writing and appearing as an expert witness for the courts.

Lesley has also had extensive experience treating severely disturbed adolescents and young people both in NHS inpatient units and in specialist community child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS). Her areas of expertise are in working with adolescents with eating disorders; those who self-harm; those at risk of suicide; those who have been physically, emotionally and/or sexually abused and who have recurring flashbacks, as well as seeing children and young people who are suffering from anxiety and depression.

To facilitate the successful treatment of PTSD and dissociation, Lesley has completed the training for EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing); this is a short-term treatment (approx. 7-8 sessions), recommended by NICE, which can be used with children, adolescents and adults.

Lesley has lectured and published widely on a range of mental health issues. Her publications include ‘Understanding your 4-5-year-old’ (Jessica Kingsley – part of the Tavistock Series ‘Understanding your Child’). Her most recent publication is a chapter entitled ‘The language of smell’ in the book ‘Towards Belonging’ (Karnac).

Adrian Clarke is a UKCP registered psychotherapist, an accredited family mediator and a solicitor. He is a member of the Law Society family mediation panel and has been accredited by the Family Mediation Council. He is a Resolution trained professional practice consultant, which allows him to supervise other family mediators. He is also legally qualified, having been admitted as a solicitor in 1991.

He runs the family mediation service and he offers psychotherapy to individuals and relationship counselling for couples. He runs a separated parenting programme and he is trained to consult children about future arrangements when their parents are separating.

Steph has been working with children and with families since 2005. She has worked as a therapist in various settings, such as a University, in primary and secondary schools, charities for children with Special Needs, a Mediation Centre and in her own practice in Fulham. She enjoys providing 1:1 therapeutic support, family therapy, and has facilitated play-therapy groups. She is an Adult Trainer who co-presents two Separated Parent Programmes in London, one of which she has as co-written and founded.

Her work with children is facilitated by her training in play-therapy. Whilst providing a calm and empathic space for children, teenagers, parents, couples and families, Steph is non directive and follows cues from children‎ and works with all ages. The family sessions are tailored to foster better communication and relationships between children, parents and carers. She likes to increase a person’s self-awareness and self-confidence with various creative mediums. The focus of the sessions can be more on immediate problems, with practical suggestions offered and can be shorter term than psychoanalytic therapy.

Steph is an accredited BACP therapist and has recently specialised in helping families in separation and divorce and writes a monthly blog on related subjects (if interested, please visit: sftherapylondon.com).

Steph has trained in both Integrative and Psychodynamic Therapy. The basis of her work is founded on psychodynamic concepts but values the influences of the humanistic and person centred approaches.

Dr. Reenee Singh is a Consultant Family and Couple Systemic psychotherapist with over twenty years experience in working with children, families, couples and individuals. Reenee worked at the Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust for many years and is the Co-Director of the Tavistock Family Therapy and Systemic Research Centre. She is the Editor of the Journal of Family Therapy. Reenee has published two books and numerous papers in the areas of ‘race’, culture and qualitative research. Reenee presents her work at national and international conferences and teaches all over the world.

Reenee specialises in working with intercultural couples and mixed race families. She is currently the co-director of the London Intercultural Couples Centre at the Child and Family Practice.

Dr. Gia Whitecross is a Consultant Psychiatrist with expertise in adult mental health, providing in-depth assessments and bespoke treatment at The Child and Family Practice in Bloomsbury. She also works as a Consultant Psychiatrist within the NHS in Islington. With specialised training in Cognitive Analytic Therapy (PGDipCAT), Dr. Whitecross offers integrative, person-centred therapeutic care.

Dr. Whitecross was awarded Higher Psychiatry Trainee of the Year by the Royal College of Psychiatrists, recognising her commitment to excellence in her field. She also holds an MSc in Mental Health Sciences (Distinction) from University College London, where her research focused on innovative approaches to mental health treatment Her published work on the therapeutic use of technology for severe mental illness has appeared in The Lancet Psychiatry and BJPsych Advances, with presentations at the RCPsych International Congress, the European Network for Mental Health Service Evaluation, and the House of Lords.

She treats a range of conditions, including depression, anxiety, OCD, ADHD, and women’s mental health, using a compassionate, evidence-based approach dedicated to delivering personalised mental health care.

