Dr. Adriana Coelho - Founder Director

Meet Dr. Adriana Coelho, a seasoned Clinical and Educational psychologist who holds registrations in England, Italy, and Portugal. With a diverse range of professional training backgrounds, I have been immersed in various educational and health-related settings. A trailblazer in the field, I pioneered the introduction of dance as a learning tool in Brazilian schools back in 1992. Recognizing dance as not just a method, but a powerful avenue for self-awareness, bodily expression, and emotional connection, I view it as a medium for socialization and communication.

Notably, my contributions earned me the distinction of winning a state award in 2016, recognizing me as the best startup in the early childhood sector. This honor was bestowed upon me for creating a psychopedagogical project designed to foster the inclusion, integration, and empowerment of children facing disorders and disabilities. The remarkable recognition came from none other than Governor Nicola Zingaretti, representing the Lazio region of Italy, in the spheres of education and psychology.

Spanning an impressive three decades, my career is underscored by a wealth of experience in Autism Spectrum Disorder, positioning me as an expert in this realm. My specialization extends to the intricate field of Neurodevelopmental disorders, reflecting my deep commitment to understanding and aiding individuals in this domain.

Professional Skills In Eductional And Clinical Settings

  1. EHCP/ EHCNA Educational Health Care Need Assessment trained
  2. ASD Highly Specialist diagnosis and intervention for Adults and children
  3. ADHD clinical service provider certificate Adult and children
  4. EMDR trained
  5. STEPPS group management
  6. CBT for Psychosis, Trauma, Eating Disorders, ASD,
  7. DBT, ACT, MINDFULNESS
  8. Psychometric assessments
  9. Consultation
  10. Education And Training
  11. Ongoing PhD in Psychotherapy

Education And Training

  1. EMDR Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing trained and licensed.
  2. CBT Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Certificate and Diploma
  3. DBT Dialectical Behavioral Therapy
  4. Mindfulness
  5. ACT Acceptance and Commitment Therapy
  6. Inclusive didactics, special educational needs Sapere di Piu, Roma Italy
  7. Emotional education Master Divulgazione Dinamica Formazione
  8. Master in ADHD e Challenge behaviour Forepsy, Roma Italy
  9. Music and art therapy in Rehabilitation Laboform, Roma
  10. Learn disabilities Master ICOTEA, Messina Italy
  11. ABA therapist applied behaviour analysis Istituto Walden, Roma Italy
  12. Psycho music intervention Montessori method Istituto Ragonesi, Viterbo Italy
  13. Autism, Psychoeducational and clinical intervention Centro studi Erickson, Roma Italia

Aleksandra Truszkowska - Psychologist ( Autism practitioner)

I am an assistant psychologist at the clinic, with a BSc in Psychology from Brunel University, and an MSc in Child and Adolescent Mental Health from University College London (UCL). I have also completed accredited training in Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS) and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT).

I have worked as a healthcare assistant (HCA) within a forensic mental health setting, with female service users, most aged between 18 and 25, with varying mental health diagnoses including, Emotionally Unstable Personality Disorder (EUPD), Eating Disorders, ADHD, ASD, and Drug and Substance Misuse Disorder. My main duty as an HCA was to promote service user safety towards self/others through providing one-on-one therapeutic support and encouraging their involvement in therapeutic activities (e.g., psychodynamics group therapy, art, and music therapy), as these greatly contribute to their recovery.

Additionally, I have experience working as an assistant psychologist within an acute mental health service, whereby most of the clients (i.e., aged 18+), required psychological interventions and treatment for schizophrenia or a psychotic episode. This role enabled me to observe how to conduct psychology sessions and clinical formulations. I also part-took in collecting data for an audit by debriefing service users following incidents (e.g., self-harm, rapid tranquilisation) for the emergence of clinical implications to improve the service and minimise the prevalence of incidents.

