Increasing Parent and School Access in London to Psychological Services

Dr Karen Wadey

HCPC registered Child, Adolescent and Educational Psychologist

Central London Zones 1-3 and Kent

I am a caring professionally qualified Educational Child and Adolescent Psychologist with 20 years of experience working in education. I am passionate about applying psychology and evidence-based practice to support others to grow, develop, flourish and achieve.
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After my degree in psychology I completed a PGCE and worked in London and abroad as a primary and secondary school teacher (Head of Psychology Department). I then specialised in Positive Psychology, completing an MSc in Applied Positive Psychology. This allowed me to start my Professional Doctoral training in Educational Child and Adolescent Psychology. I now work as a psychologist with children, adolescents and young adults, their parents/carers, teachers, and other professionals to promote psychological, educational, growth and development. This involves assessment, consultation, intervention and staff training. I also work as a Positive Education consultant in schools, using organizational change tools such as Appreciative Inquiry to focus on how schools as organisations can apply positive psychology to promote optimal outcomes for pupils and staff. I am a UK representative for IPEN (International Positive Education Network).

As well as psychological assessment and consultation, I offer therapeutic intervention work with individual children, young people, parents and teachers. This is informed by my training in Solution Focused Brief Therapy, Narrative Therapy, Supervision skills, Motivational Interviewing, Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy, Mindfulness training for children (MISP.b and paws b), Acceptance Commitment Therapy, and SCERTS – an intervention model for children and young people who are on the Autism spectrum.

Professional affiliations and qualifications
HCPC registered Educational Child and Adolescent Psychologist; member of the Association of Educational Psychologists AEP. Chartered member of the British Psychological Society (BPS).
Dr Lucy-May Bentley

HCPC registered Child, Adolescent and Educational Psychologist

London Zones 1-6

I am a kind and approachable psychologist who is passionate about the power of applied psychology to help children and young people to live their very best lives. My approach empowers clients to define and plan for their own preferred futures. To achieve this I listen carefully in order to understand the world through my client’s eyes, and to help them find their voice as the expert in their own life.
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I have worked in education for over 10 years in a range of settings, first as a secondary school English teacher and then Head of English in a specialist social, emotional and mental health (SEMH) school for permanently excluded adolescents in inner London. In my work as an Educational Psychologist I have worked with children and young people under two years of age up to 18 years for a wide range of presenting issues around emotional and behavioural needs, specific learning difficulties, and neurodevelopmental conditions such as Autism. I have trained to administer the ADOS-2 clinical Autism assessment tool (as well as a range of cognitive and dynamic assessments) and offer a multidisciplinary Autism diagnosis service with a specialist clinical psychologist.

I apply a range of psychological approaches in order to best understand behaviour as an important form of communication, and have trained with The Tavistock clinic looking closely at the emotional experiences of teaching and learning from a psychodynamic perspective. I am passionate about work with families and believe that a focus on the ‘group level’ is very important. To help a family or other group, we will seek to jointly understand the situation more clearly, understand the range of perspectives held by all, and then co-construct solutions and actions. I have researched parents’ experiences of psychological assessment of their children and understand the need for caring support and guidance leading up to and following assessment.

Professional affiliations and qualifications
BSc(Hons) Communication and Culture, PGCE English 11-18, MSc Psychology, Doctorate in Child and Educational Psychology.
Dr Jodie Lambert

HCPC registered Child, Adolescent and Educational Psychologist

North East London and surrounding towns

I am passionate about using psychology to help individuals to reach their full potential and to thrive. I have worked with children and young people of all ages and in a variety of educational contexts for over 10 years, including mainstream, specialist and independent educational settings.
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I have also held the role of Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator, and I am experienced in working with children and young people with a range of Special Educational Needs including Autistic Spectrum Condition and Social, Emotional and Mental Health needs.

I completed my Doctorate in Child and Educational Psychology at the University of East London. Through my work as an Educational Psychologist, I hold particular interest in positive psychology, solution-focussed approaches, attachment theory, the development of motivation and self-esteem, and in supportive approaches to mental health and wellbeing. I regularly deliver training to professionals in education and social care on these topics.

I hold a BSc in Psychology and I am a qualified and experienced teacher with Post-Graduate Certificates in both Early Years Leadership and in Educational Research. I have received training in integrative therapeutic approaches using art and I hold a Post-Graduate Diploma in the Therapeutic Application of the Arts in Therapy and Education.

I have conducted research into the following areas: exploring children’s experiences of mindfulness; aspects of social behaviour; and techniques for acquiring literacy skills. I recently created a mindfulness-based programme accessible to children with Autistic Spectrum Condition, which has been co-authored and published as ‘Mindful Moments: Teaching Mindfulness to Children & Young People with Autism Spectrum Disorders’ (Hinton House Publishers). I have also worked on a project for Welsh Government in order to support emotional wellbeing for children and young people through Personal Social Health Education lessons.

Professional affiliations and qualifications
BSc(Hons), PGCE, PGCert SEN, PGDip, D. Ed.Ch.Psy

Positive Child Psychology was set up by Lucy, Karen and Jodie in order to increase parent and school access to the psychological services that our clients value.

Dr Karen Wadey

HCPC registered Child, Adolescent and Educational Psychologist

Central London Zones 1-3 and Kent

Dr Lucy-May Bentley

HCPC registered Child, Adolescent and Educational Psychologist

London Zones 1-6

Dr Jodie Lambert

HCPC registered Child, Adolescent and Educational Psychologist

North East London and surrounding towns