Meet the Team
Janet Hardman
Chartered Consultant Clinical Psychologist
Janet is a Chartered Consultant Clinical Psychologist with specialist knowledge of challenging behaviours and forensic needs; wide ranging experience in supporting accommodated children and young people; and working with individuals with a learning disability of all ages in the community, residential, familial, and forensic settings.
Janet has over 25 years experience in the delivery of psychological interventions and services within both the NHS and independent sectors and has consulted for the Care Quality Commission. She has been at the forefront of promoting non-aversive low arousal approaches. She is an experienced manager and team leader. Janet currently provides specialised assessments, individual therapeutic interventions, staff support, supervision and training, and service level reviews and interventions. Alongside this she offers reports and assessments for the legal system including Child and Family and Criminal matters. She has completed Bond Solon expert witness training and is a qualified child and adult EMDR practitioner.
Beth Pell (Key)
Associate Psychologist & Senior Behaviour Management Consultant
Beth has worked in the independent sector for 18 years, supporting individuals within the child and adolescent, learning disabilities and mental health fields. She has worked in and managed services within the independent sector, including community and supported living services.
Beth’s interests lie within the adult learning disability and Mental Health field, in residential and supported living settings.
In particular this relates to physically challenging behaviour, self-harming behaviours, sexually harmful behaviours, and working with personality disorders.
Beth currently provides 1:1 therapeutic support to individuals, and works with staff teams around behaviour management and providing training, as well as specialising in conducting psychosexual and cognitive assessments, and complex risk assessments with young people and adults. Beth has a degree in Psychology and has undertaken foundation work in Person Centred Counselling.
Sam Summerton
Business Manager
Sam has a Professional Certificate in Management and Diploma in Statistics, along with qualifications in Human Resources. She has extensive knowledge and experience in a variety of business functions including dealing with various aspects of quality assurance, human resources, contract compliance, strategic planning and is qualified to undertake Psychological Occupational Testing. She has worked with a range of organisations, most recently in a Secure Children’s Home.
Lizzie Nicholls
Administration Assistant
Lizzie has extensive experience working in a variety of mental health settings such as day centres, charities and in forensic hospitals. She has a degree in Psychology and Social Anthropology through which she has worked in South America and Southern Africa with children suffering bereavement and trauma.
Lizzie has worked in various care environments including with the elderly, eating disorder clinics and secure children’s homes.
Lou Nicholls
Cognitive Behavioural Therapist
Lou Nicholls is a BABCP member (working towards accreditation) Cognitive Behavioural Therapist. She has over 12 years’ experience in working therapeutically with young people and adults with dual diagnosis and substance misuse concerns. Lou has worked in delivering recovery structured clinical interventions in both the NHS and independent sectors in a variety of settings such as hospitals, GP practises and health centres. Lou’s specialism and passion lies within substance misuse. Lou is also an experienced team leader with experience in providing clinical and management supervision.
Sarah Smith
Cognitive Behavioural Psychotherapist
Sarah Smith is a BABCP accredited Cognitive Behavioural Psychotherapist. She has over 10 years’ experience in working therapeutically with children and young people with a variety of complex emotional and behavioural needs. Her specialism is in working with trauma and sexually harmful behaviour.
Sarah has a background both Forensic psychology and Psycho dynamic therapy. She has experience of working with children and young people in the community, specialist schooling and residential placements and secure settings. Sarah has significant experience in both conducting in depth assessments and delivering intervention on both an individual and group level. Sarah has also offered clinical supervision and IMPACT counselling to staff working with highly complex clients.
Becky White
Assistant Psychologist
Becky graduated from Swansea University in 2020 with an upper second-class honours degree in Psychology. After graduating, she went on to complete her masters in Clinical Psychology and achieved a merit. Becky has worked and volunteered in a range of sectors including working with individuals who have traumatic brain injuries, survivors of domestic abuse and individuals with acute mental health problems. In her previous roles, Becky has gained experience in facilitating 1-1 support and developing recovery plans, as well as taking a holistic approach to supporting individuals with various mental health problems.
Elinor Howell
Assistant Psychologist
Elinor graduated from Cardiff University in 2021 with an upper-second class Bachelor’s degree in Psychology. Continuing her studies in Cardiff University, Elinor went on to achieve a merit in a Master’s degree in Childrens Psychological Disorders. Elinor has worked with children and adults in the education sector as a teaching assistant and has provided support to individuals with their mental health difficulties as an independent mental health advocate.
In her previous role, Elinor gained experience working with adults and young people in an inpatient setting. This included being involved in care and treatment plans and supporting individuals with their experience in hospital. Elinor has also volunteered in an autism and hangout centre for young people struggling with their mental wellbeing who are seeking support and to connect.
Hafsa Omar
Assistant Psychologist
Hafsa graduated from the University of South Wales in 2020 with an upper second-class honour’s degree in Psychology, and in 2022 graduated with a Masters degree in Clinical Psychology gaining a merit. Hafsa has worked in different communities ranging from delivering 1-1 support for children and young people in schools with special educational needs, working with learning difficulties and complex needs in secure residential units using a positive behaviour approach and providing therapeutic interventions in managing emotions for young people in NHS CAMHS.
Alongside her work, Hafsa volunteers in a national charity providing culturally sensitive support for vulnerable individuals around the UK.
Atlanta Dawkins
Assistant Psychologist Specialising in Harmful Sexual Behaviours
Atlanta graduated from The University of Plymouth in 2019 with a Upper-Second class honours degree in Psychology with Criminology and Criminal Justice studies. Atlanta then went on to gain her Masters degree in Forensic Psychology, achieving a merit. Atlanta has worked as a therapeutic support worker supporting individuals with their mental health difficulties, as well as more than 2 years experience as an Assistant Psychologist.
