Ailén
Areas of expertise:
- Assessments of cognitive function to evaluate the impact of neurological or psychological conditions like brain injury, stroke, dementia, developmental disorders and other cognitive or mood-related disorders.
- Assessment of the social cognition of those who have experienced complex trauma and present with substance use disorder.
- Psychological assessment and treatment of psychological/mental health difficulties (anxiety and phobic disorders, depression, trauma and PTSD, dissociative disorders and problems arising from developmental trauma, psychosis-spectrum conditions, ADHD, substance use disorders and co-morbidities and eating disorders).
- Assessment of attachment patterns and the impact of trauma, neglect, adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and disrupted attachments on children, adults, and families. Experienced in formulating appropriate therapeutic interventions.
- Assessment of parenting abilities in the context of personal history, mental health challenges, learning disabilities, substance misuse, personality disorders, and issues such as anger management or sexual abuse.
- Assessment of family dynamics, including domestic violence, separation, loss, sibling relationships, and intergenerational patterns of harm.
- Assessment of the therapeutic and support needs of children, parents, and adults.
- Assessment of risk in suicidal/para-suicidal presentations.
- Psychological provision of evidence-based individual and group therapies for children, adults, and families: Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Schema Therapy, Dialectical Behaviour Therapy and EMDR.
Experience:
- Experience working with clinical populations in inpatient and community settings.
- Provision of neuropsychological assessment for people with complex trauma and substance use disorder.
- Provision of comprehensive psychological assessments, recovery-based outcomes measures and case formulations using the most appropriate psychological models.
- Experience supporting those in crises and escalating.
- Conduction of complex assessments in secondary care settings.
- Experience assessing and identifying support needs for adults and children under the context or at risk of domestic violence.
- Risk assessments and formulation of risk, specialist advice to other professionals on psychological aspects of risk assessment and management.
Bio:
I am a Clinical Psychologist with extensive experience supporting children, adolescents, and adults across various mental health settings. I am particularly passionate about helping individuals with complex trauma and attachment difficulties and have developed significant expertise in working with eating disorders and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
In addition to my therapeutic work, I am trained in neuropsychology. I have specialised skills in conducting cognitive assessments and providing neurorehabilitation to help individuals navigate neurological and cognitive challenges.
I draw on a wide range of evidence-based approaches in my practice, including Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR), Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT), Dialectical Behavioural Therapy (DBT), and Schema Therapy. I am committed to providing a warm, compassionate, and non-judgmental space for every individual.
