Who we are

Dr Clare Yassin is a Chartered Principal Clinical Psychologist and has been working with children, young people and young adults since she was awarded her doctorate in Clinical Psychology in 2008 and within psychological services since 2002.

Dr Yassin has ten years experience working in NHS CAMHS and a further 4 years as a clinical lead in a specialist CAMHS for looked after children and adoption. Dr Yassin is an accredited CBT psychotherapist and EMDR Europe accredited adult practitioner and EMDR Europe accredited child and adolescent practitioner. She also has additional professional qualifications and trainings in Comprehensive Behavioural Intervention for Tics & Tourette Syndrome (CBIT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Schema Therapy for Children and Adolescents, Supervision of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (PGCert), Mentalisation Based Therapy, Specialist Parenting Programmes and Expert Witness Training (Bond Solon).

Dr Yassin has considerable experience of supervising and training other mental health professionals. She has delivered training on child and adolescent emotional wellbeing with the NHS and university settings. Through creative and active approaches, Dr Yassin helps young people to express their internal worlds, to make sense of and move beyond difficult experiences, behaviours, thoughts or emotions, to find the best in themselves, and to progress towards their goals and values.

Dr Lauren McPartlan is a Chartered Highly Specialised Clinical Psychologist with more than 15 years experience of working with children and families, both within the NHS and local authority Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services.

She has a Doctorate in Clinical Psychology, an MRes in Psychology and a BSc (Hons) in Psychology. Dr McPartlan delivers evidence-based therapy to young people and young adults experiencing depression, anxiety, OCD, relationship problems, difficulties with behaviour and to those with a history of trauma (this includes post-adoption support). She is particularly experienced in working with children and families who have experienced trauma, separation or attachment difficulties and is trained in EMDR, is a certified practitioner in Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy (DDP) and in Theraplay (evidenced based interventions for attachment disorders).

She has also worked in the Social Communication Disorder Service and Eating Disorder Service at Great Ormond Street Hospital. Dr McPartlan offers a safe and trusted space and takes a flexible, empathic, and creative stance to her practice and she will work at a pace that feels right for the young person and their family.

Dr Pippa Hembry is a Chartered Principal Clinical Psychologist and Systemic Practioner and has been working with young people and their families in various roles for over twenty years. Dr. Hembry was awarded her doctorate in Clinical Psychology in 2007 from Royal Holloway, University of London and in 2010 completed further professional training in Systemic Family Therapy at the Institute of Family Therapy.  As a systemic practitioner she is confident in working with parents, families and schools as well as individually with young people. Most recently Dr. Hembry completed the intermediate DNA-V seminars, DNA-V is an approach that applies psychological, developmental and coaching principles to adolescent wellbeing. 

Dr. Hembry previously worked for 11 years in NHS adolescent inpatient mental health services, followed by working at the NHS Gender Identity Development Service after which she helped establish a private day service for children with eating disorders in Chelsea. Between 2016 and 2021 Dr. Hembry was a clinical tutor and lecturer on the MSc Developmental Psychology & Clinical Practice run by the Anna Freud National Centre for Children and Families and University College London.  Currently, Dr. Hembry works at the NHS National and Specialist CAMHS at the Maudsley Centre and joined CY&A-Psychology in 2021. 

This breadth of NHS and private sector experience means that Dr. Hembry has worked with young people presenting with a wide range of difficulties and presentations and in her practice considers each person’s context, history and developmental stage working with them to move forward with motivation and hope.  In particular, Dr. Hembry has worked with many neurodivergent children and young people thinking about the interplay between autism, ADHD, dyslexia for example with mental health experiences of anxiety, depression, low self-esteem and struggling to find your place in the world and confidence in the future. Dr Hembry’s strength is in engaging young people to talk through their vulnerabilities and move onto a trajectory of hope and positive development. Often this involves creating a bridge between parents and young people where they can join in a shared understanding and move forward together.

+ Attachment-Focused Narrative Therapy
+ Compassion Focused Therapy
+ Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy

Dr Paula Corredor Lopez is a Consultant Clinical Psychologist working both in the NHS and in private practice. She received her Doctorate in 2001 and ever since she has worked in tandem in both clinical and  clinical leadership roles, including the doctoral level training of other Clinical Psychologists. 

Dr Corredor Lopez is committed to compassionate, attuned and tailored, evidence-based interventions and support for those who have neurodevelopmental profiles (e.g.: ADHD, Autism) and co-occurring anxiety and depression. Dr Corredor Lopez’s approach is neuro-affirmative, person-centred, and draws on Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT), Behavioural and Narrative practice, and incorporates systemic thinking into working formulations in collaboration with families and young people. She works with parents and carers to support parenting and offers young people and families support in the post-diagnostic period.

