I have 20 years’ experience working, teaching, and training others in mental health care for children, young people, and adults with developmental disorders. I am passionate about this specialist area of psychiatry. I completed training certificates in both Intellectual Disability and Child and Adolescent Psychiatry in the U.K. National Health Service.

I worked as an NHS consultant for 10 years. During that time, I gained extensive clinical experience working with children and young people with complex mental health needs in combination with developmental disabilities. I clinically led service development for this population and trained others in this specialist area. My training roles included Training Program Director (Northern Ireland Deanery, intellectual disability psychiatry training scheme from 2012-2017) and Clinical Facilitator (Northern Ireland Medical and Dental Training Agency from 2014-2017. In this role I co-facilitated supervisory skills training for doctors from all specialties). I completed 4 years training including a 2-year masters degree in systemic psychotherapy and am a qualified family therapist. I have significant training and experience in other forms of psychological intervention and in positive behaviour support. I have a special interest in the developmental impact of trauma in childhood.

After migrating to Queensland in 2017, I was employed as a consultant child and adolescent psychiatrist with Queensland Health until June 2022. I provided clinical leadership to multidisciplinary teams across a variety of settings including inpatient, outpatient and specialist CYMHS (Evolve Therapeutic Services, Infant Mental Health and Acute Mobile Youth Outreach Service). I am currently employed as consultant psychiatrist at the Headspace Early Psychosis Program in Southport, Gold Coast.

I have maintained professional links with international colleagues working in mental health services for children and young people with developmental disabilities. I have presented at local and international conferences and recently co-facilitated an international conference for the Child and Adolescent Intellectual Disability Psychiatry Network.

I am a fellow of the Royal College of Psychiatry (U.K) and the Royal Australian and New Zealand college of Psychiatry. I am a RANZCP accredited psychotherapy long case supervisor for psychiatrists in training.

My approach is caring, compassionate and collaborative, child and family centred, efficient and evidence based.