Who we are

Respond exists in order to: lessen the effect of trauma and abuse on people with learning disabilities their families and supporters.

We do this through providing psychotherapy for people with learning disabilities, advice and support for staff and families, training for carers and professionals, education for people with learning disabilities, influencing generic services in order to make their services accessible, influencing learning disability services to consider the psychological impact of living with learning disabilities, undertaking research and disseminating our findings.

Formed in 1991, Respond receives some core funding from the Department of Health, and accepts referrals from PCT’s, Local Authorities and various Social Services Departments. Recent funders include Comic Relief, the Home Office’s Victims Fund, The Lloyds TSB Foundation for England and Wales, BBC Children in Need and the Big Lottery.

THE CLINICAL TEAM

Respond provides options that help to address the needs of people with learning disabilities who are affected by abuse and trauma. Our staff are multi-skilled and we pride ourselves on our ability to help individuals with complex needs to come to terms with their experiences. Psychotherapy is at the heart of our work at Respond and we pride ourselves on our ability to work with both the individual in treatment and with their network of supporters.

CHIEF EXECUTIVE

Richard Curen

Richard Curen has worked as a psychotherapist, counsellor and manager in the sexual abuse field for the last 13 years. He joined Respond from Survivors UK where, amongst other things, he was responsible for managing the individual and group therapy services for adult male survivors of sexual violence. Richard has also worked as a group facilitator at the Domestic Violence Intervention Project and as a counsellor at Orexis - a community drug project in South East London. He is currently Chair of the Survivors Trust – an umbrella group of over 120 survivor organisations across the UK. He is a board member of the International Association for Forensic Psychotherapy and Treasurer of the Institute of Psychotherapy and Disability. Richard is also a member of the National Association for the Treatment of Abusers, a member of the Tavistock Society of Psychotherapists and Allied Professionals and a visiting Lecturer at the Tavistock and Portman NHS Trust. Richard sits on the editorial board of Community Living magazine.

Relevant Qualifications: Certificate in Advanced Counselling Skills (Nottingham), Post-Graduate Diploma in Gestalt Psychotherapy (Gestalt Centre London), Post-Graduate Diploma in Forensic Psychotherapeutic Studies (Portman Clinic).

ASSISTANT DIRECTOR

Noëlle Blackman

Noelle Blackman is a Dramatherapist. In 1997 she founded the roc Loss and Bereavement Service, a NHS therapy service for people with learning disabilities and she recently set up the Respond Elder’s Project. Noelle is Deputy Co-ordinator of the National Network for the Palliative Care of People with Learning Disabilities.
She co-facilitates a user involvement group of older people with learning disabilities which began as part of the GOLD (Growing Older with a Learning Disability) research project for The Foundation For People with Learning Disabilities in 1998. She has presented papers nationally and internationally. Her published work includes 'Living with Loss' (Pavilion), Loss and Learning Disability (Worth Publishing) When Somebody Dies (Books Beyond Words) and Caring for People with Learning Disabilities who are Dying (Worth Publishing).

Relevant Qualifications: Post-Graduate Diploma in Dramatherapy; Certificate in Clinical Supervision; currently undertaking a PHD researching bereavement support needs for people with learning disabilities.

ASSISTANT DIRECTOR

David O'Driscoll

David's background is in learning disability services, both residential and day services. He is also currently working as a psychotherapist in the Health Service, as a specialist loss and bereavement therapist in the learning disability team in Hertfordshire. His specialist interests include the history of people with learning disabilities, for which he has been researching the history of therapeutic approaches to this population. He has worked as the Harperbury Hospital History Project Worker setting up its medical records project and history website www.learningdisabilityhistory.com. David is a founder member of the Institute of Psychotherapy and Disability (IPD) and is currently chairing the training committee.

Relevant Qualifications: Diploma in Social Work, an MA in Psychotherapy and Counselling; and an MA in Consultation and the Organisation: Psychoanalytic Approaches at the Tavistock Clinic. He is (UKCP) reg. Psychotherapist and professional member of (CAPP) Centre for Attachment-based Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy.

PSYCHOTHERAPIST

Tamsin Cottis

Tamsin is a co-founder of Respond, with 20 years experience in the field of learning disability, Tamsin now works as a psychotherapist and trainer. She works with both adults and young people, drawing on a variety of psychotherapeutic approaches including psychoanalytic psychotherapy, attachment- based work and play therapy. Tamsin also provides therapeutic risk assessments regarding issues of parenting, sexual risk and sexual vulnerability. Co-author of ‘Witnessing Nurturing Protesting: Therapeutic Responses to Sexual Abuse and Learning Difficulty’ (David Fulton 1996) Tamsin has recently edited the book ‘Intellectual Disability, Trauma and Psychotherapy’ which will be published by Routledge in 2008.

