BACKGROUND

Dr Andrea Shortland is a Consultant Clinical Psychologist chartered with the British Psychological Society. She is also registered as a Practitioner Psychologist and a Forensic and Clinical Psychologist with the Health & Care Professions Council. Andrea has completed the Bond Solon Witness Familiarisation course, as well as the Royal Society of Medicine Expert Witness course for Child Mental Health Professionals. Andrea is also a fully accredited EMDR Consultant and accredited Dyadic Development Psychotherapy (DDP) Practitioner and is working under supervision towards accredited Theraplay practitioner status.

EXPERTISE

Andrea is highly accomplished in the assessment and treatment of  trauma, anxiety and attachment difficulties in children, adults and families. She has prepared several expert witness reports a year for the Family and Criminal Courts since 2005 and has given oral evidence in Court many times. Andrea is also a highly accomplished therapist who uses a range of therapeutic approaches, such as Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and Attachment Therapies and Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR). She has worked extensively with a range of organisations including the NHS, Social Services, the Prison Service, The Priory, The Centre of Dissociative Studies and Assist Trauma Care.

ANDREA SAYS:

“Juggling my dedication to our Practice with precious family time doesn’t leave me with much spare time.  I have a balance between doing something which has a positive impact on the people I work with and making the most of every opportunity with my family and friends. Travel is probably my biggest indulgence as I get to combine family/friend time with great food and amazing places.”

BACKGROUND

Dr Sharon Brooks is a Clinical Psychologist, chartered with the British Psychological Society (BPS) and registered with the Health & Care Professions Council (HCPC). She is also an Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR) accredited Practitioner and a member of EMDR UK and Ireland Association.

EXPERTISE

Sharon offers assessment and intervention to clients with a range of presenting difficulties, including low mood, emotional disturbance, anxiety, mood-based problems, stress and interpersonal difficulties. She has a specialist interest in working with adults who are impacted by the experience of trauma. She works collaboratively with clients using evidence-based interventions including CBT and Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR). She also uses an integrative approach, drawing on a range of psychological models such as compassion-focussed therapy and systemic models to inform her practice. Sharon has worked within a range of Adult Mental Health settings, including inpatient, forensic, mental health rehabilitation and the community. Her experience includes extensive work in the NHS and private sector both in a clinical and leadership capacity which has included leading a successful NHS commissioned IAPT (Improving Access to Psychological Therapies) Service.

SHARON SAYS:

Emotional disturbance is an understandable and natural response to the challenges we can all experience in our lives. Sometimes it may be obvious to us what is causing our distress and at other times the links may not be so clear. Helping people to understand, manage and find ways to relieve their distress is an incredibly rewarding experience. Outside of Shortland Psychology, I enjoy spending time with my friends and family, including my 2 young children who keep me on my toes.

BACKGROUND

Dr Jocelyne Kenny is a highly specialist Clinical Psychologist chartered with the British Psychological Society, registered as a practitioner psychologist with the Health and Care Professions Council, and member of the Association of Family Therapy. Jocelyne has a keen interest in working with couples and families, and the various systems that are often part and parcel of family life, including health and social care services, schools, residential homes and employers. In addition to being a Clinical Psychologist, Jocelyne also has Systemic Practitioner status following her successful completion of two years of further training in working with families and organisations at the Tavistock & Portman in London. Undertaking this training, on top of a busy career in the NHS, reflects Jocelyne’s dedication to providing the highest quality work in this area.

EXPERTISE

Jocelyne is an experienced therapist who is comfortable working with one or any number of people in the therapy room. She is highly skilled in providing support to individuals, couples and families, and has developed expertise in compassion focussed therapy (CFT) and family and systemic work. Jocelyne has undertaken additional training in CBT also, and enjoys supporting people in learning ways to help themselves in a more ‘hands off’ approach.  

Working for the NHS is important to Jocelyne. She has a busy practice in a local neuropsychology service supporting ‘stroke survivors’ and their families in adjusting to life after stroke. In her NHS work Jocelyne carries out highly complex neuropsychological assessments as well as ongoing therapy.

JOCELYNE SAYS:

I find the process of working with couples and families freeing, in the sense that ‘anything goes’. I respect the diversity and uniqueness that each and every couple or family bring, and feel hugely privileged to be allowed into their lives. Combining my NHS related work with Shortland Psychology enables me to develop an exciting and diverse range of experience, knowledge and skills.
Gardening is my other big passion. When I’m not in the therapy room you can find me digging up worms with my daughters, talking to the vegetables or endlessly pruning the roses.

