About
I have had a diverse and multifaceted career, starting in education and psychology, proceeding with social work, therapy, and reached my goal and I am now a chartered counselling psychologist. What attracted me to a career in counselling psychology is it value basis.
This embraces everyone’s uniqueness as individuals and different aspects of identity and therefore I tailor interventions to each person’s uniqueness. I target a range of problems which are highlighted in my therapeutic intervention’s pages, my areas of speciality are: trauma and neurodiversity.
Ellen Wheller CPsychol
With over 20 years of experience, I have developed extensive knowledge and expertise in working with children and families across diverse settings, from clinical work to training and supervision of organizations. As a chartered member of the British Psychological Society and registered with the Health and Care Professions Council, I maintain the highest professional standards within my practice.
Additionally, I actively contribute to a Welsh Assembly Government advisory group that aims to develop services for my specialist interest group, Autism, and Neurodiversity. Currently, I hold a part-time position with Children and Adolescent Mental Health Services while also running a successful private practice. I have previously worked with the NSPCC in assessments and interventions with individuals who have experienced sexual abuse.
Throughout my work, I rely on a combination of evidence-based practices and reflective practice wisdom to ensure the highest quality of service.
TESTIMONIAL
My qualifications and work experience
After my undergraduate degree in psychology and education, I undertook a master’s degree in social work. I built upon this with my undertaking postgraduate training in integrative therapy, motivational interviewing, brief-solution-focused therapy, therapeutic life story work, Dyadic developmental practice (DDP) and sensory attachment intervention. This supported a career as a therapeutic consultant social worker, and I have over 20 years’ experience of working with children and families. I have specialised in the field of developmental trauma and therapeutic care planning for care experienced children.
Following this I developed my portfolio to doctoral level in applied psychology combining other evidence-based approaches such as trauma-based cognitive behavioural therapy, Eye movement desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR) and Systemic Therapy; whilst placing the person at the centre of relational practice.
I have worked within the NHS Secondary CAMHS (Children and Adolescent Mental Health Services) setting for several years and enhanced my practice further developing experience with a range of complex diagnoses of anxiety, depression, self-harm, eating disorders, PTSD, and neurodiversity (of which I have developed a specialist interest in). I have, also, undertaken training in the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule –(ADOS-2).
I have worked in forensic settings in both voluntary organisations and private residential secure settings with adults as well as working in substance misuse for several years. Other areas of work have included working in the specialist area of sexual abuse for the NSPCC for several years.
I am also a trainer and have experience in delivering training in attachment and trauma, motivational interviewing, sensory intervention, mindfulness, loss, sand tray, principles of DDP parenting and therapeutic life story work. This has been delivered to a variety of audiences, individuals, university students, foster carers, professionals, and residential units.
The integration of a broad range of therapeutic interventions has enabled me to create bespoke packages of care, tailored to an individual needs. Recent developments have included working therapeutically with my passion for animals and I have trained in level 1 Animal Assisted Play Therapy.
Other areas within my portfolio that I have developed over the years are experience in management and service development, coaching, supervision, and training. Providing opportunities to skill up a family support team with an intensive model of practice to work with families on the edge of care. This involved data analysis, report writing and developing a cost reduction tool to examine the cost-effectiveness of the grant that the team was funded with, this enabled the team to have core funding within social services.