Dr Dorner is a highly-experienced Consultant Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist with 20 years of experience in the field of child mental health. He has expertise in the assessment and treatment of neuro-developmental disorders such as ADHD and ASD as well as anxiety disorders, mood disorders and psychotic states in children and adolescents. Hanspeter has a special interest in complex mental health needs in children and young people, in particular trauma related mental health difficulties and emerging personality difficulties. After graduating in medicine at the University of Vienna/Austria, he started his training in child & adolescent psychiatry in Innsbruck and later completed higher specialist training in the Great Ormond Street Hospital training scheme. Prior to his career in child & adolescent psychiatry, Hanspeter worked as a Paediatrician in Austria. In 2000, the University of Innsbruck awarded him a Masters degree in Systemic Therapy. In addition to his work in managerial positions for the NHS, Hanspeter has extensive experience as an expert witness in care proceedings and has for many years contributed to service developments and training in international mental health settings. He is fluent in English, German and proficient in Spanish.

Dr Roger Kennedy worked as a Consultant Family Psychiatrist in the NHS at the Cassel Hospital Richmond, for 29 years and was an Honorary Senior Lecturer in Psychiatry at Imperial College, London. He is trained as a Child Psychiatrist and a Medical Psychotherapist.

He has extensive experience of providing courts and social services with expert opinion on multi-problem families as well as in private law cases, though he no longer appears in court. He also has considerable experience in assessing compensation cases. He is acknowledged as a leading expert in the field and has published several books and many papers. He sees adolescents, couples and families for therapeutic work, and offers assessments for children and parents, for emotional and behavioural problems, and does screening assessments for autism spectrum disorder and ADHD.

Dr Kennedy is also a Training Psychoanalyst of the British Psychoanalytical Society and was their President 2004-6. He has an extensive psychoanalytic and psychotherapy practice for adults, has many years’ experience of teaching and training in the therapy field, and is often involved in presenting at conferences both in the UK and abroad.

Dr. Anya Kaushik is a Consultant in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, and works in the NHS and at The Child and Family Practice. She completed her medical degree at the University of Southampton and her specialist training in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry in London. She holds a Consultant post in the South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, working in a busy community child and adolescent mental health team (CAMHS).

Dr. Kaushik has worked in a variety of clinical settings, including:

• Inpatient mental health wards (The Maudsley Hospital, The Bethlem Royal Hospital)
• Paediatric liaison services at Evelina London Children’s Hospital (assessing and managing mental health symptoms in children presenting with complex medical needs)
• Tics and Tourette Syndrome Specialist Services (St. Thomas’ Hospital)
• Specialist complex neurodevelopmental clinics (St. Thomas’ Hospital and the Maudsley Hospital)

On a personal level, Dr. Kaushik is passionate about addressing the destigmatisation of emotional and behavioural difficulties in children and adolescents (a significant barrier to accessing care for young people) and has presented some of her research at both national and international conferences.

Dr. Kaushik is proficient in Greek and holds registration as a Section 12 Approved Doctor under the Mental Health Act.

Dr Suren is a consultant child and Adolescent Psychiatrist . He Completed his core training in psychiatry from St Bartholomew’s and Royal London hospital training scheme and completed the higher training in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry from Great Ormond Street Hospital. He has expertise in assessment and management of Complex Neurodevelopmental disorders such as ADHD, Autism, Tics/Tourette’s syndrome , Mood disorders , Anxiety disorders , Eating disorders, Psychosis and other mental illness seen in Children and Adolescents . He has a special interest in Paediatric psychopharmacology and has published on this topic . He has a keen interest in School mental health and Neurodevelopmental disorders across life span, particularly ADHD transition from Adolescents to Adults.

Dr Darren Cutinha is a Consultant Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist and Family Therapist. His specialist area of expertise is eating disorders.

Darren works mainly in the NHS, at The Maudsley Centre for Child and Adolescent Eating Disorders, where he leads the outpatient service. He is also an Honorary Senior Lecturer and Course Tutor on the MSc in Eating Disorders and Clinical Nutrition at University College London (UCL). He trained in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Family Therapy at The Tavistock Centre.

