Tonia
Areas of expertise:
- Adult ADHD assessment and diagnostic reporting
- Adult Autism assessment and diagnostic reporting
- Psychological injury and adjustment disorders
- Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
- Trauma associated with accidents, adverse life experiences and substance use
- Anxiety disorders and depression
- Alcohol-Related Brain Damage (ARBD)
- Cognitive impairment and executive dysfunction
- Mental capacity assessment and decision-making ability
- Comprehensive psychological and cognitive assessment
- Differential diagnosis and complex case formulation
- Risk assessment and management
- Substance use and addiction psychology
- Psychometric assessment and interpretation
- Multidisciplinary care planning and psychologically informed interventions
Experience:
- Over 10 years’ experience working in NHS adult mental health and specialist healthcare services.
- Current Practitioner Psychologist within a Specialist Drug and Alcohol Service, working with highly complex presentations involving trauma, addiction, cognitive impairment, safeguarding concerns and risk.
- Adult ADHD and Autism Assessor undertaking comprehensive diagnostic assessments and structured report writing within NHS Right to Choose pathways.
- Extensive experience conducting psychological, cognitive and functional assessments, including executive functioning, attention, memory, reasoning and capacity-related evaluations.
- Experience contributing to Court of Protection reports and assessments involving mental capacity and cognitive functioning.
- Background in primary care mental health services delivering evidence-based interventions for anxiety, depression and trauma.
- Experienced in multidisciplinary team working, formulation-led care planning, safeguarding and rehabilitation services.
- Associate Lecturer in Psychology, supporting the development of future psychology professionals.
- Experience producing medico-legal style reports and contributing to reports used within Court of Protection proceedings.
- Strong understanding of expert witness duties, evidential standards and the distinction between therapeutic and expert roles.
- Experienced in synthesising complex clinical, psychiatric and third-party information into objective, structured and defensible reports.
- Able to provide professional opinion regarding diagnosis, formulation, prognosis and treatment recommendations.
- Developing specialist expertise in medico-legal assessment relating to psychological injury, trauma, cognitive impairment and neurodevelopmental conditions.
Bio:
I am a HCPC-registered Counselling Psychologist with over 13 years of experience working across NHS adult mental health, addiction services and independent healthcare settings. My specialist interests include psychological injury, social disadvantage, trauma, PTSD, anxiety, depression, substance use, cognitive impairment and neurodevelopmental conditions, including adult ADHD and autism. I currently work within a specialist NHS Drug and Alcohol Service where I emphasise relational, trauma and attachment informed approaches and as for a Right to Choose organisation as an Adult ADHD and Autism Practitioner, undertaking comprehensive psychological and cognitive assessments for individuals with complex presentations and providing psychoeducation and specialist psychological support. My approach is formulation-led, evidence-based and person-centred, integrating psychological theory with practical understanding of risk, capacity and rehabilitation. I have extensive experience producing clear, structured clinical reports and contributing to multidisciplinary care planning, safeguarding and Court of Protection work. Alongside my clinical practice, I am an Associate Lecturer in Counselling Psychology, supporting the development of future psychology professionals.
