Meet the team

Ivan is an Emeritus Professor, Kings College, London and known internationally as a leading developer and researcher of evidence-based psychotherapies for eating disorders, including single and multi-family therapy for anorexia nervosa (also known as “Maudsley Family Therapy”). These models have been adopted by clinical teams both nationally and internationally.

Ivan has received a number of awards including Academy for Eating Disorders, Outstanding Clinician Award 2009, BEAT Lifetime Achievement Award 2012 and American Family Therapy Academy Distinguished Contribution to Family Research 2014. In 2016 he was awarded an OBE for services to family therapy.

Dr Mima Simic, has been joint Head of MCCAED and Consultant Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist at MCCAED for the last two decades.

In 2010 Mima led the development of the innovative Intensive Treatment Program (ITP).  A key focus of her research interest has been in the development of short psychological interventions for eating disorders and self-harm.

Mima is a national and international trainer on treatment interventions and acts as a consultant on service development. Mima has been an active member of the Executive Board, Faculty for Eating Disorders, Royal College of Psychiatrists.

Julian Baudinet is a Consultant Clinical Psychologist who works across the Outpatient Service and ITP. He is also actively involved in research, consultation, teaching and training. He focuses mostly on developing treatments for young people when they feel stuck or are not progressing in treatment. This has included developing and evaluating novel treatment programmes, including multi-family therapy, RO DBT for adolescents, attachment based family therapy (ABFT) treatments, as well as a range of other intensive and/or adjunctive therapies.

Rachel is a Clinical Psychologist with over 30 years’ experience, specialising in the study and treatment of feeding and eating disorders in children and young people.

She has maintained a high level of clinical and research activity throughout this period, most recently focussing on ARFID. She served on the DSM-5 and the ICD-11 workgroups reviewing diagnostic criteria for feeding and eating disorders, and was National Clinical Adviser for NHS England’s Children and Young People’s Evidence Based Treatment Pathway for Eating Disorders. Rachel has won national and international awards for her work, in recognition of her contribution to the field of feeding and eating disorders.

She has published widely, trains colleagues, and teaches in many countries. She is passionate about ensuring that the voices and experiences of children, young people, parents, carers and other family members are heard, respected and included in efforts to further knowledge and improve treatment.

Gladys is a Consultant Family and Systemic Psychotherapist and AFT accredited supervisor in MCCAED. She has 17 extensive years of clinical experience including developing, managing and contributing to research and growth of the service’s clinical and training portfolio over the years. She is a front line clinician facilitating FT- AN, FT-BN, MFT- AN, contributing to RO DBT. Gladys has her own clinical caseload but also supervises qualified family therapists and other trainees in the MDT.

Gladys was a mentor in the National Training for community eating disorders teams programme in the Manchester Hub. Gladys also sat as a member of the expert reference group which developed the Access and Waiting Times for eating disorders in under 18s.

Stamatoula Voulgari is a Principal Systemic Family Psychotherapist/Training Manager in MCCAED. Stamatoula has been part of the team for over 10 years, and has extensive experience with adolescent eating disorders work, including individual, family and group therapy.

Alongside her clinical work, Stamatoula is a trainer and training co-ordinator for the team, organising and delivering multi-disciplinary team trainings both nationally and internationally.

Esther has worked as a clinician in Child and Adolescent mental health since joining SLAM in 2000. Esther is now Principal Systemic Psychotherapist and also Joint Team Manager.

Alongside her clinical work in the out-patient service, Esther is co-author for the out-patient and multi-family treatment manuals and trains others nationally and internationally  in the Maudsley treatment models.

Catherine is a Principle Clinical Psychologist. She has both clinical and research roles in the service. She works with other research active members of the team to develop the service’s research portfolio.

Catherine has worked with children and families since initially training as a teacher (Cambridge University). She has a PhD in Psychology (University of Bristol). She trained as a Clinical Psychologist at the Institute of Psychiatry, King’s College London.

Catherine has provided training and teaching on eating disorders, autism, self harm and mindfulness. She has taught on under-graduate and post-graduate courses and supervised MSc, DClinPsy and PhD theses.

Dr Natalie Pretorius is a principle clinical psychologist in MCCAED. She has extensive clinical and research experience within the eating disorders field. Her research interests include cognitive behaviour therapy, body image, and the development of new treatments in eating disorders.

Charlotte is a Senior Clinical Psychologist working in ITP . She completed her DClinPsy at Royal Holloway, University of London. Charlotte has experience of working with eating disorders across the lifespan both clinically and in a research capacity.

Charlotte is a Senior Clinical Psychologist working in the ARFID clinic.

Charlotte completed both her PhD in eating disorders and her doctorate in clinical psychology at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology, & Neuroscience at King’s College London. Charlotte has a range of research and clinical experience involving young people with eating disorders, emotional and behavioural difficulties (including anxiety disorders, OCD, depression, and self-harm behaviours) and neurodevelopmental difficulties. Her research interests are in the field of eating disorders and neurodiversity as well as working with carers.