Darren has expertise in the assessment and treatment of all eating disorders and related mental health conditions in children, adolescents and young adults. He is happy to see young people with or without eating disorders.

In addition to eating disorders, Darren has a particular interest and expertise in the treatment of depression, anxiety, stress, perfectionism, low self-esteem, body image concerns and self-harm; relationship problems at home, school, or with peers; and in supporting young people in the transition from CAMHS and school to university or employment.

As a Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist and Family Therapist, treatments Darren offers include: Individual Therapy, using a mixture of psychotherapeutic approaches; Parent sessions, to offer support and develop specific parenting skills; Family Therapy; and Medication.

Darren has a longstanding interest in teaching and training. He is regularly invited to lecture and teach, both nationally and internationally. He has also made several television and radio appearances.

Dr Zaib N S Davids has been a Consultant Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist at UCLH and Honorary Senior Lecturer at UCL for 15 years.

She specialises in the assessment and treatment of full range of child and adolescent psychiatric disorders including depression, self-harm, trauma, anxiety, adjustments to physical illness as well as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and psychosis.

She has extensive experience in the treatment of complex psychosomatic conditions.

Arnon Bentovim is a Child and Family Psychiatrist who trained as a Psycho-Analyst and Family Therapist. Marianne is a Social work Consultant, Individual and Family Therapist.They established the Child Care Consultation Service, and the Child Abuse Service at the Hospital and provided assessments and consultations for the courts in complex child care cases

Arnon and Marianne Bentovim founded the Child and Family Practice, formerly the ‘London Child and Family Practice in 1994 when they retired from Great Ormond Street Children’s Hospital, and Arnon retired from the Tavistock Clinic. They have now retired from the practice.

Dr Mathura has been a full-time NHS Consultant Paediatrician since 2010 specialising in the diagnosis of autism and childhood developmental disorders. Currently, he is the lead consultant for the Autism and Related Disorders service and joint Head of Service at Evelina Community Child Health London, Guys and St Thomas NHS Foundation Trust.

Dr Mathura completed advanced specialist paediatric training at both the Bristol Children’s Hospital and the Children’s Hospital for Wales in Cardiff. He first qualified as a doctor in 1996 from the University of the West Indies, Trinidad. Dr Mathura has a Masters in Child Health and is a Fellow of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health. He is an honorary tutor on the International Child Rights and Development Masters course, Kings College and Association for Research in Infant & Child Development courses.

Dr Mathura’s expertise includes:

• Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD)
• Developmental Paediatrics
• Neurodisability
• Social paediatrics
• Child protection

Dr Mathura has professional training in administering the following:

• Autism Diagnostic Interview (ADI-R)
• Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS-2) all modules
• Bayley’s Scales of Infant & Toddler Development
• Griffiths Scales of Childhood Development (GSCD III)

Qualifications:

• 1996: Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS): UWI, Trinidad
• 2005: Member of the Royal College of Paediatrics & Child Health (MRCPCH)
• 2010: Certificate Completion & Specialty Registration (CCST & CESR)
• 2013: Master of Science (MSc): Cardiff University, UK
• 2014: Griffiths Mental Developmental Scales (GMDS-III), Cardiff
• 2014: Autism Diagnostic Interview- Revised, London
• 2016: Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS-2), Tavistock, London
• 2016: Bailey’s Scales of Infant & Toddler Development, GSTT, London
• 2021: Fellow of the Royal College of Paediatrics & Child Health (FRCPCH)
  General Medical Council Registration: 4373287

Jen is a highly experienced Educational & Child Psychologist who works with children, schools, and families to solve problems relating to learning, emotions, and behaviour. She specialises in relating issues of development to the education context and providing advice on adjustments and interventions to enable children to learn, grow, and thrive.

She can provide cognitive and developmental assessments, including for general or specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia and executive function. These incorporate a range of tools or techniques to elicit a child’s strengths and needs to develop a formulation of their unique learning profile. Jen can also work with families and schools to understand and manage difficulties diagnosed by other clinicians, for example, to make recommendations on adaptations and support for mental health needs, autism, or ADHD. She can also provide reports to support Educational, Health, and Care Plan applications and assessments. Jen also works directly with parents and carers in managing issues of childhood development, such as anxiety, emotionally based school avoidance, behavioural needs, and sleep difficulties.

