I am a psychologist and have been supporting children since 2011. My colleagues and clients call me Ning. My previous roles have included research assistant at the National Institute of Education and clinical roles as a psychologist in both schools and private practice. I currently also hold a position as an associate lecturer.
I enjoy working with children, and adolescents, who need help with their emotional wellbeing, mental health, social vulnerabilities, and learning differences. My expertise also includes conducting full psycho-educational assessments to determine a child’s strengths and identify any areas that may be impacting upon their learning.
Professionally, I am particularly interested in helping young people manage anxiety, including school anxiety, as this is frequently misunderstood and labelled as a ‘behavioural’ challenge. Anxiety can often lead to situational mutism, school refusal, and non-compliance. I feel strongly that clearly identifying a child’s needs helps us to understand the reasons behind behaviours, and allows us to support them in more compassionate, and respectful, ways.
When working with young people, we need to consider their natural environments and determine what factors in these environments may be overwhelming the child. This requires an inquiry-based, client-centered approach, with family partnership and support as part of the process.
Within my therapeutic sessions, I use evidence-based interventions, focusing on art and play as mediums. This, and a child-led approach, helps children to feel safe and respected. Developing a trusting relationship is key, and I am described as ‘genuine and approachable’ by my older clients and ‘fun and easy to talk to’ by my younger ones.
I put a strong emphasis on collaborating with other professionals, where appropriate, for information gathering, knowledge sharing and goal planning, as this leads to more successful outcomes.
I see educating, and being educated by, others as very important in my clinical role and provide training workshops to parents and other professionals.