Meet the team
Dr Helen Care
Chartered Clinical Psychologist
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As a Chartered Clinical Psychologist I have completed many years of academic and on-the-job training. I completed my undergraduate studies at the University of Oxford and qualified as a Clinical Psychologist from the University of Southampton 16 years ago. I have worked in a variety of NHS settings, primarily with children, young people and their families. I am passionate about providing good quality, evidence-based care.
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I, like the rest of the team, have a wealth of experience in different ways of delivering therapy. I work with different models including CBT, EMDR and Narrative Therapy.
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I am interested in working with young people and their families’ strengths and skills. I love helping young people tell the stories about themselves that they want to be told. I work with young people through individually tailored sessions to identify what is standing in their way and help them build on their strengths and problem solving skills to make positive changes in their lives.
Dr Helen Care, DClinPsych Soton, BA Oxon
Health and Care Professions Council registration PYL03398
British Psychological Society member
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Dr Tina Dialektaki
Educational Consultant
My first degree was in Psychology at Middlesex University, followed by a Masters in Child Development and Learning from Oxford Brookes University and then a Doctorate in Inclusive Education and Special Educational Needs at The University of Exeter.
I have worked in a range of educational settings with all forms of special needs over the past 20 years. I have a true passion for working with children, young people and families using a range of techniques and approaches to support them with their goals.
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Children and young people might feel lost, confused or unseen in educational settings. I am committed towards offering a safe non-judgemental space where we can share and overcome challenges and learn to work with life circumstances.
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I am currently qualifying as a Gestalt Psychotherapist at a Master’s level at Metanoia Institute/Middlesex University which adds to my set of techniques and skills when working with children and families.
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Dr Tina Dialektaki, EdD
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Dr Helen Griffiths
Chartered Clinical Psychologist
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I am a Consultant Clinical Psychologist and have worked with children and their families for over 15 years in a range of settings. I trained at the University of Oxford and continue to be very active across many aspects of professional development.
I believe that children and families are all unique, with many strengths. Understanding the development of difficulty and supporting the child and their family to combine their own resources with an evidence-based approach helps me support families to work towards their goals.
I use a variety of therapeutic models, such as Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Narrative Therapy and draw on attachment and systemic theory. I will work with you to formulate a treatment plan that meets your needs and will offer advice on a suggested number of sessions and their frequency, to work towards the goals identified by your family.
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Dr Helen Griffiths, DClinPsych
Health and Care Professions Council registration PYL25681
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Amber Hall
Chartered Clinical Psychologist
I completed my undergraduate studies at Plymouth University and trained as a Clinical Psychologist at the University of Leicester over 20 years ago. Much of my career has been in the NHS where I have specialised in work with children, young people and their families. I find my work incredibly rewarding.
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I use a range of therapeutic approaches, including Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). As everyone is unique, I think it’s important to be flexible in my approach, tailoring it to find what works best for each child and family.
I believe that one of the most powerful parts of therapeutic work is the engagement and connection between the therapist, child and their family. I think it’s important to take time to establish that connection by creating a safe, friendly and compassionate space for young people and their families to discuss their concerns. From this strong foundation, we can then work together to make sense of those concerns and find ways to improve things.
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Amber Hall, Chartered Clinical Psychologist, BSc (Joint Honours), MSc (Clin Psych), C. Psychol, AFBPsS
Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) registration number PYL15164
British Psychological Society (BPS) member
Dr Layla Hamadi
Chartered Clinical Psychologist
I studied for my doctorate in Clinical Psychology at the University of Oxford after completing degrees in Psychology and medical anthropology.
My recent roles within the NHS include working in children’s health psychology, children’s mental health services and in eating disorders.
I offer a range of approaches to address the difficulties that you and your child might be experiencing. I have a particular interest in supporting anxiety, low mood, eating difficulties and phobias. I am passionate about supporting young people to make positive changes.
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Dr Layla Hamadi, DClinPsy
Health and Care Professions Council Registration PYL 38841
Claire Harmer
Specialist Teacher
Claire is our resident artist and illustrator - when she has a spare moment around being a secondary art teacher.
I have extensive experience of supporting students who are not attending school full time. I have supported students with challenging situations including anxiety, medical conditions, autistic spectrum disorders and ADHD. My passion is creating art with and for other people.
Dr Judith Kalthoff
Chartered Clinical Psychologist
I am a Clinical Psychologist and have worked with young people and their families for several years. Since completing my Doctorate in Clinical Psychology at the Institute of Psychiatry, Kings College London in 2011, I have worked across a range of settings within and outside the NHS. I regard it as a privilege to support young people and their parents when times feel challenging, and I aim to provide holistic and compassionate care.
In my therapeutic work, I am using a range of approaches (e.g. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Compassionate and Brief Solution Focussed Therapy) and see therapy as a collaborative process. I strongly believe in treating everybody with integrity and respect and acknowledging that different members of a family may present with different needs and opinions. I aim to find a helpful balance between autonomy for the young person in sessions whilst making parents feel included in therapeutic journey too.
