Our team

Dr Rachel McCormick

BSc Hons., MSc, DClinPsy, CPsychol

Assessment and Therapy

Dr Rachel McCormick has experience of working with both adults and children presenting with emotional and behavioural difficulties e.g. self harm, low mood, anxiety, relationship difficulties and complex mental health problems. Therapeutically Dr McCormick offers Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Systemic therapy and attachment based work.

Dr McCormick’s previous experience includes being clinical lead within a provision of services to looked after and adopted children.

Legal work

Dr McCormick undertakes joint instructions related to child care proceedings and private family law. She obtained the Expert Witness Certificate from Cardiff University in 2008. Dr McCormick is experienced in assessing both adults and children covering a range of issues.

Training and consultation

Dr McCormick has many years experience of offering training and consultation to Local Authorities and private organisations on a range of psychological issues (e.g. working with children with attachment difficulties, working with vulnerable young people and mental health).

Dr Gordon Knowles

BSc Hons., DClinPsy, CPsychol

Assessment and Therapy

Dr Knowles undertakes assessment of risk, mental state, vulnerability and competence with regard to children, young people and adults (including parenting capacity).

Dr Knowles has experience of mental health difficulties experienced by children, adolescents and adults. Dr Knowles fulfilled the role of clinical lead for several years for children and young people with neuro-developmental difficulties and more recently he fulfils a role as clinical lead in providing therapy for mental health and emotional difficulties. Dr Knowles has undertaken specialist post-graduate training in psychotherapy and is recognised as a Cognitive Behavioural Therapist by the British Association of Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy.

Legal work

Dr Knowles undertakes joint instructions related to child care proceedings and private family law in addition to criminal law proceedings where mental capacity or mental health is implicated. He has undertaken expert witness training as part of his continuing professional development. Dr Knowles is experienced in assessing both adults and children and advising both court, advocates and agencies accordingly.

Dr Leanne Tidsey

BA Hons., DClinPsy, PGDipCogTher, CPsychol

Assessment and Therapy

Dr Leanne Tidsey has a number of years experience in the assessment and treatment of individuals with emotional and behavioural difficulties. This includes several years as a clinical lead for young people presenting with emotional disorders including eating difficulties and deliberate self-harm. She also has a position as a Consultant Clinical Psychologist in the NHS working with children and adults.

Dr Tidsey delivers specific assessments and therapeutic work for adults and children focussing on a range of difficulties (e.g. eating problems, anxiety, depression, deliberate self-harm, PTSD, OCD).

Dr Tidsey has undertaken post qualification training in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, having gained qualification as a Cognitive Therapist in 2008.

Legal work

Dr Tidsey provides reports to the Court in personal injury cases, advising on issues such as the impact of psychological symptoms arising from trauma, prognosis and recommended therapeutic interventions.

In addition Dr. Tidsey has undertaken assessments within family law proceedings regarding individuals’ suitability for therapeutic intervention.

Trauma

Dr Tidsey undertakes assessment and therapy for individuals following trauma, (e.g. road traffic accidents, physical assault, accidents at work/school, and witnessing distressing incidents). This has included work focussing on clients’ return to school/work/ work related activity. Dr Tidsey draws from a range of therapeutic models, including CBT, and systemic models.

Mrs Karin Westeman

BA Hons, MSc, MSc, CPsychol, AFBPsS

Assessment and Therapy

Mrs Westeman has successfully fulfilled a pivotal role in service development and management within a local child and adolescent mental health service over a number of years.

Mrs Westeman has extensive experience of specialist assessments and interventions on early child development, child neuro-psychology and child protection as well as emotional and behavioural difficulties.
Aside from specialist clinical work with child development and neuro-developmental disorders, Mrs Westeman has an interest as advocate and psychologist for children’s welfare concerning issues of culture, ethnicity, bilingualism and geographic separation from carers (particularly for European and Scandinavian countries).

Legal work

Mrs Westeman undertakes joint instructions related to child care proceedings and private family law. She has undertaken expert witness training as part of her continuing professional development. Mrs Westeman is experienced in assessing both adults and children.

Dr Sara Matley

BSc Hons., DClinPsy, CPsychol

Assessment and Therapy

Dr Matley has played a pivotal role in the development of regional Paediatric Psychology services. She has extensive experience over a number of years with respect to the assessment and treatment of children and carers with emotional and behavioural difficulties associated with acute and long term conditions and trauma.

Therapeutically, Dr Matley offers Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Motivational Interviewing, and person-centred, solution focussed, integrative approaches.

Legal work

Dr Matley provides reports to the Court in personal injury cases, advising on issues such as the impact of psychological symptoms arising from trauma, prognosis and recommended therapeutic interventions.

