Meet the Team

Ciara completed her Doctorate in Professional Educational, Child and Adolescent Psychology at University College London in 2011. Since this, Ciara has developed experience both within Local Authority and Independent Practice using consultation as a key framework in supporting the development of children, young people and their families. Previous to qualifying as an EP, Ciara’s interest in psychology and knowledge of school systems was developed through her work in schools as a Specialist Teacher for Cognition and Learning, a Primary School Teacher, and an Assistant Educational Psychologist.

Since focusing her doctorate research on ‘Social Inclusion for pupils with High Functioning Autism,’ Ciara has continued to pursue this interest. She has valued experience in working within special school settings for pupils with complex communication needs, such as Autism as well as developing her knowledge on SCERTs, a research-based and multidisciplinary framework that directly addresses the core challenges faced by children with Autism. Her interest in this area of work has allowed her to develop and deliver courses to professionals in Educational and Health setting on Autism and ADHD and co-deliver parental support programmes for parents of children with Autism post-diagnosis.

Ciara is passionate about supporting school systems and individuals to improve social and emotional well-being. She has developed knowledge and skills in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), a creative model based on the innovative use of mindfulness and personal values used within coaching in schools and supervision of school staff. By delivering training to whole school staff on Developmental Trauma and Emotion Coaching, Ciara has helped to create change at a systems level in schools by revisiting their policies to include more curiosity, compassion, and empathy in understanding behaviour and promoting emotional well-being.

Ciara recognises parents/carers’ insights of their child’s needs and values them as key to promoting positive change in the lives of their child. Within her practice, she strives to work closely with parents through active listening to best understand their child’s needs within their early life and home context, whilst working collaboratively with school staff and other professionals to problem-solve using a range of psychological theories and frameworks. Ciara has also trained in Multi-Family Groups in Schools, a therapeutic intervention which aims to support and empower parents through a non-judgemental and collaborative approach.

Ciara lives in Surrey with her husband and two sons.

Publications and research:

Close, C. (2011). Does providing descriptive and/or explanatory information affect peer attitudes and behaviour intentions towards children with High Functioning Autism? (Thesis research available through the British Library).

Sarah completed her Doctorate in Educational Psychology at Southampton University in 2010. Her thesis explored the impact of evidence-based classroom interventions on reducing the core behaviours associated with attention difficulties. Sarah is an established psychologist with over ten years of Local Authority experience working with children, young people and adults (0 -25) and their families within a range of educational and community settings. Prior to this, Sarah was a Primary School Teacher and Lead Practitioner for Social Emotional Aspects of Learning (SEAL) across a locality of schools.

Since completing her doctoral research Sarah has remained committed to improving outcomes for children and young people who experience attention difficulties. This work has included completing an eight-week Mindfulness course and being trained to deliver the Mindful Awareness Practices (MAPs) Programme, a Mindfulness intervention for children aged 4 to 11 years. Sarah has devised training and worked with a range of educational settings to explore how Mindfulness can be utilised as a tool to improve staff and pupil well-being, in addition to educational outcomes.

Sarah has completed further training in supervision and has applied her skills in this area through supervising Assistant Psychologists, Trainee Educational Psychologists and Emotional Literacy Support Assistants (ELSAs). Sarah has also developed and delivered training on a range of topics including, attachment; reading difficulties; Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and executive function; and whole school approaches to promoting social emotional skills and well-being. Sarah is passionate about the importance of listening to the voice of children and young people and has received training in a number of Person-Centred Planning approaches, such as PATH and Circle of Adults, which she draws on frequently in her work.

Sarah receives regular continued professional development (CPD) and has received training in a range of psychological models and interventions including: Dynamic Assessment; Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT); Motivational Interviewing; The Well Being Toolkit(s); Bereavement and Loss; Gender; Sycol – Solution Oriented Schools; and Well-Being in Schools.

Sarah’s current research interests include: non-pharmaceutical interventions for children and young people with attention difficulties; and whole-school approaches to promoting well-being.

Sarah lives in West Sussex with her partner and their daughter.

Publications and research:

Evans, S. P., Grahamslaw, L. S., Henson, L., & Prince, E. (2012). Is the restructured initial professional training in Educational Psychology fit for purpose? Educational Psychology in Practice, 28(4), pp 373-393.

Evans, S. P. (2010). A small scale randomised controlled trial exploring the effects of white noise as a classroom intervention for boys with attention difficulties. (Thesis research available through the British Library).

Burkitt, E. & Evans, S. P (2004). The effects of socio-economic background on creativity in children, presented at the Annual British Psychological Society conference, University College London, London, 2014.

Emily completed her Doctorate in Educational Psychology at Southampton University in 2010. Prior to this, she worked with children and young people with special educational needs, specifically those who had been permanently excluded from mainstream education, and also gained experience of working within the field of research. For her thesis Emily explored the role of belonging in understanding the effectiveness of inclusion for children with special educational needs.

