About me

I have been working with children, young people, families and schools for 16 years. Firstly, through my role as a KS2 primary school teacher in west London, and subsequently through my training and work as an Educational Psychologist. I have worked for local authorities in London, Berkshire and the South-West. Through these roles I have worked closely with individual schools (as the ‘link EP’), delivered training to groups of staff, parents and other professionals, facilitated supervision for groups of school staff (including ELSA (Emotional Literacy Support Assistant) supervision), delivered therapeutic interventions with young people (individually and in groups), contributed to critical incident support in schools, carried out consultation and assessment work for individual children, and contributed to statutory processes, among other things. I have worked with young people in a wide range of educational settings (mainstream and specialist schools, nurseries, childminders, home education, college, independent schools). Since 2025 I have been working solely in private practice.

I have two children and my eldest has Autism and Severe Learning Disability. My experiences as a parent carer and being ‘on the other side’ of meetings with professionals, and of statutory processes, have definitely supported me in my continued development as an EP, although I am always mindful that everyone’s experience is unique. Alongside my Educational Psychology work, I deliver National Autistic Society family courses with the Bristol Autism Team. My favourite aspect of these courses is creating a safe, non-judgemental space for parents to share experiences, feel heard and build connections with each other.

Values and approach

The following beliefs and values are central to how I approach and practice as an Educational Psychologist:

Respect – we are all equally worthy of respect, being listened to and understood without judgement.
Collaborative working – parents and school staff have the expertise in the young people they support, and their schools. Through working closely together, we can be most effective in bettering our understanding of situations and challenges and working towards positive change.
Systemic thinking – situations, and challenges experienced by young people, are influenced by both internal factors (e.g. beliefs, experiences, skills) and factors related to the environments and systems they are in (e.g. relationships, interactions, shared beliefs). My aim is always to understand and approach concerns systemically rather than focusing primarily on ‘within-child’ factors, in order to support long-term positive change for the child.
Understanding situations through the eyes of the child/YP – children have a right for their views to be taken seriously in matters that affect them, and these are usually key to understanding what’s going on for them. I work hard to build rapport, put young people at ease and use a range of tools and approaches to support them to share their views and to understand the world through their eyes. Where needed, instead of working directly with the child, I can support a familiar adult to gain further insight into their views.
Supporting the wellbeing of the adults – I believe that parents and professionals want the best, and do their best, for the young people they support. Their own wellbeing is essential to the support they are able to provide. I will always aim to ensure that the adults I work with are able to safely share their views and experiences and feel that these have been heard and understood.

Education

(D.Ch.Ed.Psy) Doctorate in Child, Community and Educational Psychology, The Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust, 2015

(PGCE) Postgraduate Certificate in Education (Middle Years Science), University of Bath, 2009

(BA(Oxon)) Undergraduate Degree in Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, 2008