Jen is also a lecturer in the Department of Psychology and Language Sciences at UCL and tutors on the Child & Educational Psychology professional doctoral training course. Her specialisms are applied psychology in education, early child development, dyslexia, cognitive assessment and intelligence, and parent-focussed home interventions.

Dr Jo Allen has a long history of working as a Consultant Clinical Psychologist and Systemic Psychotherapist in the NHS and privately. She has worked in mental health services in the NHS for 20 years supporting families and people with severe mental health difficulties. She has extensive experience of working with people with neurodiversity, behavioural difficulties, psychosis, bipolar, depression and anxiety. She has a history of supporting families at times of change and processing difficult life events and family dynamics. This includes supporting couples in times of change and challenge through couples therapy including supporting couples to separate and navigate divorce, parents in supporting children with challenges and families where the children are now adults and the family want to support a change in their relationship. She also supports individuals working through moving on from trauma in relationships and managing anxiety and depression.

She developed and edited national guidance for working with families affected by psychosis and complex mental health. She is the co-chair of the complex mental health faculty within the British Psychological Society and has a role in training clinical psychology trainees and systemic psychotherapy trainees at Royal Holloway, Kings College and Salomons Universities. She also supervises and consults with qualified practitioners. She is passionate about supporting thinking in systems and understanding mental distress in context of life events and the challenge of working in a family system.

Ann Ozsivadjian is a Clinical Psychologist in independent practice who worked for several years as the senior psychologist in a specialist complex neurodevelopmental disorders team at the Evelina London Children’s Hospital, providing assessments and treatments for a wide range of neurodevelopmental difficulties and co-occurring conditions. She currently provides diagnostic assessments in conjunction with a number of colleagues, and provides therapy for young people up to the age of 25. Her main background is in cognitive behaviour therapy and she has also been trained in and incorporates ACT, EMDR and DBT into her practice. Her particular research interests and clinical specialism are mental health in autism and adapting interventions for young people on the autism spectrum, and has presented at national and international conferences on these topics. She also provides training courses across the UK on the assessment and treatment of mental health problems in autism. She has published a number of papers and co-authored book chapters, and is the author of ‘Helping your autistic child’, published by Little Brown. She has also produced a number of podcasts and webinars in conjunction with the Association of Child and Adolescent Mental Health. She currently works in independent practice and is also a visiting senior lecturer at King’s College London.

Dr Gary Burgess is a Consultant Paediatric Clinical Psychologist specialising in work with children, adolescents, parents and families. He works part time in the NHS at Great Ormond Street Hospital and part time in private practice. He is registered with the HCPC (Health and Care Professions Council).

Dr Burgess has expertise in assessment, formulation, and therapeutic treatment of a range of psychological and developmental issues including (but not limited to) anxiety, depression, adjustment to chronic or life-limiting medical diagnosis, trauma, eating disorders, social communication challenges including Autism, difficulties of attention and hyperactivity and associated behaviour problems.

As well as offering direct therapeutic work, Dr Burgess has experience in providing consultation, teaching and supervision to other professionals working with children, young people and their families.

Therapeutic Ethos:

Children, young people and families can experience a range of strong, difficult or conflictual feelings which can be hard to make sense of. Sometimes these feelings can be expressed in ways which are distressing, frightening, troubling or cause conflict in family life. Dr Burgess offers a consistent and safe space for young people and families to explore and reflect on their experiences. Through such exploration he hopes to support young people and families make sense of the challenges they face, enable a full range of emotional expression and find new ways of relating to each other and managing challenges.

Dr Burgess frequently works with children, adolescents and families who live with a range of medical conditions. He supports these young people and families with the range of experiences and feelings surrounding their condition, working towards supporting adaptation and adjustment. The aims of therapy are to reduce emotional distress and enhance resilience, sustain a sense of hope and reconnect with individual and family identity, strengths and resources outside of the medical condition.

He draws on a number of models to understand psychological distress including attachment, mentalisation, psychoanalytic, cognitive behavioural and systemic approaches.