Lastly, I have spent some time working as an occupational therapy assistant (OTA) with children, during early stages of their development (i.e., 6 months to pre-school), by supporting their physical, sensory, and mental health aspects of daily activities through therapeutic play. As an OTA, I helped to plan and assisted OT sessions whereby therapeutic play was used to develop a child’s ability to self-regulate, create ideas and plans for action, problem-solve, and form relationships.

My exhaustive experiences, across various mental health settings, have contributed to the adoption of essential skills which enable me to form therapeutic and trusting relationships with clients and their families, provide a sense of security and safety, alongside motivating clients to thrive, despite the challenges they may face, due to their mental health difficulties and/or neurodiversities.

Linda Hassan - Psychologist ( Autism practitioner)

I am an assistant psychologist with an MSc in Forensic Psychology from the University of Roehampton. I am trained and hold qualifications in Dialectical Behavioural Therapy essential skills (DBT skills), Motivational Interviewing (MI), ADOS and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT).  My academic pursuits have led me to conduct and explore my thesis around the profound and often overlooked impacts of childhood sexual abuse (CSA) in adulthood.

I have a comprehensive approach to supporting individuals from different backgrounds, specifically members of the Muslim and BAME communities, engaging in conversations around culture and mental health. With a wealth of practical experiences, I have worked with children between the ages of 5 and 8 and young girls between the ages of 14 and 16, facing adverse experiences, behavioural challenges and Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) in school and charity-based settings. Additionally, I also have spent time as an occupational therapy assistant in a PD ward for emotionally unstable Personality Disorders (EUPD), working with women between the ages of 18 and 35. I focused on delivering group and 1:1 interventions concentrated on activities of daily living (ADL) and helping them achieve confidence in integrating back into the community.

I have volunteered in non-profit charities, such as the ‘Iranian Kurdish Women’s Organisation (IKWRO)’, working alongside women between the ages of 25 and 50 who have experienced honour-based violence, sexual abuse, domestic violence, anxiety and depression. In addition, I have volunteered closely with ‘Brent Young People Thrive (BYPT)’, where I was elected to sit and represent the young people of Brent on a panel, giving insight into new mental health interventions to be placed in schools across the borough. As a team, we were nominated and won the ‘Pride of Brent’ award in 2019 for our dedication to breaking the stigma around mental health in BAME communities. This has provided me with invaluable insight into helping and working with individuals with complex mental health needs.

Delila Kiss - Psychologist ( Autism practitioner)

With a first-class degree in psychology from the University of Kent and specialized training in ADOS-2 and ADIR methodologies, I am dedicated to providing comprehensive assessments and tailored interventions for individuals of all ages on the autism spectrum. Additionally, I have completed courses in counselling techniques and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), equipping me with the skills to provide holistic and evidence-based interventions. Each patient’s journey towards wellness is important to me, and I am dedicated to offering compassionate care tailored to individuals’ unique needs.

Mahin Rajput - IT Manager

I am an IT Manager/Supervisor with experience in IT management and cloud computing. I have a master’s degree in Software Engineering with Cloud Computing from City, University of London, and hold certifications in Cloud Management and Database Management. My academic journey has given me in-depth knowledge and hands-on experience in key areas such as advanced databases, software systems design, semantic web technology, advanced programming concurrency, and big data. This experience has provided me with insights into maintaining and improving our company’s technology infrastructure.

Dr Sepali Wijesinghe

I am an experienced consultant Paediatrician with 40 years’ experience of working in NHS, in general and community paediatrics. I have vast experience in neuro disability, children with special needs, learning disability, autism and ADHD. I set up the Multidisciplinary clinics for assessing children with autism and ADHD.

I was also the Designated and Named doctor for Looked after children and Medical advisor to Adoption and fostering panels. I led the Community paediatric department and service as Clinical lead for almost eight years.

