Promoting Excellence In Psychological Health & Wellbeing
Meet the Team
Expired
Dr Adrian Whittington
Co-Chair, Psychological Professions Network, South East England.
Dr Adrian Whittington is National Clinical Lead for Psychological Professions at NHS England. Adrian is a Consultant Clinical Psychologist. He is passionate about improving mental health and wellbeing by expanding the psychological professions workforce and enabling these professionals and the wider NHS workforce to make the maximum psychological impact for the public. Adrian provides clinical advice to a number of programmes at NHS England including NHS Talking Therapies and other programmes to expand access to evidence-based psychological therapies and interventions across health and care. Adrian has worked clinically through his career in learning disability services, adult community mental health, and NHS Talking Therapies.
Adrian has written and co-edited books on anxiety, CBT, and clinical psychology.
Selected Publications:
Whittington, A. (2024). Next steps for the psychological professions workforce in England – Delivering the NHS Long Term Workforce Plan. Clinical Psychology Forum, 375, 29-38.
Davey, G., Lake, N., & Whittington, A. (2020). Topics in Applied Psychology: Clinical Psychology (3rd Ed.). Routledge: London.
Whittington, A. & Grey, N. (2014). How to Become a More Effective CBT Therapist: Mastering Metacompetence in Clinical Practice. Wiley Blackwell: Chichester.
Dr Adrian Whittington is National Clinical Lead for Psychological Professions at NHS England. Adrian is a Consultant Clinical Psychologist. He is passionate about improving mental health and wellbeing by expanding the psychological professions workforce and enabling these professionals and the wider NHS workforce to make the maximum psychological impact for the public. Adrian provides clinical advice to a number of programmes at NHS England including NHS Talking Therapies and other programmes to expand access to evidence-based psychological therapies and interventions across health and care. Adrian has worked clinically through his career in learning disability services, adult community mental health, and NHS Talking Therapies.
Adrian has written and co-edited books on anxiety, CBT, and clinical psychology.
Selected Publications:
Whittington, A. (2024). Next steps for the psychological professions workforce in England – Delivering the NHS Long Term Workforce Plan. Clinical Psychology Forum, 375, 29-38.
Davey, G., Lake, N., & Whittington, A. (2020). Topics in Applied Psychology: Clinical Psychology (3rd Ed.). Routledge: London.
Whittington, A. & Grey, N. (2014). How to Become a More Effective CBT Therapist: Mastering Metacompetence in Clinical Practice. Wiley Blackwell: Chichester.
Dr Bill Tiplady
Co-Chair Psychological Professions Network, South East England.
Bill is a Consultant Clinical Psychologist and the Associate Director of Psychological Services at Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust. As a clinician, Bill has worked across the adult mental health pathway and particularly in inpatient and crisis services as well as having an interest in supporting and developing teams and services.
With experience of leading both psychological therapies, and wider mental health services as a Clinical Director, Bill has led and contributed to strategic quality and service improvement programmes at trust, regional, and national level. This has included chairing cross-London NHSE work programmes on improving access to Psychological Therapies for people with serious mental health problems and on improving physical healthcare for this group. Bill is committed to expanding on the contribution which all 12 psychological professions can make to more person centred and effective physical and mental health care - as well as ensuring that psychological services themselves offer great quality evidence based services which are designed around the needs of people who will use them
Kaye Adamson
Programme Manager, Psychological Professions Network, South East England.
Kaye was appointed to the role of Psychological Professions Network South East Programme Manager in February 2023. Kaye has worked with experts by experience for the past 20 years in a range of different roles including as Head of Membership Services for a business to business trade association in London; rolling out the National Time To Change programme in Hampshire and as project and programme lead on a number of different mental health and autism service redesign contracts.
Since February 2018 Kaye has been employed at NHSE (formerly Health Education England) initially working as the lead for project and performance management in for HEE Wessex and Thames Valley offices and then as programme manager within HEE's South-East regional mental health, learning disability and autism team looking after a broad range of mental health programmes.
Kaye was appointed to the role of Psychological Professions Network South East Programme Manager in February 2023. Kaye has worked with experts by experience for the past 20 years in a range of different roles including as Head of Membership Services for a business to business trade association in London; rolling out the National Time To Change programme in Hampshire and as project and programme lead on a number of different mental health and autism service redesign contracts.
Since February 2018 Kaye has been employed at NHSE (formerly Health Education England) initially working as the lead for project and performance management in for HEE Wessex and Thames Valley offices and then as programme manager within HEE's South-East regional mental health, learning disability and autism team looking after a broad range of mental health programmes.
Mel Rae
Higher Assistant Psychologist, Psychological Professions Network, South East England.