Dr Chahal qualified as a Counselling Psychologist in 2014. Since then she has been working in the NHS and Social Care with children, adolescents, and adults experiencing mental health difficulties. She currently works part-time in the NHS as a Principal Counselling Psychologist in a multi-disciplinary and multi-agency Family Court Assessment Team undertaking comprehensive psychological assessments of families in court proceedings, alongside working as an independent Counselling Psychologist in private practice.

Dr Chahal holds a Doctorate in Counselling Psychology (DCounsPsy) from the University of Manchester, an MEd in Psychology of Education from the University of Manchester, an MSc in Counselling Psychology from Keele University, and the Cardiff University Bond Solon (CUBS) Expert Witness Family Certificate. She is registered with the Health and Professions Council.

Dr Parneet Chahal works with children, adolescents, and adults who present with a wide range of mental health difficulties. She has a particular interest in the assessment and treatment of trauma and attachment related difficulties across the life span. She is experienced in working with individuals with neuro-developmental differences, such as Autism Spectrum Condition, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, and Learning Difficultie.

Dr Chahal works in an integrative way, drawing upon a number of evidence-based models she is trained and experienced in, including Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT), Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR), Psychodynamic Therapy, Person-Centred Therapy, Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT), and Mentalisation Based Therapy (MBT). Dr Chahal views the therapeutic relationship as being central to enabling facilitative change and meaning making for her clients. She works collaboratively with clients by helping them understand their difficulties and tailoring a treatment plan that best meets their needs and goals.

Andrew is a highly qualified psychologist with a Bachelor of Psychology (Honours) and a Masters from the University of Sydney who brings exceptional educational and clinical expertise to his practice. In 2020, he relocated to the UK, serving as a senior educational psychologist for Essex local authority. Now in independent practice, Andrew specialises in psychoeducational and autism assessments, reflecting his dedication to positively impacting lives.

Andrew puts his clients at the front and centre of his practice and takes a person-centred approach to all assessments. He is a passionate advocate of neurodiversity-affirmative practice and believes wholeheartedly in empowering individuals to recognise and capitalise on their strengths.

Andrew is registered with the Health & Care Professionals Council (HCPC) as an Educational, Clinical and Counselling psychologist and the British Psychological Society (BPS).

Educational Potential

https://www.educationalpotential.co.uk/

Dr Susan Pooley is a British Psychological Society (BPS) and Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) registered clinical psychologist and who qualified in the U.K (Salomons Doctoral Training Programme). She has more than 17 years post-qualification experience working with children, adolescents, adults, parents and families who have experienced developmental trauma with symptoms of post-traumatic stress, anxiety and low mood, neurodiversity and common emotional well-being and interpersonal difficulties.

She has worked in specialist and general services for people across the life-span, as an editor of Clinical Psychology Forum, lecturer on the Surrey Doctoral Training Programme and held senior management roles in services for care-experienced children, adolescents and young adults as well as general child and adolescent mental health services. She won a national research prize for her doctoral research and has published in the areas of psychology and law.
Her work in independent private practice includes psychological assessment (development, neurodevelopment, behaviour, cognitive, mental health, social functioning, risk) and psychotherapeutic treatment utilising EMDR, cognitive behavioural therapy, psychodynamic and systemic therapy methods. Treatment is based on the needs of the client/family with a foundation in a good therapeutic relationship. She also offers child and adult intellectual ability assessments (IQ). She provides supervision for clinicians and clinical teams in the NHS, consultation and training, as well as working regularly as an expert witness for the family courts. She is an active member of the Clinicians and Professionals working with Looked After and Adopted Children (CPLAAC).

She has completed basic and advanced training in Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR) as well as both levels of the Child & Adolescent Adapted EMDR training.

Dr Alison Pak completed her BSc (Hons) at University College, London, a Masters in Social and Developmental Psychology at the University of Cambridge, and her Doctorate in Clinical Psychology at University College, London.  She has experience working in various NHS settings and in private practice, and is currently based in a practice in South West London.

Dr Pak draws on a range of therapeutic models (e.g., Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Narrative Therapy and Psychodynamic Therapy), often including creativity as one of her core competencies. She believes that children and young people respond to integrative approaches, which appeal to their language and their hobbies. Having worked with children and young people across the age range, she has found that packaging important aspects of therapy in examples that they find to be familiar is crucial in strengthening engagement and communication, resulting in a strong therapeutic relationship built on trust, honesty and fun.

