I am a principal clinical psychologist whose clinical specialism and main area of research interest is in the practice of clinical psychology with older people.  After qualifying as a clinical psychologist in 2006, I worked in a variety of different NHS clinical settings with older people in London and Buckinghamshire, including community mental health teams, inpatient services, intermediate care and memory services.  Since December 2022, I have brought this specialist clinical knowledge into my work as a lecturer/clinical tutor on the Doctorate in Clinical Psychology training programme at Royal Holloway.  

I am the editor for the Bulletin of the British Psychological Society's Division of Clinical Psychology Faculty for the Psychology of Older People, and also a national committee member of the faculty.  

My research interests reflect my clinical specialism.  We have an aging population, and yet research with the older adult population remains less developed than in other areas. I am currently involved in conducting and supervising research projects with doctoral trainees, which are largely in the following interrelated areas:

Older adults and neurodiversity

A key research interest for me is that of autism in later life, and I lead a workstream for the Faculty of the Psychology of Older People which aims to synthesise and disseminate what we know about autism in later life.  The workstream has collaborated with other stakeholders (including NHS England and the Royal College of Psychiatrists) in contributing to initiatives, research and resource development for this population.  I have supervised various research projects in this area, including those that explore identity in ageing as an autistic person, understanding the experience of memory change for autistic people, cognitive differences in neuropsychological assessment for older people with and without autism, and the impact of late life diagnosis on relationships.    The needs of older people with autism are not fully understood; for example, historical changes in diagnostic criteria may mean that older adults who meet modern criteria for autism do not have an official diagnosis. This may influence how behaviours and difficulties experienced by older adults on the autism spectrum are understood, including a potential risk of misdiagnosis and misunderstanding in the provision of support.  I am also involved in ongoing research grant proposals around designing training for clinical staff working with older autistic people.  

Older adults and cognitive change

Dementia may be understood as a “fundamental threat to self” (Cheston et al., 2015).  With more people living longer, there is a national focus on people being able to access timely diagnosis, as well as on the development of interventions to live well with dementia.   I am interested in research that considers how people can best be supported to live well with dementia or mild cognitive impairment.  I am also interested in how people make sense of and understand cognitive changes, particularly executive functioning difficulties.  I have supervised research projects looking at the role of metacognition and social stress in decision making for people with dementia, and also a project looking at how executive functioning difficulties are understood by caregivers.  I am involved in ongoing research grant proposals to adapt living well with dementia programmes for different populations.  

Older adults with complex mental health needs

The clinical presentation of older people with emotional regulation difficulties, difficulties around impulse control and significant and long-standing interpersonal challenges can vary markedly from that of younger adults.  Diagnostic tools are mostly designed for working age presentations, resulting in older people’s needs being misdiagnosed or overlooked – and meaning that they are then often missed from the evidence base, NICE guidance and available clinical interventions.  I am interested in understanding more about the lived experience of these individuals, how their clinical presentation may vary from that of younger adults, and in identifying interventions that may be effective in this population.  

Older adults with eating disorders

Disordered eating frequently presents in older adult mental health services, but the mechanisms behind it are poorly understood and older adults are frequently excluded from specialised services.  This group is homogenous and there are a number of different possible factors which complicates the picture.  Older people with eating disorders tend to belong to one of three categories: those with a chronic disorder from a much younger age, those that were identified and treated and the disorder has recurred, and those that first develop the disorder in later life.  I am interested in research looking into the key factors in the development, maintenance and/or recurrence of an eating disorder in later life.  I have supervised a project exploring the lived experience of older people with disordered eating.     

I have experience in both qualitative and quantitative research.