In her previous roles, Atlanta gained experience delivering 1-1 interventions, delivering psychological training, completing psychological assessments and reports and supporting staff in their therapeutic approach. Alongside this experience, Atlanta is currently studying for her qualification in Hypnotherapy, and psychotherapeutic counselling certificate accredited by the NCS, BACP and National Hypnotherapy Society.
Poppy Miller
Assistant Psychologist Specialising in Harmful Sexual Behaviours
In 2021, Poppy graduated from the University of Gloucestershire with an Upper-Second Class Honours degree in Psychology. During her undergraduate years, she volunteered with the HM Prison and Probation Service and worked as a Mental Health Support Worker in a low-secure CAMHS unit. Poppy then went on to complete a Master's degree in Forensic Psychology at Cardiff Metropolitan University, earning a Merit. Poppy has conducted research on the motivational factors behind offending behaviour in female ex-offenders and has explored the impact of protective factors against self-harm among adults in low-secure environments.
Poppy has worked as a Psychology Led Practitioner in Criminal Justice Drug and Alcohol services. In this role, she delivered interventions to clients, offered consultation to the team, and developed psychologically informed assessment and treatment documentation for service-wide use. Poppy regularly collaborated with social services, the Police, HM Prison and Probation Service, and HM Courts and Tribunals Service. Additionally, Poppy has worked as an Assistant Psychologist in low secure CAMHS and with adult males and females on a low secure forensic mental health treatment pathway. Poppy is experienced in conducting psychological assessments, delivering one-to-one and group therapy, providing staff training and consultation, and producing relevant reports and audits.
Laurel Korologou-Linden
Associate
Laurel graduated from Durham University with an upper second-class honours degree in Applied Psychology in 2012. After graduating, she volunteered with the NHS at an adolescent mental health unit and as a mother and baby support worker in London. Laurel returned to Durham University to continue her studies in 2014 and gained her MSc in Developmental Psychopathology with Distinction. After graduating, Laurel spent a year volunteering in Greece at a mental health hospital working with adult clients suffering from a range of mental health issues and at a centre of mental health with children and young people with learning difficulties. Laurel then worked as a support worker at a residential home for children with special educational needs while doing her Foundation in Systemic Theory and Practice at the University of Bath. Since 2016, she has continued working with looked after children with learning disabilities, developmental disorders and behaviours that challenge in residential home and school settings. She has worked as an assistant psychologist within a school setting, supporting students with 1:1 weekly intervention sessions and supporting the school and residential homes with behavioural and risk management plans. She is currently undertaking the part-time course ‘working with children, young people and families: a psychoanalytic observational approach’ with the NHS Tavistock and Portman Foundation Trust.
Jacob Williams
Associate
Awaiting Biography
Ella Hoskins
Associate
Ella graduated from Nottingham Trent University in 2013 with a First-class honours degree in Psychology and Criminology. Since completing her degree Ella has spent time working and volunteering in a range of settings. This includes the homeless sector, orphanages (South Africa), supporting young carers, providing health and wellbeing advice and child and adolescent mental health support services. Prior to working at DGF psychology Ella spent several years delivering Therapeutic Treatment Programmes within a forensic setting to adult males who had sexually offended. Through experience gained this has led to an interest in working with individuals who present with challenging behaviour, offending behaviour, sexually harmful behaviour and have learning disabilities/ mental health difficulties. Ella worked full time with DGF Psychology until January 2020. She now undertakes specialist pieces of work whilst training as a probation officer.
Emma Hutchings
Associate
Emma is a qualified Doctor of Forensic Psychology. Since achieving her 1st class hons degree in Psychology (BSc) and gaining her MSc in Forensic Psychology Emma has developed her skills in working with a variety of complex and challenging client groups across a range of settings. Whilst training as a Forensic Psychologist Emma has acquired specialist knowledge, understanding and experience in risk assessment and risk management.
Emma has worked providing consultancy to looked-after children’s residential units, families in the community and multi-disciplinary safeguarding teams. In these roles Emma worked with staff and families to identify risk and provide risk management strategies and interventions. Emma has also worked in HM Prison service where she was responsible for conducting comprehensive psychological / risk assessments and providing psychological input at parole board hearings. She is trained in delivering group intervention programmes and has developed and delivered one-to-one interventions for those more complex prisoners unable to take part in group work.
Emma completed her Doctorate thesis on the subject of risk assessment with children reported missing to the Police, child sexual exploitation and trafficking. This research has been presented at a number of conferences across the UK.
Sharon Branagh
Associate
Sharon is a Behaviour Specialist and Therapist with over 25 years’ experience of working with children and adults who have mental health difficulties, learning disabilities and complex needs. Having trained with the Institute of Applied Behaviour Analysis and worked in clinical and therapeutic settings, her speciality is in undertaking behaviour / risk assessments and providing behaviour management plans. These focus on the positive intervention of proactive strategies which prevent and reduce challenges alongside reactive strategies which are based upon low arousal theory and practise. Sharon also provides training and support for staff / families / carers / parents to implement the plans and 1:1 sessions to teach coping strategies and techniques incorporated into agreed plans.
Aside from this, Sharon teaches for the NHS ‘Expert Patients Programme’, the Recovery College, Adult Education, the Isbourne Holistic Centre and is part of an Outreach Project delivering wellbeing sessions within the HM prison service.
