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).