Relevant Qualifications: Certificate in Psychodynamic Counselling ( Lincoln ); Cert. Ed. In Adult Education; Certificate in Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy (Tavistock Centre); membership of the Institute of Psychotherapy and Disability.

PSYCHOTHERAPIST

Shahnawaz Haque

Shahnawaz's particular combination of psychotherapy training and experience with non-western cultures adds a new dimension to the work of Respond. Before embarking on his psychotherapy training, he worked in the world of finance, and currently continues to be closely involved in the running of a Mosque, and in teaching Arabic and aspects of Islam to adults and children. His role is as a psychotherapist, with the additional responsibility of developing Respond's work with clients and workers from ethnic minorities.

Relevant Qualifications: Qualified Psychoanalytical Psychotherapist (London Centre for Psychotherapy).

PSYCHOTHERAPIST

Elizabeth Lloyd

Elizabeth's professional experience with people with learning disabilities began in her career as a social worker. Following training in counselling and then psychotherapy, Elizabeth co-conducted a group in the South Downs area for women with learning disabilities who had suffered sexual trauma. She began conducting a similarly focused group within Respond in 1997. Elizabeth also works in private practice. Among her specialisms is an interest in the long-term effects of sexual abuse and how these are communicated through the body.

Relevant Qualifications: MA Social Work (University of Sussex); Post Graduate Diploma in Counselling (University of Brighton); Membership of Guild of Psychotherapists.

PSYCHOTHERAPIST

Jake Spencer

Jake has experience of working with both children and adults on an individual and group basis. She has worked at Respond since 1998, co-running the Young Person's Psychotherapy group and the Parent's Project, as well as working as an individual psychotherapist and carrying out Risk Assessments.

Relevant Qualifications: Diploma in Integrative Psychotherapy (1992-1997), MA in Child Protection and Family work (Tavistock Clinic 1997-2000), qualified to work with adults and children. Also completed an infant observation training (Centre for Infant Mental Health).

PSYCHOTHERAPIST

Deborah Lyttelton

Deborah was previously Helpline Manager at Respond and returned in 2005 to work as a psychotherapist. She is a counsellor and is currently completing her training as a psychotherapist at Revision Centre for Integrative Psychosynthesis. As well as working at Respond, Deborah works in private practice and is Director of the Maya Counselling Centre for Women. Prior to training as a psychotherapist, Deborah worked in the voluntary and statutory sectors for many years in various roles.

Relevant Qualifications: Post-graduate Diploma in Counselling.

PSYCHOTHERAPIST

Chris Neill

Chris comes from a professional background in work with children and families - undertaking therapeutic and assessment work within residential and voluntary sector agencies. He has a wide experience in psychotherapy and, alongside working at Respond, has a private practice and works as a trainer and group facilitator at the Institute of Pschosynthesis.

Relevant Qualifications: Diploma in Counselling (1997); Diploma in Psychotherapy (1999); MA in Psychosynthesis Psychotherapy (1999); Registered UKCP.

YOUNG PEOPLE'S PROJECT MANAGER

Jason Upton

Jason is the manager of the Young People’s Project, a Respond psychotherapist and trainer. He has worked with people with learning disabilities for over twelve years in a variety of roles and settings from statutory to voluntary services. Before joining Respond, he set up a dance movement therapy service, in South London , for adults with learning disabilities which offered group and individual therapy sessions. He also worked as a therapist with children from the ages of 4 to 12 in a primary school setting providing therapy to children with emotional, cognitive or behavioural difficulties. Jason has taught and directed a performance workshop group at Amberley College , where people with learning disabilities devised and performed their own theatrical works. He also works in private practice as a psychotherapist.

Relevant Qualifications: MA in Psychotherapy and Counselling; Advanced Diploma in Existential Psychotherapy; Post-Graduate Diploma in Dance Movement Therapy; professional member of the ADMTUK and the UKCP; member of the Society for Existential Analysis.