I feel passionate about working preventatively as much as supporting you in learning to master the challenges you face at the time we meet. I aim to provide a safe and confidential space where you can explore what you would like to change and how we can work towards positive and meaningful goals. Session number and frequency will depend on your individual needs and circumstances, but I will make suggestions on what could be useful from a therapeutic point of view.
Dr Judith Kalthoff, DClinPsych
Health and Care Professions Council registration PYL27577
Zethu Makatini
Systemic Family Therapist
Systemic therapy supports a young person within the system around them - whether that is family, school, friends etc. My approach is to be very inclusive and proactive in finding solutions. I work closely with parents as well as the young person to identify sticking points and to find pragmatic solutions to difficulties.
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I completed my first degree in Psychology at Bristol University. I went on to train in Systemic Therapy in the well-known (KCC) Kensington Consultation Centre. I have worked with families and individuals for over 20 years. During that time I have worked with CAMHS services on the whole range of emotional and psychological challenges that young people face.
I have also supported many young people with neurodiversity and special needs including ASD (Autism) and ADHD. I enjoy liaising with other agencies, schools, health etc in finding support for conditions and in helping families to work together.
I have a particular passion for supporting young people to cope with someone else in the family having health issues. I run my own charity providing education and advice for families where someone has dementia.
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Zethu Makatini
UK Council for Psychotherapy registration 00980576
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Dr Rose Samuel
Chartered Clinical Psychologist
I completed my undergraduate degree in 2009 and since then have worked in the NHS. I completed a masters degree (MSc) in Forensic Psychology, postgraduate training (PGCert) in low-intensity Cognitive Behaviour Therapy interventions at University College London and finally, my doctoral training (DClin) at the University of Oxford.
I have 13 years experience working in the NHS providing evidence-based psychological interventions with children, young people and adults. My current part-time NHS role is working with children and young people with chronic health conditions.
I integrate my knowledge of key theories such as attachment, systemic theory and child development with evidence-based psychological interventions such as CBT, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and narrative approaches.
Learning is an important value to me and I believe this is an integral part of my role as a Clinical Psychologist. One of my aims when working with families is to learn about their difficulties, strengths and resources and work collaboratively towards their goals.
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Dr Rose Samuel, DClinPsych
Health and Care Professions Council registration PYL37297
Dr Joanna Steadman
Chartered Clinical Psychologist
I qualified as a Clinical Psychologist in 2006 after training at the University of Southampton. I have worked for the NHS ever since in a variety Primary and Secondary Care Mental Health services.
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My special interest is working with traumatic experiences and Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). I use very effective approaches for helping young people and adults to process distressing memories and move on from traumatic experiences.
I specialise in helping people who experienced or witnessed accidents, conflict or difficult health conditions. I am also an expert in maternal mental health, particularly traumatic births and postnatal depression.
Seeing someone put their difficult experiences behind them and move forward towards their goals is extremely rewarding. Therapy for trauma may also include building resources and learning coping skills to help the patient manage their emotions.
In addition to EMDR, I draw on a range of therapeutic approaches including Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Compassion-Focused Therapy and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, and I am accredited with the British Association of Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapies (BABCP).
Dr Joanna Steadman Yilmaz, DClinPsych
Health and Care Professions Council registration PYL20157
Accredited with BABCP
Rachel Tustian
Practice Manager
Hello! I am the person who usually answers the phone and books the appointments. I am here to answer any queries you have.
I came to this role after seeing the positive impact that this therapy had on my oldest daughter. I was really impressed with the way it helped her at school and socially. Since then, my son has also benefitted from EMDR after a traumatic incident with a car.
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I originally trained in business as a Learning and Development HR Advisor so I'm very comfortable producing learning materials or supporting workshops. My first degree and masters are in English and I like to think they are still useful for all the blog posts and resources that the psychologists publish.
Dr Ellen Westwood
Chartered Clinical Psychologist
I have worked in NHS mental health/well-being services for 9+ years; the majority of my experience has been in services that support children and adolescents, and their families/support networks. Over this time I have offered support to many young people with a wide range of struggles, e.g. low mood, anxiety, low self-esteem, adjustment following difficult life experiences etc. I thoroughly enjoy getting to know young people by providing a safe, empathic and collaborative space to talk through any challenges they are facing, whilst also exploring and building upon their existing strengths and helpful ways of coping.
I completed my Doctorate in Clinical Psychology at the University of Birmingham, during which I completed training on a variety of therapeutic models such as Solution Focussed Therapy, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) - including third wave CBT approaches: Acceptance & Commitment Therapy, Dialectical Behavioural Therapy and Mindfulness - and Systemic Therapy. I also provide EMDR therapy. I incorporate all of my knowledge from these different models in my therapeutic work, utilising approaches that I feel will best fit a person's needs whilst regularly reviewing the therapeutic support provided to make sure it is a good fit for them.
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Dr Ellen Westwood, DClinPsych
Health and Care Professions Council registration PYL34889
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