Co-Chair of the Aspiring Psychologist Community of Practice, Psychological Professions Network, South East England
Melissa (aka Mel) started as the regional Assistant Psychologist in September 2023. Mel has a BSc in Psychology and Counselling from Staffordshire University and a MSc in Clinical Psychology from Swansea University. She has experience working in a wide range of settings. She has been an Health Care Assistant in inpatient children and adolescents mental health services and and Assistant Psychologist in Older Adult Mental Health services (including inpatient, outpatient, Memory clinics and general health wards). She later went onto supporting inpatient neurorehabilitation for adults with acquired brain injuries as an Assistant Psychologist as well as community forensic services working alongside the Offender Personality Disorder Pathway.
Mel has particular interests in social injustice, inequality, and access to services, as well as clinical interests in the fields of dementia and trauma.
Co-Chair of the Aspiring Psychologist Community of Practice, Psychological Professions Network, South East England
Melissa (aka Mel) started as the regional Assistant Psychologist in September 2023. Mel has a BSc in Psychology and Counselling from Staffordshire University and a MSc in Clinical Psychology from Swansea University. She has experience working in a wide range of settings. She has been an Health Care Assistant in inpatient children and adolescents mental health services and and Assistant Psychologist in Older Adult Mental Health services (including inpatient, outpatient, Memory clinics and general health wards). She later went onto supporting inpatient neurorehabilitation for adults with acquired brain injuries as an Assistant Psychologist as well as community forensic services working alongside the Offender Personality Disorder Pathway.
Mel has particular interests in social injustice, inequality, and access to services, as well as clinical interests in the fields of dementia and trauma.
Helen Leigh-Phippard
Expert by Experience, Psychological Professions Network, South East England.
Helen is a service user and carer and has been an Expert by Experience with PPN SE for a number of years. She is also involved in psychology and mental health nursing education and NHS research as an Expert by Experience and sits on the Health Education England South East Mental Health Workforce Programme Board. Helen is passionate about working to bring the voices of services users and carers into the PPN at all levels and making NHS psychological services accessible for everyone.
Helen is a service user and carer and has been an Expert by Experience with PPN SE for a number of years. She is also involved in psychology and mental health nursing education and NHS research as an Expert by Experience and sits on the Health Education England South East Mental Health Workforce Programme Board. Helen is passionate about working to bring the voices of services users and carers into the PPN at all levels and making NHS psychological services accessible for everyone.
Sharon Galliford
Expert by Experience, Psychological Professions Network, South East England.
Sharon joined the PPN SE in November 2018. Since then she has been involved in strategic meetings, events planning and participation, presentations, research projects and the career map videos.
"The role has definitely been varied and interesting. It feels good to have a voice in the future direction of the psychology professions and to be speaking to the people in a position to actually bring about positive change."
Sharon joined the PPN SE in November 2018. Since then she has been involved in strategic meetings, events planning and participation, presentations, research projects and the career map videos.
"The role has definitely been varied and interesting. It feels good to have a voice in the future direction of the psychology professions and to be speaking to the people in a position to actually bring about positive change."
Bethany Dudley
Expert by Experience, Psychological Professions Network, South East England.
Beth joined the PPN in mid 2022. She has been a service user since she was a teenager, and as such she is passionate especially about the mental health support young people receive and sharing what she and her close ones have been through. Beth actually found the EbE role through the SABP Recovery College, who she has been volunteering for since 2020, and have been a student with since around 2016. She is also a member of the LGBTQ+ community, and wants to improve the treatment the community receives when seeking psychological help, as she feels there is a general lack of understanding there.
Beth joined the PPN in mid 2022. She has been a service user since she was a teenager, and as such she is passionate especially about the mental health support young people receive and sharing what she and her close ones have been through. Beth actually found the EbE role through the SABP Recovery College, who she has been volunteering for since 2020, and have been a student with since around 2016. She is also a member of the LGBTQ+ community, and wants to improve the treatment the community receives when seeking psychological help, as she feels there is a general lack of understanding there.
Armandina (Mina) Almanza Gutierrez
Higher Assistant Psychologist, Psychological Professions Network, South East England.
Co-Chair of the Aspiring Psychologist Community of Practice, Psychological Professions Network, South East England
Mina is an Higher Assistant Psychologist who worked alongside Professor Margo Ononaiye to launch the Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) tool within the psychological professions. Mina has an interest in supporting evidence-based practice and service improvement as well as increasing awareness of neurodiversity.
Mina obtained an MA(Hons) in Psychology at the University of Edinburgh and an MSc in Clinical Mental Health Sciences at University College London. She previously worked as Assistant Psychologist in Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services, supporting service evaluation and the Neurodevelopmental Pathway. She also worked as Project Coordinator and Research Assistant at the Autism Research Centre in Cambridge and was involved in childhood schizophrenia research at Imperial College London.
