Children, Young People and Family Services
15 New Dover Road, Canterbury, Kent, CT1 3AS
01227 467286

Our Team

  • Dr Daniel William Simmonds

    D.Clin.Psych, CPsychol

    Head of Children, Young People and Family Services

    Consultant Clinical Psychologist

    Director, Psicon Group

    Dr Simmonds is a Health & Care Professions' Council (HCPC) registered Clinical Psychologist who trained at University College London. He is registered with the British Psychological Society and has worked in Psychology for 12 years. He is a Director of the Psicon Group and has developed the Children, Young People and Family Service, Neurodevelopmental Lifespan Service and Talking Therapies @ Psicon Service. 

    • Dr Simmonds practices CBT, Narrative Therapy and systemic therapy with families, adults and children. His main areas of professional expertise are linked to his interest in systemic work, including working with adults with workplace-related mental health problems and with children who have school-related difficulties. In his adult occupational health clinics Dr Simmonds undertakes specialist assessment and treatment of employees with a range of emotional and mental health difficulties. In the Children, Young People and Family Service he has a lead role working with children and young people with a range of emotional and behavioural issues. He has expertise in cognitive assessment and has trained in the assessment of neurodevelopmental disorders, such as autism. Dr Simmonds works across Kent and London with clinics in Canterbury and Harley Street. He also provides psychological support within Schools.

       

      Dr Simmonds is a keen student of psychotherapy and is always seeking to improve his practice. He is currently studying transdiagnostic approaches to psychological distress and is interested in Method of Levels as an approach to therpay.

      Dr Simmonds has a doctrate in Clinical Psychology from University College London. 

  • Dr Oluwafemi Ogunbona

    MRCPH, MBChB

    Medical Director - Children, Young People & Family Service

    Consultant Community Paediatrician

    • Dr Ana Mendes

      D.Clin.Psych, CPsychol

      Clinical Lead for Children's Services

      Consultant Clinical Psychologist

      Ana is a Consultant Clinical Psychologist who has worked for many years specialising with children, adolescents and their families in Child and Adolescent teams in the NHS in Kent.  She also works with adult individuals in her private work.

      Ana has taught at a Doctorate level on a Clinical Psychology training programme at Salomons and on the Masters in Developmental Psychology at the University of Kent. She is also an experienced Supervisor of other clinicians. 

      She has experience of working with most emotional  and mental health issues and she uses a range of therapeutic models to inform her clinical work.

      • Ana has a special interest in working with adolescents and young adults and also with children and adults who have experienced trauma.She has trained in EMDR. 

        Ana's approach is open and collaborative resting on the assumption that healing and solutions can be achieved through developing a shared understanding of the difficulties and by maximising and expanding existing resources as well as by learning new skills. She is particularly aware of the importance of developing a trusting relationship with the people she works with and how difficult this may be for people seeking help at a time when they may be feeling particularly vulnerable. Ana's relaxed optimism and warm manner usually work to give her clients a sense of hope which becomes the first step in effecting positive change.

    • Dr Sophie Parham

      D.Clin.Psych, CPsychol

      Clinical Psychologist

      Sophie is a clinical psychologist who recently qualified from the Salomons doctorate in Clinical Psychology. Throughout her career Sophie has worked with children and young people in a number of settings related to mental health provision. This includes specialising in providing therapy to young people with existing health conditions such as diabetes and medically unexplained conditions. Sophie has also worked in NHS services supporting young people through mental health inpatient admissions and complex psychological distress.

       

      Sophie enjoys working creatively in therapy using systemic models including narrative therapy as well as traditional cognitive behavioural therapy. Sophie also draws on third wave techniques such as mindfulness, acceptance and commitment therapy and compassion focused work. Throughout all of her work, Sophie is passionate in seeing the young person’s identity beyond their diagnosis and supporting young people to build their confidence and self-esteem even in the presence of ongoing symptoms.

       

      • Dr Vibhav Shetty

        Consultant Child & Adolescent Psychiatrist

        • Tania Allen

          Bsc, MRCSLT

          Consultant Speech and Language Therapist

          Tania has many years of experience working with children and young people with a range of communication difficulties. This includes speech sound disorders such as Verbal Dyspraxia and language difficulties such as Specific Language Impairment. She has a strong interest in communication difficulties associated with developmental conditions such as Autism, Attention Deficit Disorder etc. 

          • Tania has extensive experience with the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS) and is part of Psicon’s multidisciplinary team in the assessment and diagnosis of Autism.

            Tania is able to offer Speech and Language Therapy support in a variety of ways depending on the needs of the child and family, for example this could be face to face therapy, input into the child's school / pre school or Parent Child Interaction therapy. 

            Tania is a Foster Parent and has a strong interest in the emotional and behavioural aspects of communication. She is able to work emphatically with families and help them to get the most from each interaction they have with their child.