Dr Pak has worked with children, young people and adults, providing individual therapeutic interventions as well as working with families and groups. She has experience in the treatment of depression, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder, conduct disorder, psychosis, behavioural difficulties, and chronic fatigue syndrome. Furthermore, she has worked with children with neuro-developmental disorders such as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and is experienced in carrying out cognitive assessments and in providing detailed reports of cognitive functioning.

Dr Rebecca Greenaway is a Consultant Clinical Psychologist and Child Neuropsychologist with expertise in working with children from infancy to adolescence. Alongside private practice she also works in the NHS within the Neurodisability Service at Great Ormond Street Hospital, where she has worked since 2009.

For pre-schoolers, Dr Greenaway carries out assessment exploring their cognitive, language and motor ability and gives recommendations around promoting their next developmental steps as well as supporting their social, emotional and behavioural development.

In school age children and adolescents, the assessment will include standardised assessment of their intellectual ability and depending on the question may also explore their academic ability (e.g., reading, spelling and mathematic ability if there are concerns regarding dyslexia or dyscalculia) or areas of cognitive functioning including attention, organisation/planning, processing speed or memory, as well as the child’s social communication, emotional, behavioural and adaptive functioning.

Rebecca works closely with parents and schools and is also trained and experienced in conducting multidisciplinary neurodevelopmental assessments where there may be concerns regarding autism or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

A report detailing the child or young person’s strengths and needs across different areas including support recommendations to improve the child’s optimal development and learning progress is provided following the assessment.

Dr Greenaway studied psychology at the University of Bristol, completed a PhD in autism at the University of Cambridge and then completed her Doctorate in Clinical Psychology at the KCL Institute of Psychiatry, followed by further training in Neuropsychology. She is on the Specialist Register of Clinical Neuropsychologists and registered with the Health and Care Professionals Council.

She has published many peer reviewed academic papers and co-authored chapters, as well as recently co-editing a book for professionals working with children with vision impairment. She lectures on the MSc in Paediatric Neuropsychology at UCL.

Dr Beth Watkins is a Chartered Clinical Psychologist. She has worked in the field of child and adolescent eating disorders research for 14 years with Professor Bryan Lask, both at St George’s, University of London and at Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Trust.

Beth has worked in both child & adolescent and adult mental health services within the NHS.

Janet Reibstein is a psychologist , individual psychotherapist , and family therapist. She works with individuals, couples, and families, as well as relationships at work. She is Professor in the School of Psychology at the University of Exeter, where she runs postgraduate training in family therapy and systemic practice for The Doctorate in Clinical Psychology. She was formerly Affiliated Lecturer inSocial and Political Sciences at the University of Cambridge where she was also Psychological Consultant to Kings College, Cambridge. She is the author of six books and numerous articles covering her research on various aspects of relationships; couples and families; divorce and separation; and the psychological and emotional effects of illness on families and couples. Professor Reibstein has also contributed documentary series for television and Radio 4.

Ana Ribeiro is a Chartered Clinical Psychologist and Mindfulness Teacher who was trained in the UK, France & Brazil. She has many years of experience working across the life span in the NHS before moving to private practice. She has worked in a variety of clinical settings including GP surgeries, adolescent inpatient units, adult inpatient units and community teams.

In her private practice, she has a wide range of international clients, and her main focus of work is with late adolescents and adults (16 year olds onwards).

She offers therapy for a broad range of psychological difficulties including anxiety, panic attacks, depression, low self-esteem, work and school/UNI related stress (including management and prevention), sleeping problems, relationship difficulties, bereavement, and issues related to displacement and living away from home or in a foreign country. Ana has been practicing mindfulness meditation her whole life and is fully trained to teach Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy. She has been for years teaching the 8 week course in small group settings and to individuals when appropriate. She continues to develop her skills and experience, attending regular training in Oxford and with other leading trainers in this field. In addition, she has special interests in the consequences of trauma, the power of resilience, the influence of one’s culture and beliefs to one’s mental health and wellbeing, self-development, confidence building & facilitating change and transformation. Her work may draw upon a variety of approaches including Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT), Cognitive Behavior Therapy for Insomnia (CBTi), Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT), Systemic thinking and compassionate approaches to therapy. She offers therapy in English, French and Portuguese.

