Our Team
All of our clinical team have experience working in National & Specialist NHS Services. These are the leading teams in the country who support young people with the most complex difficulties, or those who have not responded to the help offered within local services.
In addition to providing high-quality clinical care, National & Specialist services also conduct cutting-edge research, leading the way in the development of novel assessment techniques and mental health interventions.
All of our clinicians have the highest level of training and are registered with the leading professional bodies.
Dr Matt Woolgar
Dr Matt Woolgar is a Consultant Clinical Psychologist at the National Conduct Problems Clinic and Adoption and Fostering Team, where he has worked for over 20 years. He is a nationally recognised expert in child behavioural problems, attachment, parenting, and the mental health needs of adopted and fostered children.
Matt’s primary therapeutic expertise lies in assessing complex child presentations, including neurodivergence and learning disabilities, and tailoring intensive, individualised, evidence-based parenting approaches for families who have struggled with standard parenting interventions—for example, in the context of neurodevelopmental issues and neurodivergence; limited prosocial emotions; irritability; or with children who have experienced significant disruptions in their attachments.
Matt has been an attachment researcher and developmental psychologist for over 30 years, beginning at the Winnicott Research Unit, where he investigated the impact of maternal postnatal depression on infant attachment and child development. His current primary research interests focus on the personalisation of parenting interventions to fit individual child characteristics—especially where standard approaches have not been successful—and on attachment pathologies, their differential diagnosis/misdiagnosis, and the broader understanding of attachment phenomena across practitioner systems, as well as other mental health issues affecting care-experienced children more broadly.
You can see his publications here and more about his research journey and public engagement here.
Consultant Clinical Psychologist & Clinical Director
Dr Tom Cawthorne
Dr Tom Cawthorne is a Senior Clinical Psychologist registered with The Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC). He also holds additional accreditations as a Cognitive Behavioural Therapist and Mentalization-based therapist. Tom specialises in working with children, adolescents and their families, and is experienced in delivering a range of evidence-based psychological therapies. This includes conducting individual therapy with young people, as well as delivering parent-led interventions, family therapy and working with professionals around the young person (e.g., providing training and consultation to schools).
Tom also has a specialist interest in working with children and adolescents with neurodevelopmental differences, including autism and ADHD. He is trained in conducting neurodevelopmental assessments to inform diagnoses and providing adapted psychological interventions for the co-occurring mental health problems commonly experienced by young people with these conditions. Tom is actively involved in research, teaching and training, having published in academic journals and winning a national award for his doctoral thesis.
Tom is currently Senior Clinical Psychologist within the National Conduct Adoption and Fostering Team (CAFT), which is part of the National & Specialist CAMHS at the Maudsley Hospital. In this role, he conducts psychological assessments and interventions with children and adolescents who are adopted or fostered and young people presenting with significant behavioural difficulties. Prior to this Tom worked within the Intensive Treatment Programme of the Maudsley Centre for Child and Adolescent Eating Disorders, which is a national service for young people with severe anorexia that has not responded to outpatient treatment. In addition to his position in CAFT he has an honorary contract at Great Ormond Street Hospital, where he is part of a specialist clinic for young people with co-occurring physical and mental health problems, functional/medically unexplained symptoms, complex OCD, anxiety disorders and tics/Tourette’s.
Senior Clinical Psychologist & Clinical Director
Dr Holly Bemrose
Dr. Holly Bemrose is a Clinical Psychologist and HCPC-registered practitioner specializing in working with children, young people, and their families facing a range of challenges. She has extensive experience in both NHS outpatient and hospital settings as well as the private sector. Currently, she also contributes her expertise to a CAMHS inpatient service for children up to 13 years old.