Dr Corredor Lopez has supervised the practice, research and training of many hundreds of Psychologists, and has undertaken several additional trainings in solution-focused, leadership, supervision and assessment of neurodevelopmental presentations. 

Moreover, Dr Corredor Lopez has supported hundreds of families and ultimately her style is one of warmth, approachability, compassion and a genuine commitment to understanding how best to work alongside each individual family, parent/carer and every young person. With the shared aim of facilitating increased understanding of themselves in relation to others, and their ability to identify and work towards articulating their needs, hopes and wishes, and moving towards psychological growth and enhanced coping and outcomes. 

Dr Dhanoa delivers evidence-based therapy, such as CBT and EMDR, to young people and young adults experiencing depression, anxiety, OCD, trauma, the impact of adverse life events, bereavement, relationship problems and difficulties with behaviour. She is also experienced at supporting the systems around young people and families, such as schools and other professionals. 

Outside of her private practice, Dr Dhanoa works as an in-house psychologist in a corporate context and is highly experienced at providing tailored psychological support to adults struggling with a range of emotional, psychological and relational difficulties and issues relating to neurodiversity.  

Through her work at an internationally renowned specialist adoption service and also at London neonatal units, Dr Dhanoa has experience of supporting parenting, including complex needs relating to neurodiversity and family needs. She is skilled at supporting parents through significant life changes and transitions, loss and family trauma. She is also excellent at all forms of general parenting support, engaging in a collaborative and flexible manner.  

Dr Dhanoa has a particular interest in working with trauma and is qualified in EMDR. She has a great deal of expertise in support for children experiencing attachment difficulties. She offers both individual evidenced-based therapy for young people and adults as well as therapeutic family work focused on enhancing the parent-child relationship through trauma informed, attachment focused, creative therapies and body-based sensory work. She is also trained in Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy (DDP) as well as Theraplay, which is a particularly playful and effective intervention for attachment based problems.

Dr Dhanoa offers a warm, empathic and non-judgemental space, for individuals to feel safe to explore and make sense of the challenges they are experiencing. She works at a pace that feels comfortable to you or your family, working collaboratively to create change in moving towards your goals and hopes for the future.

Dr Dhanoa works with children, young people and families and also heads our young adult team. 

Dr Sarah Morton is a Principal Clinical Psychologist working with children, young people and families since 2011 both in the UK and New Zealand. Dr Morton qualified as a Clinical Psychologist in 2015 and has a Post Graduate Diploma, PhD and a BSc (First Class Honours) in Psychology from the University of Otago, NZ. She has additional qualifications and training in Family Therapy (Systemic Theory and Practice), EMDR, Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT), CBT, Theraplay and Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy.

Dr Morton delivers evidence-based therapy to young people and young adults. She is creative, engaging and especially good at tailoring and adapting interventions to suit the individual, including neurodiversity such as ADHD.

Dr Morton has particular experience in working with young people who are struggling with mood and emotional regulation difficulties, self harm and risky behaviours as well as trauma and adverse experiences. Dr Morton has post-qualification training in DBT (Dialectical Behaviour Therapy), which she uses, as well as CBT, EMDR and Motivational Interviewing, to support young people to overcome these challenges. She is skilled at working with families and carers to support them with the anxiety that risk can cause, to reduce and better manage their child’s self-harm and risk. She is also experienced and highly competent in CBT for anxiety and OCD.  

Dr Morton is committed to enhancing parent-child relationships and has post-graduate training in two of the recommended relational parent-child interventions. Overall, Dr Morton creates a safe and trusted therapeutic space, working alongside children, young people and families to identify and make sense of needs and tailor and adapt support.

Dr Paula Jean Manners is a highly qualified and experienced Consultant Clinical Psychologist and Psychoanalytic Psychotherapist. She completed the rigorous NHS consultancy training at the internationally renowned Tavistock Clinic and spent decades working with children, adolescents, young people and their families. She has Masters degrees in Psychology and Research from Trinity College Dublin and has published, lectured and presented her work internationally. She has most recently worked as a Clinical Psychologist within a leading independent day and boarding school.

Dr Manners began her career as a classroom teacher and her interest has always been in the intersection between Health and Education. Having qualified and obtaining extensive experience in both fields working for many years in LEAs, the Private (public) school sector and the NHS, she is insightful and skillful in providing treatment interventions and promoting the inclusion of neurodiverse young people in schools. Dr Manners has worked as an in-house Clinical Psychologist in a leading boarding school. Dr Manners is part of our School’s team, offering consultation, therapeutic input and trainings to schools.