I am committed to promoting children’s development and learning, as well as their social and emotional wellbeing using my core training in mental health and my specialist training in child neuropsychology.

As a child neuropsychologist I am able to provide a detailed profile of a young person’s/child’s strengths and areas of difficulty across a broad range of functioning: cognitive (including memory attention and aspects of language), social communication and everyday living skills as well as mental health. From this profile I put together a comprehensive and practical package of care to improve outcomes for that child. I work with parents, schools/education and others from the medical and allied professions.

I endeavour to support parents/carers from the initial query or concerns about a child, to getting the various professionals needed to complete the work and, as needed, periodically reviewing progress to keep things on track. I place great importance post-assessment on working jointly with other professionals and providing good support for parents/carers.

After 8 years working as an economist for the Bank of England and investment banks, I switched to clinical work and research in mental health in 2000 working at UCL, before formally retraining as a clinical psychologist. On qualifying as a clinical psychologist, I worked in the west of England, before relocating to London to commence my paediatric neuropsychology studies. After undertaking nine years of clinical practice (including Great Ormond Street Hospital and the Portland Hospital) and further training (UCL) I qualified as a child neuropsychologist. I currently practice independently and within the NHS providing neurodevelopmental assessment, including assessment for autism spectrum disorder. In my NHS post I provide consultation and training to professionals working in a child and adolescent mental health service.

Beverly Sokel is a Chartered Clinical Psychologist with special interests in paediatric psychology and child and adolescent mental health and wellbeing.

She offers therapy services for a wide range of psychological problems including anxiety and panic attacks, fears and phobias, obsessive compulsive disorder, tic disorders, hair pulling and skin picking, sleeping, feeding and toileting difficulties, behavioural difficulties, emotional problems, relationships difficulties within families and bereavement as well as problems relating to health issues such as needle phobia and pain and symptom management. Her work with children, young people, parents and carers draws upon different therapeutic approaches including cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), behaviour therapy, sessions for families and for parents, relaxation and breathing techniques, guided imagery and mindfulness.

She works in private practice, having previously worked for many years as a clinical psychologist at Great Ormond Street Hospital and in Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) in Hertfordshire.

She is able to offer in person and remote consultations and sessions. She is also able to offer cognitive psychological assessments for school age children and adolescents.

Dr Sue Harrison is a Consultant Child Psychologist, qualified both as a Chartered Educational Psychologist and a Paediatric Neuropsychologist. She has been working with children and young people for 20 years.

She is very experienced in conducting psychometric assessments, characterising children’s learning profiles and making recommendations to support optimal development and academic progress. An assessment can highlight strengths and specific or subtle areas of need, and explore issues such as intellectual potential, dyslexia, dyspraxia, attention, memory, processing or language problems.

She has studied and undertaken specialist training at University College London, the Institute of Education and the Institute of Child Health.

She currently works in private practice and also at Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children. She has worked at Great Ormond Street for over 10 years, specialising in children’s learning and memory and in the needs of young people with neurological conditions such as epilepsy. She has trained and worked as a school teacher and has completed a research doctorate in children’s learning, memory and academic achievement.

She currently examines and lectures on two Masters courses at University College London, in the areas of infancy, child assessment, and learning difficulties.

Richenda is an experienced Educational Psychologist with over 20 years experience of working for both local authorities and in private practice. She specialises in working with children, young people and their families. Richenda has not only worked in the UK for Richmond, Surrey and Merton councils but headed up the Assessment and Research for the Dyslexia Association in Singapore where she assessed children and young people to identify specific learning difficulties.

Richenda is registered as a Chartered Psychologist with the British Psychological Society (BPS) and is also a registered Educational Psychologist with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC)

Educational Potential

https://www.educationalpotential.co.uk/

Suzanne Hutchison is a UKCP registered Family & Couple Systemic Psychotherapist and Supervisor with 20 years of clinical experience. She works with individuals, couples and families and supports people experiencing a variety of challenges that may impact them such as: physical and/or severe mental health difficulties, life changes and transitions, loss and bereavement, abuse and trauma. Suzanne works systemically (with a focus on relationships to self and others) and collaboratively, integrating a range of approaches to suit clients/families needs.