Holly holds a Doctorate (DClinPsy) in Clinical Psychology from Royal Holloway University, a Master’s (MSc) in Early Intervention in Psychosis, and a BSc in Psychology. She is highly skilled in conducting comprehensive assessments, including neurodevelopmental and cognitive assessments, and delivering evidence-based therapies. Her therapeutic approach integrates Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and Compassion-Focused Therapy (CFT), alongside elements of Dialectical Behavioural Therapy (DBT), Narrative Therapy, and Systemic approaches.
A published author in peer-reviewed journals, Holly is also experienced in supervising clinical work and research projects for aspiring psychologists. Her dedication to the field is reflected in her academic excellence, having received multiple awards for high achievement and research ability, including the prestigious Mary Mackinnon Prize for attaining the highest undergraduate marks in her cohort.
Passionate about working collaboratively with young people and their families, Holly is committed to helping them make sense of their experiences, identify solutions, and develop effective coping strategies. Her integrative, client-centered approach ensures that therapy is tailored to each individual's unique needs and goals. Above all, she strives to empower young people and their families to thrive and reach their full potential.
Senior Clinical Psychologist
Dr Ria Pugh
Dr Ria Pugh is a Consultant Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist with over 10 years of clinical experience in psychiatry. For the past six years, she has specialised in working with children, adolescents, and their families. She is registered with the General Medical Council and is a member of the Royal College of Psychiatrists. Dr Pugh completed her psychiatric training at the Maudsley Hospital and continues to practise as an NHS consultant within the South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust.
She has extensive experience supporting young people with a broad range of mental health difficulties and diagnoses, including mood disorders, anxiety, ADHD, autism, OCD, and eating disorders. Her training included placements across community Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) as well as in National and Specialist services. Her specialist experience includes working in liaison psychiatry and a functional neurological disorders service, undertaking training in the National and Specialist Conduct, Adoption and Fostering Service, and working in both community and inpatient eating disorder services.
Dr Pugh has a particular interest in neurodiversity and has worked extensively with young people with autism and ADHD. She is committed to helping young people understand how their differences affect them, while also empowering them to recognise and build on their strengths. She is experienced in the use of medication to manage ADHD, but also values a holistic approach to care. During her training, she completed a literature review on the impact of exercise on ADHD symptoms—an area that remains a continuing interest for her.
Consultant Child & Adolescent Psychiatrist
Dr Emma Trustam
Previously, Emma was a part-time Senior Clinical Psychologist for the National Adoption and Fostering (CAFT) team at the Michael Rutter Centre, providing specialist clinical psychology assessments and treatments to adopted and fostered young people. Her assessments focused on disentangling issues around attachment and trauma from neurodevelopmental presentations, as well as other common mental health disorders and behavioural issues. Since qualifying, her experience spans a breadth of children’s and young people’s services within community, school, and private settings. She has conducted specialist assessments and delivered formulations and evidence-based interventions for a wide range of presentations, complexities, and needs across mental health, physical health, and neurodevelopmental domains.
Together with her interest in working with the intricacies of mental health presentations in ‘looked after children,’ Emma has a particular focus on the emotional well-being of individuals with neurodevelopmental disorders and learning disabilities. She has worked in various specialist teams across London and Surrey. The complexity of cases in this area often necessitates a flexible approach, drawing on integrated elements of evidence-based practice to adapt therapy and diagnostic neurodevelopmental assessments accordingly. This work also reinforces the importance of building a strong therapeutic alliance. Her expertise in neurodevelopmental assessment has been supported through additional training and accreditation in the use of the comprehensive Diagnostic Interview Schedule for Communication Disorders, from the Lorna Wing Centre.
Expanding upon her experience and training in CBT, Emma has gained further qualifications in various parenting interventions. She has also completed additional training in EMDR, including advanced child and adolescent developmental protocol training. Working with individuals with learning disabilities has provided her with extensive experience in therapeutic frameworks based on the behavioural model, an integral part of which is assessing and understanding the functions of behaviours. Since 2020, she has been a Clinical (Expert) Reviewer for NHSE, where her role involves reviewing, evaluating, and supporting the care, education, and treatment plans for individuals with learning disabilities and/or autism.