With a focus on resources and resilience Dr Manners can provide brief strategic interventions targeting problems in a sensitive yet straightforward way. She is an experienced CBT therapist, is creative and dynamic and is particularly skilled in personalising evidence based interventions to the needs of neurodiverse young people and their families. Her psychoanalytic training also equips her with the valuable capacity to provide different perspectives and longer term therapy if necessary, where problems are recurrent or otherwise resistant to shorter term interventions.

Dr Manners is a problem solver by nature, working sensitively and in partnership with young people and their families finding the most effective way forward at the most challenging of times.

Dr Vivien Wong is a Chartered Senior Clinical Psychologist and has been working with children, young people and young adults since she was awarded her doctorate in Clinical Psychology from UCL in 2014 and within psychological services since 2005. Dr Wong also lectures and is an associate clinical tutor on the UCL Doctorate in Clinical Psychology.

Dr Wong is a BABCP accredited CBT psychotherapist and has completed her full EMDR training. She has additional professional qualifications in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Compassion-focused Therapy (CFT), Mentalization-based Therapy (MBT), Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) Skills, Narrative Therapy, Narrative Exposure Therapy (NET) and Mindfulness. Dr Wong has completed the advanced level training in Comprehensive Behavioural Intervention for Tics and Tourette Syndrome (CBiT) and Habit Reversal Therapy and is experienced in delivering interventions for tics.

Dr Wong has a great deal of experience in parenting approaches and attachment focused parenting interventions and has trained and practiced in the following programmes: The Incredible Years, Solihull Approach, Personalised Individual Parent Training (PIPT), also known as “Parent-Child Game”, Mindful parenting, Circle of Security and Video Interaction guidance (VIG). Dr Wong is experienced at working with neurodiversity and is trained in Autism diagnosis using ADOS and ADI-R.

Dr Wong offers a a safe and non-judgmental space for her clients to feel heard and understood. Guided by evidence-based practice, Dr Wong tailors her approach to help her clients develop a personalised treatment plan, drawing on a wide range of therapeutic approaches. Dr Wong commits to working collaboratively with young people and families to address their concerns and work towards bringing life changes that are meaningful for them in a focused and timely manner. 

Dr Wong can work in English, Cantonese and Mandarin.

Dr Nicola Alden is a Chartered Principal Clinical Psychologist with more than 10 years experience working in child and family mental health services. Having previously had a successful career in primary school teaching, she moved into mental health, gaining experience across a range of child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) before completing a Doctorate in Clinical Psychology at University College London in 2015. Since qualifying she has undertaken several additional trainings in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)  approaches, especially ‘third wave’ such as Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) .

Dr Alden has worked in NHS CAMHS and specialist CAMHS services, as well as in Paediatric Psychology at Great Ormond Street Hospital and more recently the Royal Brompton Hospital, working with inpatients and outpatients and their families. Dr Alden has gained extensive experience of helping young people, neurotypical and neurodiverse, experiencing emotional, behavioural and health difficulties; especially in relation to anxiety, phobias, low mood, and adverse life events, including trauma, illness, disabilities and bereavement. Dr Alden is also trained and experienced in CBiT and related therapies for tics and Tourette Syndrome. Dr Alden worked within a neurodevelopmental team within CAMHS and provided a specialist clinic within an Autism specialist school. She also completed a year-long research post in the University of Oxford, Department of Psychiatry, Autism Research Group. She is committed to neuroaffirming practice.

Due to her role as a senior Clinical Psychologist in Paediatrics, Dr Alden is highly skilled in understanding the needs of the whole family and has a great deal of experience in working with parents, carers and systems around young people. She works flexibly, adapting her therapeutic work so it is tailored to meet your needs. She has most recently worked with children and young people with cardiac and respiratory conditions, supporting their emotional health and their families at a difficult time. In the past she has had training rotations within ENT, endocrine, renal and feeding disorders (now known as ARFID). 

Dr Alden uses a warm, empathic approach to create a safe, nurturing space to work though difficulties in a collaborative and creative way that is engaging and effective. She is skilled at adapting her approach to your or your child’s age and stage of development. Her time as a primary school teacher means she is great at engaging with younger children, although she has plenty of clinical experience with all ages. She is used to working with families at crisis points and times of significant distress. Taking a calm, containing yet responsive approach she will work to create change to help young people and their families move towards their hopes and goals.

Dr Alden is part of our school’s team, providing consultation, therapeutic intervention and training to schools.