Dr Mariam Kashmiri

I am a Consultant General Adult Psychiatrist on the GMC Specialist register with accreditation in Liaison and Addiction Psychiatry. My qualifications are MBChB, MRCPsych, MSc and MBA.I have been practicing medicine for the last 30 years and have over 20 years of specialist experience working in Psychiatry managing mental health disorders within the National Health Service both in the community and inpatient services.

I am an Independent Psychiatrist, and my current role is working as an Inpatient Consultant General Adult Psychiatrist at the Priory Hospital Arnold, Nottinghamshire. An acute adults mixed ward, providing care to patients with severe mental health problems. I obtained a Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery degree from the University of Nairobi, Kenya in 1994.I became a member of the Royal College of Psychiatrists (London) in 2005.I have been approved by the Secretary of State under Section 12(2) of the Mental Health Act 1983(2007) as having special expertise in the diagnosis and treatment of mental disorder since 2005.

I am a member of the Expert Witness Institute. I completed my core psychiatric training on the Charing Cross and St Mary’s Hospital London’s Psychiatric Rotation and my higher psychiatric training on the South West London (SWL) and St George’s Hospital London’s Psychiatric Rotation. I work in collaboration with secondary care services, specialist mental health nurses, midwives, obstetricians, paediatricians and a range of allied mental health professionals, primary care, social services and psychological services.

I work with international patients and have awareness of the diverse cultural issues and challenges that face individuals in their communities. I have a patient centred approach and involve their families/carers in informed decisions about their care and treatment. I specialise in the management of common mental health problems including, Stress, Anxiety, Depression, PTSD, Obsessive Compulsive Disorders, Psychosis, ADHD and Addictions.

Dr Peter Jiwan

Dr Ehab Khattab

Dr Ehab Khattab is a full member of the Royal College of Psychiatrists. He is a consultant Learning Disabilities psychiatrist in the NHS. Having graduated from Cairo University medical school he moved to the UK where he undertook his training in psychiatry followed by specialty training in the field of Learning disabilities and Autism. He obtained a masters degree from the University of Kent. Following his appointment as a consultant psychiatrist in one of the most challenging areas of London he undertook various roles such as the lead of CPA implementation in LD within the trust and drafting the operational policy for the community team. In addition to being a clinical supervisor, he is section 12 approved doctor and a Deprivation of Liberty assessor. Dr Khattab has extensive experience in the assessment of ASD in adults. His special interests include psychopharmacology and transcultural psychiatry.

Dr Muhammed Zafar

I was awarded M.B.B.S degree in Feb 1993 at University of Sind, Jamshoro, Pakistan. I have post graduate qualifications, Diploma in Clinical Psychiatry (Ireland) in May 2003 and MSc in “Psychiatric Practice” at University of Hertfordshire in December 2017. I have AC (Approved Clinician) Approval in England and Wales.

I completed my training in Psychiatry in Republic of Ireland from January 2001 to June 2004. During training, I had rotational training of two and half year’s training in General adult psychiatry, six months in old age psychiatry and six months childhood autism and learning disability.

I am registered with GMC with full registration in May 2004 and have been working in Psychiatry in UK since July 2004. From July 2004 to June 2020, I had been working as specialty doctor. I worked in general adult psychiatry and Child Psychiatry in inpatient and community both. During my work, I have been involved in treating and managing patients with different psychiatric disorders including neurodevelopment disorders ADHD and autism.

After getting AC (Approved clinician) approval in May 2020, I started working as locum consultant from June 2020. I worked in inpatient general adult psychiatry from June 2020 to February 2022.

From February 2022 to January 2023, I worked as inpatient consultant at Collingham Child and Family Centre, London (Central and Northwest London NHS Foundation Trust). I actively remained involved in managing care of children with mental disorder including autism and ADHD.

From January 2023, I have been working in my current post of locum consultant psychiatrist at Melksham CAMHS (Oxford Health NHS foundation Trust). In term of specialist services, we have NDC (Neuro-developmental clinic) where we assess young persons for Neuro-developmental disorders and plan their care and support them.