The Roses Centre for Trauma

Dr Matley is a member of The Roses Centre for Trauma team
Dr Matley undertakes assessment and therapy for individuals following trauma, (e.g. road traffic accidents, physical assault, accidents at work/school, and witnessing distressing incidents). This has included work focussing on clients’ return to school/work/ work related activity. Dr Matley draws from a range of therapeutic models, including CBT, and systemic models.

Mrs Carole Wilson

BA Hons, MA, CPsychol, AFBPsS,

Assessment and Therapy

Mrs Carole Wilson is Chartered and registered as an Educational Psychologist and a Clinical Psychologist. She has extensive experience of working with individuals and their families and carers in home, education or clinic settings. She has taken a particular interest in autism across the lifespan and has worked with educational provisions for social and communication needs, developed the ASD assessment service in the Dewsbury area and was the CAMHS Lead for ASD across Kirklees while working as a Consultant Psychologist in the NHS. Mrs Wilson has undertaken specialist ASD training in the assessment and support of individuals with ASD and their families and carers. She is trained in the use of the ADOS, DISCO and the EarlyBird programme and has successfully run several EarlyBird groups for parents and carers of younger children and workshops for carers of adolescents with an ASD. She is a member of the British Academy of Childhood Disability and the National Autistic Society.

As an Educational Psychologist Mrs Wilson has a wealth of experience of assessing children with a range of special educational needs (including visual impairment, and children with both moderate and severe and profound learning difficulties).

Mrs Wilson is also skilled in assessment and therapeutic interventions working with children and adults with family, developmental, mental health and health issues. She works with children and their carers and families presenting with a range of psychological problems, including children who have been subject to abuse and neglect.

Mrs Wilson has experience of providing assessment and interventions which include work on family relationships, individual and group work, parenting interventions through group programmes, video coaching, and individual relationship work.

Legal work

Mrs Wilson undertakes joint instructions related to child care proceedings and private family law including the assessment of impact of trauma, adult mental health, autism, child emotional and behavioural presentation, quality of relationships, motivation and cognitive ability.

Dr Lindsey DuQueno

BSc Hons, DClinPsy, CPsychol

Assessment and Therapy

Dr Lindsey DuQueno has extensive experience of working with children, adults and families and has developed specialist skills in working with individuals who have experienced trauma.

Dr DuQueno delivers specific assessments and therapeutic work for adults and children focussing on a range of difficulties (e.g. anxiety, low mood, relationship problems etc). She uses two approaches: Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and Integrative Psychotherapy which is a term used to describe a therapy that draws on elements of more than one therapeutic approach, chosen to suit the individual’s needs. Dr DuQueno has also undertaken further training in evidence-based therapeutic approaches including Webster-Stratton parenting programmes and cognitive behavioural therapy for trauma.

The Roses Centre for Trauma

Dr DuQueno is a member of The Roses Centre for Trauma team.
Dr DuQueno undertakes assessment and therapy of individuals experiencing psychological difficulties (including post-traumatic stress) following psychological trauma. She has worked with trauma that has arisen from events such as witnessing or directly experiencing accidents or violence, serious bodily harm, physical assault and childhood abuse. This has included work focussing on clients’ return to school/work/ work related activity. She employs a cognitive-behavioural therapeutic model of intervention, or an integrative approach chosen to suit the individual’s needs.

Dr Kathryn Baker

BSc Hons, DClinPsy, CPsychol

Assessment and Therapy

Dr Baker has a number of years experience in the assessment and treatment of individuals experiencing difficulties related to trauma following assault, accidents, chronic illness and bereavement. She works with parents of children who have received a diagnosis of life threatening illness and supports families who have faced and continue to manage medical emergencies and complicated medical interventions. This involves working with anxiety, low mood, grief and trauma as well as with difficulties around attachment, parenting and procedural distress. A further part of this role involves working with both adults and children who have been distressed by traumatic medical procedures.

Dr Baker delivers specific assessments and therapeutic work for adults and children focussing on a range of difficulties (e.g. grief, loss and trauma as well as with difficulties around attachment, parenting and procedural distress).

Dr Baker uses Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT), Motivational Interviewing, Narrative and Cognitive Analytic Therapy (CAT) models. She has a specific interest in working systemically which involves working with couples and families looking at patterns of behaviour within a system and the impact of these on problem development and maintenance

The Roses Centre for Trauma

Dr Baker is a member of The Roses Centre for Trauma team.
Dr Baker undertakes assessment and therapy for individuals following trauma, for example resulting from assault, accidents, chronic illness and bereavement. This has included work focussing on clients’ return to school/work/ work related activity. She draws from a range of therapeutic models, including CBT, Motivational Interviewing, Narrative, CAT and systemic models.

