Brain injury and neurological conditions can be life-changing events, not only for the individual, but also for their families and wider network of people around them.
A person's cultural background, language, spiritual and religious beliefs, migration history, educational and occupational experiences, health beliefs, family relationships and wider social context can all influence how cognitive, emotional and behavioural changes are assessed, understood and experienced following brain injury or neurological condition.
These factors may also shape how individuals and their families understand the cause and meaning of their difficulties, their expectations of recovery, engagement with professionals and ultimately their prognosis following rehabilitation.
For clinicians, navigating the cultural, linguistic and spiritual context of a client and their family can sometimes feel complex or unfamiliar. Much of our training, research and clinical tools were developed within predominantly Western and Eurocentric frameworks. These approaches can provide valuable foundations for clinical practice but may not always reflect the experiences, values or worldviews of the diverse individuals and families we work with. This can make it difficult to know which factors of a client's presentation are clinically relevant, how to explore them sensitively and how best to incorporate them into assessment, formulation and intervention in a culturally competent and inclusive way.
I aim to support clinicians in navigating these complexities, providing a space to think collaboratively about the cultural and contextual factors that may be relevant to a particular client and their family.
Culturally Responsive Neuropsychology
About Me
Qualifications
I am a Clinical Psychologist in Neuropsychology (BSc, MSc, ClinPsyD, PGDip) registered with The Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) and the British Psychological Society (BPS), as a chartered Clinical Psychologist. I have specialised in Neuropsychology with a special interest in cultural and spiritual aspects of rehabilitation post brain-injury.
What sorts of people do I work with?
I work with adults, and their families, across the lifespan from a wide range of social, cultural and religious backgrounds who have suffered a brain injury or neurological condition both in the NHS and private sector. I have extensive experience working with interpreters in both the NHS and private sector for over a decade. I have experience working with case managers, solicitors as well as a broad range of MDT healthcare professionals.
What could support look like?
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I can support clinicians to develop formulations that take account of the interaction between neurological, psychological, social and cultural or spiritual factors to optimise rehabilitation outcomes.
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I provide specialist psychological consultation for case managers and the wider multidisciplinary team to bring greater cultural responsiveness to their work with clients, and families, from diverse cultural and spiritual backgrounds
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My expertise sits at the intersection of Clinical Psychology, Neuropsychology, Cultural and Spiritual considerations, with a focus on supporting clinicians to develop assessments, formulations and interventions that are both clinically robust and culturally informed
I am flexible in my approach to working with clients and their families, depending on their specific needs. Get in touch to discuss which service might be most suitable for you or the client you are working with:
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I work directly with clients and their families for 1:1 assessment, formulation and intervention
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I work alongside multidisciplinary teams to build a cultural formulation to improve bidirectional understanding and relationships with clients
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I provide a one-off or regular consultation for case managers or healthcare professionals that might benefit from talking through some of their experiences working with clients from cultures that may be unfamiliar to them
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My sessions are available online and in person depending on client preferences
I aim to support clinicians by providing a space to think collaboratively about the cultural and contextual factors that may be relevant to a particular client and their family
I work with clients to understand their values and how these may have shaped some of their emotional experiences post brain injury or neurological condition. Understanding these values can help to navigate difficulties which may arise systemically, impacting relationships within their family, with friends or with their neurorehabilitation team.
I use an eclectic and integrative approach to rehabilitation. I draw on a range of evidence based models to support clients, depending on their specific needs. These models include, but are not limited to, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Narrative Therapy and Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT)