At WhiteTree’s, our Clinical and Therapeutic Team brings together a diverse range of professionals dedicated to supporting the wellbeing and development of children and young people. Comprising two specialist groups — the Building Brighter Futures Team and the Specialist Therapeutic Team — our multidisciplinary approach includes our in-house support network and our external professionals. Together, these experts work collaboratively to provide holistic, child-centred care that integrates medical, social, and psychological models. This comprehensive approach ensures that every child’s unique needs are understood and addressed, empowering them to thrive, build resilience, and build brighter futures.
Our scaffolded support ensures that our young people have immediate access to mental health and wellbeing services, whether that be to explore healthier coping mechanisms, to learn about regulation strategies, or to be introduced to one of our specialist team for further support. Our Building Brighter Futures Team are present in our homes on a weekly basis, building therapeutic and meaningful relationships with our young people and offering our staff teams a safe space to discuss a child’s needs.
At Whitetree’s, we embrace the rule of 167 – recognising that of the 168 hours available in the week, our therapists will often only have 1 hour with our young people. Our homes are equipped for the 167 hours, informed and underpinned by trauma-informed practice where both our Building Brighter Futures Team and Specialist Team provide consistent support and training. To find out more about our Training Academy, click here or return to our Clinical Care page and follow the Educate route.
Dr Yenushka Abeyratna (Nush), Dr Fiona Graham and Dr Alev Onen each have about 20 years’ experience of being in medicine and love being doctors. They started their own clinic in May 2023 because they wanted to practice medicine the way they wanted to – by giving patients the time and care they deserve.
In their clinic, they see people of all ages, both in person and virtually. They love the variety that general practice brings and can manage almost anything: from everyday illnesses to complex health concerns. While they sometimes prescribe medication or refer to specialists, they often find that small lifestyle changes are the real key to improving health and wellbeing. Our GP’s will be providing support and guidance for; acute illnesses, longer-term health problems, annual medical checkups, lifestyle medicine education, and advocation through the NHS.
The Chelmsford GP’s are consummate professionals, however they do like to have a laugh and feel that patients find them lovely and friendly.
To find out more about the Chelmsford GPs service at WhiteTrees, follow the link: Click here
Dr Yenushka Abeyratna (Nush)
Dr Fiona Graham
Dr Alev Onen
A word from our GPs:
“We are over the moon to be able to work with WhiteTrees and know we can make a difference to young people’s health now and for brighter futures. We are here for WhiteTree’s young people Monday to Saturday morning and will either see them at home, virtually or in person depending on what is required.”
Carly is a Chartered Senior Clinical Psychologist and CBT Therapist with over 10 years experience working in the NHS and now working solely in private practice with an excellent team of associates. Carly is a Visiting Lecturer for the Doctorate in Clinical Psychology programme at University of Hertfordshire (where she completed her Doctorate), teaching on the Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and child module.
After completing an Honours psychology degree at University of Sussex, Carly gained two Postgraduate degrees (University of Hertfordshire & University of Reading). Carly then spent years working in NHS IAPT services with adults, couples, and groups providing CBT in GP surgeries.
Carly specialises in working with children, adolescents, and carers/families. She is passionate about working creatively and collaboratively with young people. Carly previously worked in NHS Tier 3 Specialist Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) teams. She also worked in Early Help (local authority) with children on Child In Need and Child Protection plans.
Carly enjoys providing consultation, training, and reflective spaces to different professionals such as schools, Social Services, Paediatricians, GPs, and care homes. Carly has been appointed as a clinical supervisor to different disciplines.
Aside from psychology, Carly is a keen gardener, likes Pilates, loves taking photographs, and spending time with her family and friends.
Hi, I’m Laura, a Clinical Psychologist with 20 years’ experience across the NHS and private practice and a passion for supporting professionals working with children with complex developmental trauma and attachment needs. Throughout my adolescence I had an interest in working with children and I volunteered on several projects supporting children. One particular project, a summer holiday programme for disadvantaged children, gave me a real passion for supporting children with what I now know to be attachment needs and sparked my interest in a career working with care experienced children.
I completed my Doctorate in Clinical Psychology at University of East Anglia in Norwich and since qualifying in 2009 I have worked with children and young people of all ages with a range of mental health needs. Throughout my career I have specialised in working with children and young people who are fostered, are in residential care or have been adopted and I have developed an expertise in this area. I worked for 7 years in the Fostering and Adoption Clinical Psychology Service in Cambridgeshire before moving to Dorset where, I have worked in Core CAMHS, Learning Disability services and Specialist CAMHS for Care, Adoption and Permanence.
Since 2022, I have worked independently, supporting professionals working with care-experienced children and families. I believe that supporting children with attachment needs and developmental trauma requires a systemic approach and therefore, provide not only therapy, but assessment, consultation, supervision and training, to support carers and professionals to provide the best therapeutic care that they can. Outside work, you’ll usually find me running, playing tennis, baking, knitting, or hanging out with my children.
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Emma obtained a first-class degree in Psychology from the University of Reading before qualifying as a primary school teacher at the Institute of Education. After four years of teaching in London, she completed her Doctorate in Educational and Child Psychology at University College London. Her doctoral research explored the voices and experiences of young people with social, emotional and mental health needs, and was published in Educational Psychology in Practice (2017).
Emma worked for seven years as an Educational and Child Psychologist within an inner-London local authority, where she led on pupil voice initiatives and supported Looked After Children through the Virtual School. Her practice is grounded in a child-centred approach and a commitment to achieving meaningful, lasting change for the young people she supports.
Currently, Emma provides independent psychological services to schools and parents, offering assessments, consultation and intervention. She has extensive experience with Education, Health and Care (EHC) planning and a thorough understanding of the SEND Code of Practice.
Emma is trained in the ADOS-2 (Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule, 2nd Edition) and the 3Di (Developmental, Dimensional and Diagnostic Interview for Autism). She works collaboratively with professionals such as Speech and Language Therapists, Occupational Therapists and Clinical Psychologists as part of a multidisciplinary team offering Autism assessments for children and young people.
She also supports the education of Looked After Children across residential care homes in Hertfordshire and Essex and has specialist training in paediatric sleep disorders
Taiya is a dedicated and passionate advocate for children and young people at WhiteTrees, where she is currently leading the development of our Clinical Care Team with a vision to empower every young person to build a brighter future. Since joining WhiteTrees in October 2023, Taiya’s commitment has grown daily, driven by the belief that every young person in our care deserves full access to the support and resources necessary to thrive, both mentally and physically. Having started her journey within our homes, Taiya brings a deep understanding of the complexities involved in nurturing young people’s health and well-being.
In her role, Taiya oversees the growth and development of our Clinical Care Team, including our in-house Building Brighter Futures Team and our external Specialist Team. Together, these teams provide the tools, guidance, and partnerships that empower both our young people and staff to flourish. Taiya ensures that all assessments are carefully implemented, monitored, and updated, guaranteeing that every young person receives bespoke support tailored to their unique needs.
To learn more about our Clinical Care teams and the ways we help young people build brighter futures, please follow the link below.