Dr Helen O’Connor is a highly experienced Consultant Clinical Psychologist with over 15 years of expertise in Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services.  She completed her Clinical Psychology Doctorate in 2001 and also holds a Postgraduate Diploma in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) for children and adolescents. Dr O’Connor was the Consultant Clinical Psychologist within an adolescent inpatient unit for 11 years, where she managed the psychological therapies team and used her skills in delivering evidence-based therapeutic interventions such as CBT, parenting programmes, group programmes and developed a particular focus on treating Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD); Eating Disorders and related difficulties. In her most recent role as the Lead Clinical Psychologist at a leading independent boarding school, she has treated a wide range of emotional health difficulties as well as promoting wellbeing and running a programme to increase resilience in young people. 

Throughout her career, Dr O’Connor has been passionate about enhancing the mental health and emotional wellbeing of young people. She is highly experienced at working with schools. Dr O’Connor was nominated for the Times education supplement mental health initiative award 2022 for her innovative curriculum-based program focused on promoting proactive wellbeing practices in schools. She has sat on the expert reference group for child and adolescent mental health and was part of the senate campaign promoting positive education. 

Dr O’ Connor has a strong background in shaping the next generation of Clinical Psychologists via teaching and mentoring, having contributed to doctoral programmes in Clinical Psychology and providing clinical supervision to both psychologists and other mental health professionals. She is deeply committed to advancing the field of psychology and has recently served as the Network Lead for Clinical Psychologists working in education for the British Psychological Society, further solidifying her expertise and leadership in the profession. 

Dr O’Connor is part of our school’s team as well as offering individual and group therapies in the practice. 

Ally is an empathetic and committed coach who will help you to develop and implement the practical strategies you need in order to support the work that you are doing with your CYA psychologist. Ally primarily works with clients in their home or out in the community as a way of integrating your care plan into your ‘real life’.  

Throughout her work Ally has supported clients navigating ADHD, OCD, anxiety and depression. She is registered with the International Coaches Register and is a member of the Royal College of Occupational Therapists. She is currently training as a psychotherapist at Regent’s University London.

Dr Zaffran Jami is a highly experienced Counselling Psychologist with over ten years of clinical practice across child, adolescent, family and university mental health services. She holds a Doctorate in Counselling Psychology, a Postgraduate Diploma in Children and Young People’s Psychological Wellbeing Practice, a Postgraduate Certificate in the Supervision of Children and Young People’s CBT, and a BSc in Psychology.

Dr Jami works with both individuals and groups, supporting young people and young adults experiencing a wide range of emotional and psychological difficulties, including anxiety, depression, phobias, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and interpersonal challenges. Dr Jami central therapeutic approach is Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), complemented by other evidence-based approaches such as Narrative Exposure Therapy, Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and integrative methods. She carefully tailors her treatments to meet the individual needs of each client, ensuring person-centred and responsive care.

Dr Jami has particular expertise in adapting therapeutic interventions, especially CBT, for neurodiverse children, adolescents and young adults. Dr Jami also provides post-diagnostic support directly and via school and university settings and works extensively with parents, having led numerous groups and workshops for families of autistic children.

Dr Jami’s approach is collaborative and compassionate, working closely with families to create safe, supportive environments. Her work is neuro-affirming and focused on building self-understanding, emotional regulation, resilience, and confidence in managing mental health.

Most recently, Dr Jami led an NHS wellbeing-in-schools team, reflecting her ongoing commitment to improving mental health provision in educational settings.

She is a valued member of our school-based team and also provides individual and group therapies within the practice.

Faith is our Assistant Psychologist, holding an MSc in Advanced Psychology and a BSc in Psychology from the University of Leeds. Her experience centres around working with children and young people with special educational needs, including ADHD and Autism. Following her studies, Faith worked as a teaching assistant in a special educational needs school and as a research assistant within an educational and psychological service supporting children with additional needs. She has also worked as a tutor, further strengthening her skills in engaging and supporting young people. Faith has a particular interest in OCD, which was the focus of her MSc thesis.

At the practice, Faith plays a vital role in supporting our clinical psychologists. She assists with a range of treatment plan components, such as guiding clients through exposure tasks for anxiety and OCD, delivering targeted therapeutic interventions, including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and other evidence-based approaches and providing general clinical support. She also co-facilitates group therapy sessions, leads psychoeducational workshops and supports clients in implementing their care plans under the supervision of a clinical psychologist.

Faith brings warmth, playfulness, and flexibility to her work. She builds strong therapeutic relationships with young people by adapting her approach to suit each individual’s needs and preferences. She works in line with the British Psychological Society’s code of ethics and conduct and her clinical work is closely supervised by one of our senior Clinical Psychologists.

Maneesha Panesar is our practice administrator and works at our main practice building, 10 Wyndham Place. She is a central part of our team, coordinating referrals, taking your calls, welcoming you into the practice building and other key tasks.

Maneesha will be your very first point of contact and offers a reassuring and supportive experience as well as being efficient and organised to help you or your child on their treatment path.