Suzanne has experience working in Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) and Adult Mental Health Services in a range of NHS services including specialist eating disorders and psychosis services. She has worked with individuals, couples and families privately at The Child and Family Practice for over 13 years.

Suzanne has researched and published in the following areas: understanding the experience of siblings of adolescents with eating disorders, experience of  inter-faith couples and supporting families with inherited genetic conditions.

Suzanne is fluent in English and Spanish and works in person and online.

Dr Shadi Shahnavaz is a UKCP registered couple and family Systemic Therapist with over 25 years experience of working with adolescents, individuals, couples and families.

Dr Shahnavaz worked in the NHS for 10 years and currently works at the Anna Freud Center where she is in the Contact and Residence Dispute Team and is also part of the teaching staff there.

Dr Shahnavaz specializes in trauma, loss and working with multicultural families. She also has a lot of experience with working with adolescents.

Dr Shahnavaz is trained in EMDR and trauma work.

She is also trained in working with attachment and parenting and is a ‘Circle of Security’ facilitator.

Dr Shahnavaz speaks French, Farsi and Swedish fluently.

Dr. Reenee Singh is a Consultant Family and Couple Systemic psychotherapist with over twenty years experience in working with children, families, couples and individuals. Reenee worked at the Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust for many years and is the Co-Director of the Tavistock Family Therapy and Systemic Research Centre. She is the Editor of the Journal of Family Therapy. Reenee has published two books and numerous papers in the areas of ‘race’, culture and qualitative research. Reenee presents her work at national and international conferences and teaches all over the world.

Reenee specialises in working with intercultural couples and mixed race families. She is currently the co-director of the London Intercultural Couples Centre at the Child and Family Practice.

Adrian Clarke is a UKCP registered psychotherapist, an accredited family mediator and a solicitor. He is a member of the Law Society family mediation panel and has been accredited by the Family Mediation Council. He is a Resolution trained professional practice consultant, which allows him to supervise other family mediators. He is also legally qualified, having been admitted as a solicitor in 1991.

He runs the family mediation service and he offers psychotherapy to individuals and relationship counselling for couples. He runs a separated parenting programme and he is trained to consult children about future arrangements when their parents are separating.

Dr Pavlopoulou is an Educational Consultant and Neurodevelopmental Specialist, as well as a passionate advocate of neurodiversity.

Since qualifying Jennifer has worked across a range of health, education and charity contexts providing assessment and intervention for children and young people with neurodevelopmental disorders and complex communication needs. Jennifer works collaboratively with parents and educators to support and empower them in developing communication and interaction skills in children and young people. Jennifer volunteers as a Research Champion and Advisor for ASD and social communication disorders for the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists (RCSLT). She is committed to research and best practice evidenced through completion of an MSC in Human Communication at City University of London in 2013. Jennifer has a particular interest in the development of social cognition in young children and is joint author of the ‘Early Sociocognitive Battery’.

Ana Ribeiro is a Chartered Clinical Psychologist and Mindfulness Teacher who was trained in the UK, France & Brazil. She has many years of experience working across the life span in the NHS before moving to private practice. She has worked in a variety of clinical settings including GP surgeries, adolescent inpatient units, adult inpatient units and community teams.

In her private practice, she has a wide range of international clients, and her main focus of work is with late adolescents and adults (16 year olds onwards).

She offers therapy for a broad range of psychological difficulties including anxiety, panic attacks, depression, low self-esteem, work and school/UNI related stress (including management and prevention), sleeping problems, relationship difficulties, bereavement, and issues related to displacement and living away from home or in a foreign country. Ana has been practicing mindfulness meditation her whole life and is fully trained to teach Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy. She has been for years teaching the 8 week course in small group settings and to individuals when appropriate. She continues to develop her skills and experience, attending regular training in Oxford and with other leading trainers in this field. In addition, she has special interests in the consequences of trauma, the power of resilience, the influence of one’s culture and beliefs to one’s mental health and wellbeing, self-development, confidence building & facilitating change and transformation. Her work may draw upon a variety of approaches including Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT), Cognitive Behavior Therapy for Insomnia (CBTi), Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT), Systemic thinking and compassionate approaches to therapy. She offers therapy in English, French and Portuguese.