For the last 11 years Emily has worked as an Educational Psychologist within Local Authorities and she continues to do so. She works across a range of educational settings and is involved in service delivery at multiple levels. Emily enjoys working through a consultation approach to support children, parents, teachers and other professionals in finding solutions to challenges that they face. She has also been involved in delivering county-wide training for staff working within Children’s Services including: Loss and Bereavement; Traumatic Bereavement; Early Years training for complex social communication difficulties; Eating Disorders and Self Harm; Motivational Interviewing techniques; FRIENDS social skills and resilience training; Video Interaction Guidance (VIG); Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACES) and delivery of the initial training of Emotional Literacy Support Assistants (ELSAs).

Emily receives regular professional development and has additional training in a range of psychological models and interventions including: Psychological models of Resilience; Attachment; Coaching Psychology; Circle of Adults and PATH; Dynamic Assessment; Narrative Therapy Level 1; Solution Focused approaches; Principles of Instructional Psychology; Personal Construct Psychology; and Video Interactive Guidance (VIG).

Emily’s current research interest is exploring resilience in looked after children.

Emily lives in Hampshire with her partner and two young children.

Publications and research:

Prince, E. J. & Hadwin, J. (2013). The role of sense of school belonging in understanding the effectiveness of inclusion of children with special educational needs. International Journal of Inclusive Education, 17(3), pp238-262.

Evans, S. P., Grahamslaw, L. S., Henson, L., & Prince, E. (2012). Is the restructured initial professional training in Educational Psychology fit for purpose? Educational Psychology in Practice, 28(4), pp373-393.

McCann, D., Barrett, A., Cooper, A., Crumpler, D., Dalen, L., Grimshaw, K., Kitchin, E., Lok, K., Porteous, L., Prince, E., Sonuga-Barke, E., O’Warner, J., & Stevenson, J. (2007). Food additives and hyperactive behaviour in 3-year-old and 8/9-year-old children in the community: A randomised, double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial. The Lancet, 370(9598), pp1560-1567.

Charman, T., Howlin, P., Berry, B., & Prince, E. (2004). Measuring developmental progress of children with autism spectrum disorder on school entry using parent report. Autism, 8(1), pp89-100.

Kristina competed her Doctorate in Child, Community and Educational Psychology at the Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust in 2019. She has worked in a number of Local Authorities and Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services, gaining significant experience of working within multiagency teams to support people with mental health difficulties. Prior to starting her doctorate, Kristina worked for over 10 years in the public and private sectors as an Assistant Clinical Psychologist (in both community-based services and inpatient clinics) and also as an Assistant Educational Psychologist.

Kristina is passionate about systemic work in schools, particularly developing mental health policies to support children and young people, their families, and school staff. She is currently interested in using Compassion-Focused Therapy to support children and young people, including their families, who have experienced trauma in their lives.

Kristina uses a consultative approach across all levels of her work in schools to promote systemic change and improve outcomes for all. She also enjoys planning, designing and delivering training in a range of areas to meet the needs of schools. Kristina is committed to applying psychological principles to problem situations aiming to explore different perspectives and to create a holistic picture, thereby enabling people to find the next logical step forward.

Kristina is able to use her personal skills to quickly develop a positive relationship with children, young people and their families/carers, thereby enabling her to support them with a range of therapeutic interventions such as play based approaches, cognitive behavioural principles, and narrative approaches. Through using evidence based practice and sharing psychological principles, she empowers others to achieve their own positive outcomes.

For her thesis, Kristina explored the views of children who had received support from an Emotional Literacy Support Assistant (ELSA). She also has experience of delivering the initial ELSA training and supervising groups of ELSAs. Due to her experience in this area, she is currently writing a chapter in a book for Teaching Assistants on the ELSA project.

As part of her Doctoral training, Kristina took part in a group relations conference which is a reflective space that helps settings to improve their strategic thinking and to understand how organisational culture works. Subsequently, she has used this experience to work closely with senior leadership teams to help them to think about and reflect on their practice. Kristina also enjoys running work discussion groups for school staff which develops their capacity to manage the challenges of their role, practice and their relationships with pupils. She has completed additional training in systemic and psychodynamic supervision, and for a number of years she has supervised senior staff members in her schools.

Kristina is a committee member of the Division of Educational and Child Psychology (DECP) for the British Psychological Society (BPS). Within this role, her goal is to develop psychology both professionally and as a knowledge and skills base, and to promote the professional interests of educational and child psychologists. She does this by presenting at conferences; attending stakeholder meetings; developing documents and policies; and sharing psychology with both the public and other professionals.