Lucinda is a Senior Clinical Psychologist working in ITP .

Lucinda completed her PhD in body image distortion at Newcastle University, and her doctorate in clinical psychology (DClinPsy) at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology, & Neuroscience at King’s College London. Lucinda has a range of research and clinical experience involving young people and adults with both eating disorders and other related disorders (i.e. obsessive compulsive disorder, body dysmorphic disorder, hoarding disorder, and autism spectrum disorders).

Louise joined the MCCAEDs team as a Clinical Nurse Specialist (RNc) in 2019. Having qualified as a paediatric nurse in 2004 from the University of Surrey, Louise’s career in London’s NHS Trusts has made children and their families central to care provision. Her MSc in Psychoanalytic Developmental Psychology from the Anna Freud Centre (UCL) took her further into the mental health field. Now as a Trainee Art Psychotherapist, Louise is able to use her experiences and learning to strengthen her skills as a specialist practitioner working with young people and families.

Anna is an Assistant Psychologist and Researcher in MCCAED. She has worked on a number of research projects and audits and has provided support with the ongoing evaluation of treatments offered by the service. She takes responsibility for data management and dissemination of routine outcome measures. Anna also is a Research Champion and PPI lead within  outpatients.

Since joining the team in 2012 Anna has completed her PhD at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience at King’s College London, adding to the research knowledge related to intolerance of uncertainty and associated anxiety factors in anorexia nervosa.

Dr Shiri Lejay is a Consultant Paediatrician. She has extensive experience in General Paediatrics, having worked in a wide range of hospitals and specialties in London and the West Midlands. She is experienced in working with children with complex needs, and also has additional qualifications in Tropical Medicine, Homeopathy and Medical Education. Her particular area of interest is patient education and empowerment, and she is working with a start-up called Ammi which supports new parents.

Becca is a clinical psychologist working in the MCCAED ARFID team. She completed a Masters in Health Psychology at the University of Nottingham and her doctorate in clinical psychology (DClinPsy) at the University of East London. Becca’s doctoral thesis explored children and young people’s experience of living with ARFID. She has a range of clinical experience working with children and their families including those with autism and learning disabilities. Becca is interested in understanding mental health difficulties within wider socio-political and cultural contexts.

Voke joined the team in 2019 as the Office Manager. She completed her BSc degree in Psychology at the University of Bedfordshire and is a certified coach. She has worked in a variety of settings including Neuropsychiatry, Education, Youth and Acute services.  

Voke is responsible for the general management and operation of all administrative systems within the service while providing proficient support for the team in delivering high quality patient centred care.

Cliona is a senior CAMHS practitioner and dietitian working in MCCAED as the START team lead. She completed her BSc in Human Nutrition in UCD Ireland and went on to complete her MSc in Dietetics and her PhD, focusing on eating disorders, in London Metropolitan University. She has worked across a range of dietetic specialities and has been working within eating disorders for over 7 years. Cliona is actively involved in research, teaching, and training and is joint student lead for her NHS Trust.

Louise is a Principal Clinical Psychologist in the ARFID Service. She has an MSc in Health Psychology and completed her doctorate in Clinical Psychology at the University of Surrey. Louise has worked in a number of specialist children’s eating disorder services prior to working at MCCAED, including a National Specialist Feeding and Eating Disorder Service. She has a particular interest in Autism Spectrum Disorders in girls and the interaction with eating disorders. She is also a co-contributor to a recently published clinical guide to ARFID.

Talia is a Senior Clinical Psychologist working in the MCCAED Outpatient service. She completed her doctorate in Clinical Psychology at the University of Surrey. Her clinical experiences include inpatient and community eating disorder settings, CAMHS, and secondary care adult services. Talia’s clinical and research interest areas pertain to early intervention support and compassion-focused approaches to eating disorder treatment.

Dipali is a UKCP accredited Systemic Family Psychotherapist, currently serving at the Maudsley Centre for Child and Adolescent Eating Disorders (MCCAED). Her professional journey includes the completion of Family Therapy training at King’s College London’s Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, complemented by diverse NHS engagements. With a background in counselling psychology, Dipali possesses over a decade of comprehensive experience catering to children, young people, and adults across diverse settings. Her therapeutic approach encompasses systemic theories, emphasizing broader contextual influences and cultural sensitivity.

Shanay trained at the University of Hertfordshire as a Mental Health Nurse. She started her career working in a specialist personality disorders inpatient setting and then became interested in working in eating disorders. In 2014 Shanay started working in a National Specialist Eating Disorder Inpatient unit for Children and Adolescents where her interest in working with young people and families developed further. Shanay has been working in MCCAED as a Clinical Nurse Specialist since 2016, firstly in ITP and now in the outpatient team. Shanay has completed additional training at UCL and is now a Child and Adolescent CBT Therapist.

