Dr Helen Smith
I am a Chartered Educational Psychologist with a wide range of experience working in Local Authority Educational Psychology Services across the East Midlands and West Midlands.
I now work full time in independent practice as part of Psychology 360. I have over twenty years experience working with school staff, families, children and young people.
Prior to training as an Educational Psychologist, I worked as an Assistant Psychologist in a CAMHS funded project providing therapeutic support and early intervention work with children, young people and their families.
For the first ten years of my career, I was a primary school teacher and senior leader, working in schools across Leicestershire.
I have a Doctorate of Applied Educational Psychology from the University of Nottingham.
I am a Chartered Member of the British Psychological Society and a registered member of the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC).
During my time in Local Authority, I worked with the Virtual School team to support the psychological well being and inclusion of looked after children, promoting trauma responsive and attachment aware practice in schools.
I am trained in Dyadic Developmental Practice (DDP). As a practitioner psychologist, I am passionate about supporting families and vulnerable children, including those who have experienced trauma and relational loss.
I am experienced in working with schools and families to understand children’s strengths and needs in their social communication and interaction development. This includes carrying out Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) assessments as part of an NHS funded multi disciplinary team (Leicester City, Leicestershire and Rutland ASD pathway).
I offer a range of assessment, intervention, advice and consultation to support children, young people, their families and schools. During recent months, this has included:
Using cognitive and dynamic assessment approaches to understand barriers to learning for individual children and young people, and to identify useful next steps to support their learning progress.
Running a 5 week ‘Understanding and Managing Anxiety’ programme to support a small group of Year 6 pupils, using an integrative approach based on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and Internal Family Systems approaches.
Using a PATH approach when working with Senior Leaders in a school, supporting them in moving from a ‘behaviour’ policy towards a relational policy, better suited in meeting the needs of their pupils.
Using a SCERTS framework with staff to develop their understanding of a child in their Autism Specific Unit, and to collaboratively plan additional support strategies to promote his social and emotional development.
Using Personal Construct Psychology approaches to support children and young people in sharing their views, and to support staff in developing their understanding of their pupils.
I have experience of creating and delivering a wide range of training packages for educational settings, and have coordinated the ELSA programme for a Local Authority. Training I have recently delivered includes:
ELSA (Emotional Literacy Support Assistant training).
Emotion Coaching.
Understanding and Supporting Children with Attentional Difficulties, including ADHD.
Literacy Difficulties and ‘Dyslexia’: Understanding what it means and how we can support.
Selective Mutism and Reluctant Speakers.
I have supported in the delivery of doctoral training activities for Trainee Educational Psychologists at the University of Nottingham.