Originally from Greece, Kristina is multi-lingual, and she also speaks Russian and English fluently. She lives in Berkshire with her sister.

Publications and research:

Balampanidou, K. (2019). Emotional Literacy Support Assistant (ELSA) programme: Child-centred approach, building trust, listening and valuing children’s voices: A grounded theory analysis. PhD thesis, University of Essex & Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust.

Alex completed her Doctorate in Educational Psychology at Southampton University in 2018 and she has six years of experience working within Local Authority Educational Psychology Services. Prior to this, she worked as a qualified teacher, in both mainstream secondary and specialist schools, and as an Assistant Psychologist.

In one Local Authority, Alex has been actively involved in the initial roll-out and delivery of the Emotional Literacy Support Assistant (ELSA) training programme, during the first two years of its implementation. She now provides regular, ongoing supervision to a number of groups of ELSAs across a range of settings. Alex is particularly passionate about using group supervision models to help provide a creative space for reflective and collaborative problem-solving.

Alex specialises in developmental trauma as a certified NME (Neurosequential Model in Education) Trainer with the Child Trauma Academy. She is especially interested in working within specialist social, emotional, and mental health (SEMH) settings, particularly with young people who have been excluded from mainstream schools, and those with care-experiences. For over three years, Alex has volunteered as an Independent Visitor for a child looked after within the care system.

Stemming from her own lived experiences as a sibling to someone with complex needs, Alex is passionate about family support work, particularly support for siblings of children with additional needs. She has attended the Sibling Group Leader Training Course and runs events (talks and workshops) for siblings and their families. Her doctoral thesis explored the school outcomes and experiences of adolescent siblings of children with autism, and Alex continues to co-supervise sibling research projects at Southampton University.

Alex is passionate about positive psychology (aka the science of happiness) to promote student, family and staff wellbeing, such as through mindfulness, gratitude, random acts of kindness, and self-compassion. She advocates person-centred planning approaches (e.g., PATHs, MAPs, circle of adults and solution circles) that put young people at the heart of decision-making about their future. Alex is also keen to use the PATH process at a systemic level to promote organisational change.

Alex receives regular continuing professional development (CPD), which has included training in developmental trauma, attachment, bereavement and loss, traumatic bereavement and suicide, harmful sexual behaviour, gender, personal construct psychology, emotion coaching, solution-focused practice, motivational interviewing, cognitive behavioural therapy, acceptance and commitment therapy, therapeutic thinking, restorative justice, dynamic assessment, person-centred planning, video interaction guidance, and supervision.

Alex lives in West Sussex with her partner.

Publications and research:

Gregory, A., Hastings, R. P., & Kovshoff, H. (2020). Academic self-concept and sense of school belonging of adolescent siblings of autistic children. Research in Developmental Disabilities, 96.

Beth completed her Doctorate in Educational Psychology in 2011 at Southampton University. She has over 17 years’ experience of working with children and young people. For over 10 years she has been working as an Educational Psychologist (EP) in Local Authority (LA) Services across both Wales and England. Her other experiences include primary teaching and working as a support worker for children and young people with learning difficulties.

Beth is passionate about keeping the child at the centre of applied psychology. She is a huge advocate of Person-Centred (PC) approaches and recently co-led a webinar on this topic with the Association of Educational Psychology (AEP) to disseminate good practice to EP colleagues, during the global pandemic. She is confident in using PC approaches such as PATH, MAP and Circles of Adults both face to face, and virtually.

Supervision is central to Beth’s practice, both receiving supervision as well as facilitating supervision. She has a wealth of experience in facilitating ELSA group-supervision as well as providing supervision for SENCos and Trainee EPs. She is also a Field Tutor for Trainee EPs in their first year of training on the Doctorate course at Southampton University.

Beth uses a variety of assessment techniques, including Dynamic Assessment, along with consultation, to problem solve and bring about positive ways forward for children and young people. She also is adept in working systemically with whole schools to help them to develop; implement change; and apply psychology at a broader level. Beth plans, designs and delivers bespoke training both to individual schools and LA professionals. Recent examples include Loss and Bereavement, ELSA and Solution-Focused Approaches.

Beth lives in Surrey with her family.

Publications and research:

Eyres, B. (2011). Exploring the role of cognitive mechanisms in the association between negative affect and academic achievement (Thesis research available through the British Library).

Laura completed her Doctorate in Educational Psychology at Cardiff University in 2012. Prior to this she worked as a support worker for children with significant needs, and as a teaching assistant and pastoral support in secondary school settings. Since qualifying, she has gained extensive experience as an Educational Psychologist (EP) working in Local Authorities (LAs) across the Midlands and in Hampshire.

Laura is passionate about the development of others and sharing her knowledge and skills, and she has previously supervised assistant psychologists and trainee EPs. She was instrumental in re-establishing the ELSA training in one LA and continues to provide ongoing supervision for ELSAs.