Co-Chair of the Aspiring Psychologist Community of Practice, Psychological Professions Network, South East England
Mina is an Higher Assistant Psychologist who worked alongside Professor Margo Ononaiye to launch the Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) tool within the psychological professions. Mina has an interest in supporting evidence-based practice and service improvement as well as increasing awareness of neurodiversity.
Mina obtained an MA(Hons) in Psychology at the University of Edinburgh and an MSc in Clinical Mental Health Sciences at University College London. She previously worked as Assistant Psychologist in Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services, supporting service evaluation and the Neurodevelopmental Pathway. She also worked as Project Coordinator and Research Assistant at the Autism Research Centre in Cambridge and was involved in childhood schizophrenia research at Imperial College London.
Dr Bree Macdonald
Co-Chair Crisis Community of Practice, Psychological Professions Network, South East England.
Bree currently works for Sussex Partnership Foundation Trust, as the professional lead for psychological services in West Sussex; her clinical work is in acute services where she has a trust wide strategic role. She chairs the Complex Emotional Needs steering group in her trust and is part of the transformation of services in Sussex more generally.
She has specialised in crisis teams over the years, working with the UCL CORE study team in their ground breaking CRHT work. She is very excited to be back in the heart of crisis team development with this national opportunity to focus on psychologically informed work. She is passionate about collaborative working and is looking forward to developing a community of practice for psychological therapists working in mental health crisis care. Do get in touch!
Bree currently works for Sussex Partnership Foundation Trust, as the professional lead for psychological services in West Sussex; her clinical work is in acute services where she has a trust wide strategic role. She chairs the Complex Emotional Needs steering group in her trust and is part of the transformation of services in Sussex more generally.
She has specialised in crisis teams over the years, working with the UCL CORE study team in their ground breaking CRHT work. She is very excited to be back in the heart of crisis team development with this national opportunity to focus on psychologically informed work. She is passionate about collaborative working and is looking forward to developing a community of practice for psychological therapists working in mental health crisis care. Do get in touch!
Dr Laura Goody
Co-Chair of the Crisis Community of Practice, Psychological Professions Network, South East England.
Laura works as a Principal Clinical Psychologist within a Crisis and Home Treatment Team in Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust and within independent practice. Having specialised for the past seven years in NHS acute crisis care for suicidality and complex mental health difficulties, Laura is passionate about promoting psychologically informed care for people going through particularly challenging points in their journey.
Laura is keen to enhance the profile and confidence of psychological professionals working within the acute pathway via strategic initiatives, contributing to the evidence base and developing a thriving community of practice.
Laura works as a Principal Clinical Psychologist within a Crisis and Home Treatment Team in Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust and within independent practice. Having specialised for the past seven years in NHS acute crisis care for suicidality and complex mental health difficulties, Laura is passionate about promoting psychologically informed care for people going through particularly challenging points in their journey.
Laura is keen to enhance the profile and confidence of psychological professionals working within the acute pathway via strategic initiatives, contributing to the evidence base and developing a thriving community of practice.
Kirsten Brown
Practitioner Fellow, Psychological Professions Network, South East England.
Kirsten is a Mental Health and Wellbeing Practitioner based at Eastbourne Assessment and Treatment Service, and was part of the first ever cohort for the role. Kirsten is currently undertaking the Practitioner Fellowship (a six month project) in order to deepen the understanding of what the wellbeing practitioner role landscape looks like for psychological professionals in the South East region, any gaps/barriers to these roles, and to establish a community of practice to mobilise and enthuse this workforce. Kirsten is passionate about increasing access to psychological therapies and psychological thinking which is grounded in evidence.
Kirsten is also a qualified teacher, and has a special interest in the teaching & learning aspects of psychological therapies, and encouraging that the communication of knowledge within the NHS is informed by educational theory and evidence.
Kirsten is a Mental Health and Wellbeing Practitioner based at Eastbourne Assessment and Treatment Service, and was part of the first ever cohort for the role. Kirsten is currently undertaking the Practitioner Fellowship (a six month project) in order to deepen the understanding of what the wellbeing practitioner role landscape looks like for psychological professionals in the South East region, any gaps/barriers to these roles, and to establish a community of practice to mobilise and enthuse this workforce. Kirsten is passionate about increasing access to psychological therapies and psychological thinking which is grounded in evidence.
Kirsten is also a qualified teacher, and has a special interest in the teaching & learning aspects of psychological therapies, and encouraging that the communication of knowledge within the NHS is informed by educational theory and evidence.
Contact Us
If you would like to contact the Psychological Professions Network (PPN) South East England team please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.