Prior to practising as a Clinical Psychologist, Emma's background was in outcome evaluation research, measuring the mental health and well-being of children and young people. She worked within the Evidence-Based Practice Unit at the Anna Freud Centre and University College London. The project promoted evidence-informed practice and outcome measurement through training, education, data analysis, and reporting—supporting both practitioners and managers in informing practice and improving services.
Senior Clinical Psychologist
Dr Cliona Brennan
Dr Cliona Brennan is a registered dietitian specialising in child and adolescent eating disorders, with over eight years of experience in both NHS and private settings. She holds a BSc in Human Nutrition from University College Dublin, and went on to complete an MSc and PhD in Nutrition and Dietetics at London Metropolitan University.
Cliona works with children, adolescents, and adults experiencing a wide range of eating disorders, including anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge eating disorder, and avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID), as well as individuals with undiagnosed or unclassified disordered eating. She has extensive experience supporting both autistic and non-autistic clients with co-occurring physical and mental health conditions, such as coeliac disease, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), diabetes, allergies and OCD.
Her approach is client-centred and collaborative, placing a strong emphasis on developing a therapeutic alliance to support recovery. She works as part of a multidisciplinary team to deliver evidence-based nutritional interventions tailored to each individual’s needs.
Cliona is also committed to advancing the field through research and has a particular interest in the development of nutritional and intensive outpatient interventions for eating disorders. She is passionate about improving outcomes for young people and their families through both clinical work and ongoing contribution to the evidence base.
Senior CAMHS Specialist & Paediatric Dietician
Hannah Creaven
Hannah is a highly skilled Clinical Nurse Specialist with over a decade of experience in NHS Child and Adolescent Eating Disorder services. As a registered Mental Health Nurse and Systemic Family Practitioner, she possesses extensive expertise in providing family therapy for eating disorders. She is specifically trained in and uses the Family Therapy for Anorexia Treatment model (FT-AN), which focuses on leveraging family strengths to support recovery. This approach encourages parents to play an active role in helping their child regain healthy eating habits and weight, with the goal of improving family support, reducing conflict, and fostering a positive environment for recovery. Hannah has successfully facilitated numerous family therapy sessions as part of a holistic approach to treating eating disorders. In addition, she leads parent support groups and facilitates various group sessions for young people dealing with eating disorders.
Alongside her specialisation in eating disorders, Hannah has a strong passion for supporting individuals with neurodevelopmental differences. She understands the unique challenges these individuals face and applies evidence-based approaches to promote their growth, communication, and social skills. She is trained in the assessment and diagnosis of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and is a non-medical prescriber with experience in initiating and titrating medication for children, adolescents, and adults with ADHD. She also has experience in prescribing to treat depression, anxiety, and eating disorders. Furthermore, Hannah is proficient in using a range of assessment tools, such as the ADOS and ADI-R, to support the evaluation and diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Condition (ASC) in children, adolescents, and adults.
Her comprehensive training in both family therapy treatment models and neurodevelopmental assessments ensures that she delivers high-quality, individualised care to individuals with eating disorders, ADHD, and neurodevelopmental conditions.
Neurodevelopmental Specialist
Ruth Drury
Ruth is an Assistant Psychologist with experience in child and adolescent mental health. She has worked across various clinical settings, including [hospitals/community clinics/schools], providing support to young people with diverse mental health needs such as low mood, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and eating disorders. Ruth is particularly passionate about fostering an inclusive approach to care, where the individual's lived experience, needs, and preferences are prioritized. Outside of work, she enjoys hiking, exploring the outdoors, and spending quality time with friends and family.
Senior Assistant Psychologist
Melissa Beacham
Melissa Beacham is an experienced health services manager and administrator with over 15 years’ experience in the private healthcare sector and private practice management. Melissa is the first point of contact for our families and runs the CW Clinic Office.
Business Manager