Laura is passionate about Person-Centred Planning approaches including PATH and Circles of Adults, and frequently draws on these in her work. She is confident and experienced at facilitating these both in person and virtually.

Laura is a strong advocate of collaborative working and adopts a consultative approach to explore challenges and facilitate positive outcomes. She is experienced in undertaking a range of work at individual, group, and systemic levels (e.g., observation, consultation, complex casework, work discussion groups, small group interventions, and training). Laura plans, designs, and delivers bespoke training to schools; for example, recently developing and delivering training to a primary school on executive function. She is also experienced at delivering training to other LA professionals on topics including motivational interviewing and solution focussed approaches.

Laura has previously been the EP link for a Specialist Teaching Advisory Service for Hearing Impairment where she worked with specialist teachers, schools, and parents, to collaboratively problem solve and facilitate positive ways forward for pupils with hearing impairments. Whilst within this role she self-funded training in British Sign Language so that she could more effectively communicate with parents and pupils.

Laura is passionate about supporting social, emotional, and mental health (SEMH) needs. During the pandemic she was heavily involved in a working group which created training and resources for schools and parents to support children and young people experiencing anxiety. She has also previously been involved in implementing Therapeutic Story writing and training others in using this approach.

Laura has received additional training in a range of psychological models and interventions including Dynamic Assessment, Adverse Childhood Experiences, Video Interaction Guidance (VIG), Mindfulness, FRIENDS social skills, Person-Centred approaches, and Solution Orientated Schools.

Laura lives in West Sussex with her family.

Publications and research:

Heslop, L. (2012). Support for the supporters: perceptions of support for support staff in comprehensive schools and the role of the educational psychologist. Cardiff University.

Sarah completed her doctorate in Educational, Child and Community Psychology at The University of Exeter in 2018. Sarah has worked for a range of Local Authorities as well as with a number of Charitable organisations. Prior to training as an Educational Psychologist Sarah worked as an Assistant Psychologist in a specialist school and clinic for children with social communication differences, as well as working as an Assistant Educational Psychologist within a Local Authority. Sarah has spent time working in the voluntary sector supporting families with lived experience of domestic violence, as well as volunteering in her local community.

Sarah is a Senior Practitioner Educational Psychologist, taking a lead role in supporting relational policy and practice in schools, ELSA co-ordination and support for Trainee and Assistant Educational Psychologists. Sarah works closely with schools and services to develop and deliver psychologically informed approaches in a range of areas. Within this, Sarah has been instrumental in establishing a community approach to overcoming childhood adversity by linking with Health colleagues, schools and parents to deliver training, workshops and supervision. This includes Co-developing training with NHS Paediatric Services. Sarah has worked with Public Health and with Department for Education advisers, including responding to government consultations, as she believes that working collaboratively both locally and nationally is important in co-creating effective positive change.

Sarah is skilled in delivering training on a wide range of topics including the importance of attachment relationships, understanding trauma and adversity, working memory, developing and supporting literacy skills, staff wellbeing, and a range of evidence-based interventions. Sarah is experienced in delivering supervision to individuals and groups, and she is particularly skilled in delivering group staff supervision to build capacity and wellbeing within schools, as well as individual supervision with Headteachers and SENCOs. Sarah uses a consultation based model of support to understand children's strengths and needs, together with their family and education setting, considering the factors we would like to be different, and co-constructing next steps for positive change. Sarah utilises psychological principles within consultation, Personal Construct Psychology and Positive Psychology within an ecosystemic and person-centred approach.

Sarah has an interest in supporting children in the early years - having a specialist role within a local authority to support children from birth to five years, working collaboratively with parents, early years settings and professionals across Education, Health and Care sectors. Additionally, Sarah has a strong commitment to supporting young people with social, emotional and mental health needs - working in partnership with a local Pupil Referral Unit and delivering holistic therapeutic support to young people and their parents/carers in schools across the locality. Sarah believes that working systemically is pivotal to co-creating change for children and young people - she is working within her local area to develop relational policy and practice within schools, alongside participating in a regional quality assurance group developing a wellbeing framework which advocates for systemic approaches to wellbeing in education settings.

Sarah is a committee member of the Division of Educational and Child Psychology within the British Psychological Society and has a lead role within Communications. Alongside, Sarah is Undergraduate Student Conference Lead within the BPS South West of England Branch. Sarah is passionate about growing access to opportunities within psychology for communities, students and the wider psychological profession.

Sarah lives in Devon with her husband.

Publications and research:

Chestnutt, S. (2018). Linking the past to the future: an exploration of the educational experiences of children who have lived with domestic abuse. Doctoral Thesis, The University of Exeter.