GMC Number: 4471934
I really enjoy my work as a Psychiatrist, and find it really rewarding to see people’s lives improve, with diagnosis and appropriate treatment. I will always remember the first patient I assessed for ADHD. They had struggled all their life and had been given various labels, such as personality disorder, or bipolar disorder. We explored their story together and I diagnosed them with ADHD. They tentatively started treatment and came back a week later talking about how their life had changed so dramatically. They described being suddenly able to focus and concentrate. They were no longer becoming irritable with their children or their partner. They found they were less tired, as they were managing to complete things they started doing. They were no longer becoming distracted and moving on to something else, leaving a long list of started but unfinished jobs. I continued to develop this role within the community mental health service I was working in, seeing an increasing number of adults with ADHD.
I started delivering training and teaching, around the diagnosis and benefits of treating ADHD – and nearly twenty years later, I have continued to do this. Diagnosing and treating ADHD is one of the most rewarding areas of my practice. People suddenly have a clear explanation and understanding, of why they have often struggled and often underachieved – and see rapid improvement with treatment. I have also found that, whilst labels can be harmful, sometimes when someone gets diagnosed with ADHD or autism, it helps to validate their whole life experience, and can be really freeing. It certainly does not solve all problems, but it can make a big difference to self esteem, to feel listened to and recognised, for being neurodiverse.
I qualified as a Doctor from University College London in 1998. I then completed specialist training in Psychiatry, in the East of England. Whilst training in Psychiatry I developed interests in psychotherapy and neurodevelopmental disorders, including ADHD and autism.
I have worked as a Consultant Psychiatrist in community outpatient settings, and have supported individuals experiencing a range of mental health difficulties. This has included working in early intervention services. My community roles have also included Child & Adolescent Mental Health Services. These roles have involved supporting individuals being assessed for ADHD and autism. I have also worked in a forensic inpatient unit for adults with neurodevelopmental difficulties. In addition to my work as a Psychiatrist, I am a General Practitioner (GP) and continue to work and develop as a psychotherapist. I am completing advanced training in Transactional Analysis psychotherapy. I find this combination of experience and training, helps to offer a really broad perspective, and a range of ways of looking at difficulties with mental health.