Portrait of a young woman with long, wavy brown hair, smiling, wearing a purple shirt and a blue jacket, against a light gray background.

Meet Dr helen Jones

BSc (Hons), DEdPsych, CPsychol, MISCP

Hi, I’m Helen, a Child and Educational Psychologist.

I work with children, young people, families and schools to help when things are difficult.

I have been working with children and young people for 20 years and completed my doctoral training in 2018. I worked in a Local Authority setting for 10 years during and after training, providing the full range of Educational Psychology services.

Now in private practice, I have the opportunity to offer a different range of services, stay closely connected to current research and professional networks, and continue developing effective approaches to address the complex challenges faced by children and schools.

I live in Kent with my husband, young son, and our very fluffy cat.

My approach

Educational Psychologists can have very different ways of working.

My approach is based on my values. In all my work I strive to be:

respectful

collaborative

creative

pragmatic

Rigorous

What does this mean in practice?

I prioritise understanding each child’s perspective and spend time considering what it’s like to live in their worlds.

I involve children and young people in the planning that affects their lives.

I believe the best action plans are created with the people who will carry them out. I will always meet with schools and families after any assessment work rather than only giving feedback via a report.

I involve children and the adults around them in designing the work we do together. I am happy to ‘think outside the box’ and try different things.

I always ask “what is most useful here?” and this guides how I work with people, rather than following a standard format.

I focus on actions that are manageable in real life and will make a difference.

I set up clear ways of monitoring progress so that support can be adapted as needed.

I stay up to date with current research and professional developments.

Qualifications and professional memberships

I completed my Psychology undergraduate degree in 2012 at Surrey University and my Doctorate in Educational Psychology in 2018 at Southampton University. My thesis investigated small movements/fidgeting and attention.

I maintain regular continuing professional development (CPD) to ensure I am up-to-date in all areas of my practice. I have also undertaken extensive additional training in areas relating to my professional interests, including sleep, coaching, dynamic assessment, and personal construct psychology.

I obtain regular supervision in line with professional requirements, and additional specialist supervision for sleep, coaching, and therapeutic work.

I would describe myself as being somewhat addicted to learning and usually have several books and at least one course on the go. You are welcome to ask for more information about any of my qualifications.

I am registered with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) and subscribe to the DBS update service.

Chartered member of the British Psychological Society (BPS)

Member of the Association of Educational Psychologists (AEP)

Member of the International Society of Coaching Psychology (ISCP)

Member of Systems and Complexity in Organisations (SCiO)