Dr Julie Elliott
Clinical Director, Adoption UK

Julie is a Consultant Clinical Psychologist with over 25 years’ experience of working within Children and Family services across the NHS, Social Care, Education and the Independent/Charity sectors. As Clinical Director of Adoption UK, Julie is responsible for the clinical and therapeutic delivery across the organisation and ensures that we have robust clinical governance around the therapeutic services we offer. She also manages Path.

Dr Lorraine Lockhart
Chartered Clinical Psychologist

Lorraine is a Clinical Psychologist, with a specialist interest in working with children and families impacted by trauma and loss. She has worked with Adoption UK since 2020. Lorraine has experience working across a variety of settings, including NHS, Social Care and Third Sector/Charity, offering specialist assessment and therapeutic intervention for children and families.

Dr Danielle Kerley

Clinical Psychologist

Danielle is a Clinical Psychologist with a specialist interest in supporting individuals, couples and families impacted by traumatic experiences. She has experience in supporting parents and caregivers, as well as children and young people, using a variety of therapeutic approaches.

Dr Joanne McWhirter

Clinical Psychologist/ PATH Clinician

Joanne is a Clinical Psychologist who has experience working with Looked After and Adopted children, their families and the professionals who support them. She has a keen interest in developmental trauma and loss and is passionate about ensuring families have the right support to meet their needs. Joanne has worked across a variety of settings, including NHS, Social Care and Third Sector/Charity.

Jacquie Ford

PATH Clinician

Jacquie qualified as a social worker in 1992 and an Advanced Social worker in 1994. She has worked in local authority and Multidisciplinary Teams since that time . With a special interest in therapeutic provision for looked after and adopted children and their parents Jacquie worked in CAMHS between 2009-2023 and has a background in NVR, CBT, DDP and Therapeutic parenting interventions including Thera play- Jacquie has worked with adoptive parents and adopted children over the last five years and joined AUK  PATH in October 2023.

Elaine Brady 
Theraplay® Therapist and DDP Practitioner

Elaine's foundation training was in social work – she has assessed, matched, placed and therapeutically supported adoptive families, from the very early stages of placement, throughout their entire journey. Elaine has also supported birth parents and adopted adults who want to re-establish contact with their birth family. She specialises in Theraplay, DDP, Life Journey Work, Child Focused Systemic practice and VIPP.

 

Alison Tyrrell
Systemic and Family Psychotherapist

Alison is a Systemic and Family Psychotherapist and is experienced in working with adopted children, young people and their families and is passionate about ensuring that they have the therapeutic support that they need. She has worked across a variety of settings, including NHS, Social Care and Third Sector/Charity.

Maria Broads
Integrative Psychotherapist

Maria is an Integrative Psychotherapist and is experienced in working with adoptive families, adults and children with special needs and is passionate about supporting people and families so that they can grow and develop. She has worked across the NHS, schools and third sector / charity.

Dan Mills-Da'Bell

BACP Accredited Psychotherapist (Child & Adolescent, Family, Adults)

Dan is an Accredited Child and Adolescent Psychotherapist, with a wealth of experience working with and alongside care experienced and adopted children, young people, and adults and families. He is passionate about therapeutic work and the spark of connection making relationships possible for progress and transformation. He has worked across a wide range of settings including therapeutic communities, digital mental health services, third sector/charity, and pulls together a number of modalities, training, and experience, including DDP, music, integrated & systemic, and psychodynamic approaches. 

Meghan Mysa
Psychotherapist, DDP Practitioner and Therapeutic Life Story Worker

Meghan is a psychotherapist who primarily works with adopted and Looked After young people, and the adults who support them. Prior to training as a psychotherapist she managed supported accommodation services for homeless young people and whilst in these services, developed a keen interest in working therapeutically to address developmental trauma and mitigate it's impact throughout the lifespan.

Penny Jeffreys
Peer Practitioner

Penny is a qualified trainer, coach, facilitator and advanced Non-Violent Resistance Practitioner.  She works directly with families alongside delivering training and facilitating groups for parents and professionals.  

Alison Davies

Peer Support Worker

Alison is an adoptive parent and a strong advocate for care experienced children and their families. She was a qualified Early Years Practitioner in nurseries and schools before becoming an Early Years Consultant for the local authority.

She has worked with Adoption UK since 2019 and has a particular interest in Early Trauma, Sensory Processing, Neurodiversity and Pathological Demand Avoidance.

Nerys Lloyd
Peer Support Worker

I have direct lived experience as an adult adoptee born before 1975,as well as experience as an informal kinship carer and a parent. I graduated at the Family Institute as a Systemic Therapist and have worked with whole families as well as individuals. I am a first language Welsh speaker.

Kathryn Chandler

Peer Support Worker

Kate is a Peer Support Worker and has worked for Adoption UK supporting adoptive parents since 2019. Kate is an adoptive parent of two children with a wealth of therapeutic parenting experience. Kate is a massage therapist, reflexologist and yoga teacher.