Dr Samantha Walker

BSc Hons, DClinPsy, CPsychol

Dr Walker has a number of years experience in the assessment and treatment of individuals across the lifespan who are experiencing psychological distress including anxiety, depression, grief and trauma. She has experience of working with adults and children and much of her past work has been with individuals who have suffered brain injury. This involved working closely with families as well as the individual directly affected, looking at adjustment to the new future and assessment around cognitive functioning. She has also worked with children with Autism and learning disability. Currently Dr Samantha Walker works primarily with learning disabled offenders and those who are at risk of offending, offering specific assessment of risk (e.g sexual, violence, arson) and treatment around factors that can lead into offending such as childhood abuse and neglect. She also conducts specific assessments of Autistic Spectrum Disorder and neuropsychological presentations.
Therapeutically, Dr Walker employs a cognitive behavioural approach but also has experience of working behaviourally and systemically with teams who support individuals presenting in distress. She has undertaken further training in attachment theory, the cognitive-neurorehabilitation approach for individuals after brain injury and behavioural analysis for people with learning disability.

Legal Work

Dr Walker undertakes joint instructions in criminal law proceedings regarding individuals with possible learning disabilities, such as where mental capacity is implicated, as well as child care proceedings where learning disability may be a concern.

Dr Rachel Varley

BSc Hons, DClinPsy, CPsychol

Dr Rachel Varley is a clinical psychologist who works mainly with adults who are experiencing mental health problems such as anxiety, depression, PTSD and chronic difficulties that result in longstanding interpersonal problems.
Dr Varley employs a number of therapeutic approaches including Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and Cognitive Analytic Therapy (CAT) and works with people in both individual and group formats.

Dr Jacqueline Nicholson

BSc Hons, DclinPsy, CPsychol

Dr Nicholson is a Clinical Psychologist, Chartered by the British Psychological Society and Registered with the Health Professions Council. She has a number of years of experience working with children and families experiencing a variety of emotional and behavioural difficulties. She offers a range of assessments, including developmental and cognitive assessments. Dr Nicholson’s clinical expertise involves working with anxiety, low mood, attachment and parenting difficulties as well as social and relationship problems. She draws on a number of theoretical models and uses approaches such as Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Mindfulness, Systemic and Cognitive Analytic Therapy. Dr Nicholson tends to use an integrative approach, drawing on a number of therapeutic models in order to meet the individual needs of clients.

Dr Nicholson has experience of working as a Psychologist in mental health and physical health settings within the NHS, working alongside and providing support, supervision, teaching, training and consultation to other professionals

Dr Jacqueline Gorman

BSc (Hons), DClinPsy

Dr Gorman undertakes psychological assessment (clinical and neuropsychological) and intervention with children and their families presenting with a range of emotional and behavioural difficulties. She adopts an integrative approach and draws on psychological models and theories such as systemic theory, behavioural theory, cognitive theory, attachment theory, and solution focused approaches. She has substantial experience of consultation to early years staff and staff groups working in residential homes, providing individual work around parenting skills, behaviour management and attachment utilising approaches such as the Parent-Child Game. She has developed and evaluated groups and facilitated Incredible Years Basic Programmes. She has also provided staff training workshops around behaviour management, supervision and offered consultation to early years staff around their daily work practice, facilitation of groups and delivery of Parent-Child Game.

Legal Work

Dr Gorman undertakes joint instructions in child care proceedings.

Mrs Jayne Slack

BSc Therapeutic Counselling, MBACP(accred)

Person centred counsellor

Mrs. Jayne Slack works as a person centred counsellor, offering a talking therapy that aims to offer a warm and understanding environment in which to discuss concerns and issues. Advice and direction are not provided, the aim is to help individuals to gain perspective on their experience, providing an opportunity to develop self-awareness and to be able to make sense of life experiences. She endeavours to create a safe space and a genuine, warm and accepting relationship where individuals are free to explore thoughts and feelings without fear of judgment.
Jayne has experience of offering long and short-term counselling, working with issues relating to depression, bereavement, relationships, domestic violence, anger, stress & anxiety, workplace stress, long term health conditions, self-esteem and self-harm.

Dr Alison Downes

MSc Hons, MSc, DClinPsy, CPsychol

Assessment and therapy

Dr Alison Downes has experience of providing assessments and interventions for children, adolescents, adults of working age and older adults, having worked with people who have complex needs, such as learning disabilities, mental health difficulties and acquired brain injuries, both within community and inpatient settings
She primarily employs cognitive-behaviour models, although other psychological models and theories such as developmental, attachment, Cognitive Analytic Therapy, Motivational Interviewing and psychodynamic principles also inform her practice.

Legal Work

Dr Downes undertakes assessments of individuals with severe and enduring mental health difficulties, often in addition to substance misuse, cognitive deficits, personality disorders and offending histories for the civil and criminal courts.