BACKGROUND
Dr Ananda van den Heuvel is a Chartered Clinical Psychologist registered with the Health & Care Professions Council (HCPC) and the British Psychological Society (BPS). She is a Dynamic Interpersonal Therapy (DIT) Practitioner registered with the British Psychoanalytic Council, also a Mentalization Based Treatment for Families (MBT-F) Practitioner. Ananda has completed her training in Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR) and is now working towards EMDR practitioner status through EMDR supervision.
Ananda has extensive experience in supporting adults, children and young people who present with a variety of difficulties and problems affecting their mental health and well-being.

EXPERTISE
Ananda has specialist knowledge and experience in Adult Mental Health and Child Development and Paediatrics and offers a range of psychological services within the NHS and private practice, including assessments, interventions, consultation, teaching and supervision.
Her practice is informed by a variety of theoretical approaches, including cognitive behavioural, psychodynamic, and systemic models that are tailored to the needs and preferences of clients and informed by available evidence.
Ananda has a broad range of interests. Her main areas of expertise include supporting individuals and families affected by: neurodevelopmental difficulties such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD); developmental difficulties (e.g. feeding, toileting, sleep) including those that occur in the context of ASD; and physical illness and unexplained symptoms.

ANANDA SAYS
After more than 10 years of practice in mental health I continue to be inspired by the human potential for growth and resilience through connectedness with ourselves and others and a willingness to acknowledge and explore our emotional suffering. It is an absolute privilege to accompany my clients on their path to personal growth.

BACKGROUND

Dr Louisa Stokou is a Chartered Clinical Psychologist, registered with the Health and Care Professions Council and the British Psychological Society. Louisa has worked extensively within NHS and Social Care/Child Protection settings, including within child and adolescent mental health teams (CAMHS). Since 2016, she has been delivering complex psychological assessments for Family Courts. Louisa has completed her training in Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR) and is now working towards EMDR practitioner status through EMDR supervision.

EXPERTISE

Louisa specialises in supporting: children and young people who have experienced complex developmental trauma and parents and carers who wish to make changes in their parenting and relationship with their children. Louisa is highly skilled in attachment-based parenting interventions, such as Video Interaction Guidance and TheraPlay, and has specialist training in mentalisation-based family interventions. Although Louisa has a particular expertise in working with children and young people who have experienced developmental trauma, she is also extremely experienced in: parent-child attachment relationships; the impact of adult mental health difficulties; personality difficulties and child and adolescent mental health difficulties in school and within the family.

LOUISA SAYS:

Adversity is an inevitable part of life and we can all become overwhelmed or confused by our relationships, interactions with others and the memories that we carry with us from our early years. As a clinician, I try to listen to the spoken and unspoken narratives that people bring into therapy and co-create new meaning through a process of exploration and acceptance. Sometimes an outside perspective is enough to create new possibilities of change. When I am not working, I love to spend time with my two children, usually covered in paint or making ninja swords and slime.

BACKGROUND

Dr Jo Dunn is a Clinical Psychologist, chartered with the British Psychological Society (BPS), faculty for learning disabilities and registered with the Health & Care Professions Council (HCPC).

EXPERTISE

Jo offers assessment and intervention to both adults and children with intellectual disabilities, trauma and attachment difficulties and behaviors that challenge services. Jo works independently as an Expert Witness to the Family Courts providing complex parent and child assessments. Jo is trained in assessing attachment and additional neurological issues such as autism and dementia. Jo also can provide positive support strategies for families and staff teams. In addition to her work as a psychologist she is a safeguarding adults manager and trained best interest assessor; looking at people in their whole context and considering safety and legal issues in relation to how services interact with individuals, and how environments can be enabling and supportive.

JO SAYS:

All behavior is communication, and as psychologists, we try to honour these communications and to understand what someone communicates through their behaviour as much as in their words. People’s behaviours are seen as functional responses to a set of historic situations, and when we think about a person in their whole context, and make sense of their patterns of responding, we start to see where there are opportunities for change. All of us need a little help when we want to make some changes, and finding a network of appropriate, relational support is usually a key aspect of bringing about lasting change.

Saskia works behind the scenes, making sure all runs smoothly. If you make an inquiry, you are likely to be in contact with Saskia. In addition to her work with Shortland Psychology, Saskia is a mother of two boys and enjoys art & photography.