Danielle is the dietitian for the outpatient MCCAED community eating disorders team. Danielle is a specialist eating disorders dietitian who has worked in various outpatient eating disorders services across the UK for the last 5 years. She has also completed her Master’s degree from UCL in Eating Disorders and Clinical Nutrition in 2021.

Lucy is a Clinical Psychologist working in the MCCAED Outpatient Service. She completed her doctorate in Clinical Psychology (DClinPsy) at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience at King’s College London.

She has gained both clinical and research experience with a range of presentations across the lifespan, including mood disorders, eating disorders, neurodevelopmental disorders, (emerging) personality disorders, and anxiety.

Lucy is a qualified and registered Art Psychotherapist and has been working in MCCAED across ITP and outpatients since 2017. Lucy provides group and individual interventions to young people accessing the service.

Emma is a Senior Clinical Psychologist who works in the ARFID Service. Emma studied in the fields of psychology, education, and mental health prior to completing her doctorate in Clinical Psychology at the University of Bath.

Emma has worked in various NHS specialist feeding and eating disorder services and is experienced in working with children and young people presenting with ARFID and supporting their families. Emma has a particular interest in eating disorders and neurodiversity.

Caroline is a Clinical Psychologist working in the MCCAED Outpatient Service. She completed her Doctorate in Clinical Psychology at the University of Essex and her undergraduate Degree in Psychology at the University of Nottingham.

Caroline has experience supporting children and families in both Specialist CAMHS and Paediatric Services. She has worked with a variety of presentations including anxiety, low mood, gender dysphoria, OCD and eating disorders.

Dimitra Karkania is a Systemic Family Psychotherapist, currently working at the Maudsley Centre for Child and Adolescent Eating Disorder (MCCAED). Her professional journey is grounded in psychology with experience across diverse inpatient and outpatient settings working with children, young people, and adults. With a strong emphasis on creativity and cultural sensitivity, she integrates these elements into individual and family sessions leveraging psychological principles and systemic interventions to catalyse positive change.

Kate is a Senior Clinical Psychologist working in the MCCAED Outpatient Service. Kate completed her Clinical Psychology training in Sydney Australia. Here, Kate gained experience working in private, day treatment and inpatient mental health teams, including Sydney Children’s Hospital’s Eating Disorders Service family therapy team, the Northside Clinic (a private inpatient/outpatient service) and the Redleaf Practice (a private eating disorders specialist outpatient service). As such, Kate’s clinical experience has primarily involved working with children, adolescents and their families diagnosed with eating disorders, as well as anxiety disorders, mood disorders and trauma.

Chiara is Clinical Psychologist working in ITP. She completed her Doctorate in Clinical Psychology at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience at King’s College London. Chiara has a range of clinical experience working with different clinical presentations across the lifespan. She has a particular interest in working with eating disorders, anxiety disorders and neurodevelopmental disorders. Chiara is involved in research projects focused on the development of new treatments for eating disorders.

Georgie joined the ITP MCCAED team to complete her training as a YIPP with University of Exeter. She did her MSc research on Dissociation and ASMR, and BSc research focused on Orthorexia. Georgie has had experience of working with children/young people in both educational and mental health settings.

Eva Pastor is a senior systemic family psychotherapist and clinical psychologist in MCCAED outpatient service. Eva completed her Family Systemic training at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience at King’s College London, and qualified as Clinical Psychologist in Barcelona, Spain (with HCPC registration).

Eva has extensive experience in various CAMHS teams as well as adult outpatient work that includes eating disorders, neurodevelopmental conditions, emotional and behavioural difficulties and gender identity. She has a specialist in interest in neuro-developmental difficulties (especially Autism) and gender identity and how this presents in eating disorders, and in teaching peers and trainees.

Dorothy joined the team in 2020 as a Senior Administrator/Referral Coordinator.

Dorothy is responsible for providing the first point of contact to young people, families and carers and for ensuring a positive patient experience. She is responsible for providing high quality administrative support to the team.

Pam is a Clinical Psychologist working in ITP.  She completed her DClinPsy at The Salomons Institute for Applied Psychology. Pam has worked in clinical and research roles within a range of eating disorder treatment settings across the lifespan.

Harry joined the team in 2020 as a Senior Administrator for the ARFID service. He has previously worked as an Administrator in paediatric A&E services and as an Admin Assistant for senior management team for CAMHS services. 

Harry is responsible for the operation of administrative tasks for the ARFID service whilst providing support for the wider team. 

Laura is a Senior Clinical Psychologist working in MCCAED Outpatient service. Laura initially trained as a Cognitive Behavioural Therapist at Kings College London before completing her Doctorate in Clinical Psychology at Canterbury Christ Church University (Salomons).

She has clinical and research experience in a variety of disorders, such as gender dysphoria, OCD, anxiety and eating disorders. Her research interests are neurodevelopmental disorders and their interaction with eating disorder presentations.