YOUNG PEOPLE'S PROJECT THERAPIST

Ursula Deniflee

Ursula’s background includes 10 years of being a consultant in residential settings for autistic children and young people who self harm, working both with children and the staff team. More recently she has been working in the voluntary sector assessing children and families for a psychodynamic psychotherapy service and managing students in placement. Ursula was a founding member of CBIP, an integrative psychotherapy centre in West Ireland, where, from 1990-2006, she was also a training committee member, a visiting trainer and group facilitator. She currently works in private practice, and provides clinical supervision for staff at a residential assessment centre for children who have been identified as being at risk, as well as to psychotherapists in private practice.

Relevant Qualifications: Diploma in Psychotherapy (Gerda Boyesen Institute 1983-1987), Certificate in person-centred Art therapy (1989 Crawley college), MA in observational psychoanalytic studies (Tavistock 1994-1997).

YOUNG PEOPLE'S PROJECT THERAPIST

Amy Jeans

Amy is a drama and movement therapist and works as a Young People’s Project therapist for Respond. Alongside this she works in private practice with adults with learning disabilities, running a one-to-one Arts Therapy Service supporting individuals through experiences of transition and loss, for Enfield Council. Amy has over 10 years’ experience of working with children and adults with learning disabilities in a variety of settings, including statutory and non-statutory provisions. Prior to working as a therapist, Amy trained as an actress, worked in television and then began working in schools and as a play worker with children with learning disabilities. Following this she worked in adult education, running arts workshops leading to performance with adults with learning disabilities. Amy holds a special interest in working symbolically around issues of loss and trauma.

Relevant qualifications: MA Drama & Movement Therapy (Sesame); Professional member of the Health Professions Council; Member of the Sesame Institute.

ELDERS PROJECT TRAINER/THERAPIST

Michelle Brooks

Michelle is a dramatherapist. She has worked in the NHS within a community team for people with learning disabilities for 12 years offering therapy and psycho-educational groups focusing on issues of identity, abuse & trauma, loss and change. The Elders Project offers consultation, training and group work to facilitate staff and pwld in dealing with ageing, loss and bereavement. She is involved in a research project for the NHS working through participative research with people with learning disabilities developing an outcome measure for pwld receiving therapy.

Publications: An article about the first stage of the research will be published in the summer by BJLD (British Journal of Learning Disability). She has co produced a training pack and video for staff to use with vulnerable adults on recognizing and dealing with abuse to be launched in Spring.

Relevant Qualifications: Post-Graduate Certificate in Education (Bretton Hall), Post-Graduate Diploma in Dramatherapy ( Hertfordshire University ).

Clinical Supervisors

The team's services are externally supervised and evaluated by experts in the field of sexual trauma and learning disability.

CLINICAL SUPERVISOR - TEAM DYNAMICS

Earl Hopper Ph.D

Past-President of the International Association of Group Psychotherapy. Earl Hopper is an expert in the effects of trauma on individuals and groups. He has spoken and written extensively on his long term analysis with groups of survivors of trauma, and works as a consultant to organisations in both the voluntary and private sectors.

CLINICAL SUPERVISOR - RISK ASSESSMENT

Kiriakos Xenitidis

Kiriakos is a Consultant Psychiatrist with the South London and Maudsley NHS Trust and a Senior Lecturer at the Institute of Psychiatry. His main clinical area of work is mental Health in Learning Disabilities and specialising in the assessment and treatment of offending and other behavioural problems. He is a member of the Institute of Group Analysis, London and has a special interest in the theory and application of group and family psychotherapy in people with learning disabilites. In addition he has an MSc in Human Sexuality from the University of London and has an interest in sexuality issues in people with learning disabilities. His research interests include: psychotherapy outcomes, sexuality and health services.

CLINICAL SUPERVISOR - INDIVIDUAL PSYCHOTHERAPY

Anne Alvarez

Anne has recently retired as Consultant Child and Adolescent Psychotherapist, and co-conveyer of the autism service at the Tavistock Clinic. She has written numerous papers on psychotherapy with borderline patients.

Publications: Autism and Personality, Findings from the Tavistock Autism Workshops, Routledge 1999 (Co-editor); Live Company, Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy with the autistic, borderline and deprived and abused children.

CLINICAL SUPERVISOR – Young People’s Project

Leon Redler, MD

His practice of psychotherapy and supervision is informed by psychoanalysis, existential-phenomenology as well as by Tai Chi, Yoga and Zen practice. Inspired and provoked by the work of philosophers Levinas and Derrida, whose work is moving in an ethical-deconstructive direction. This practice, which his colleague Steven Gans and him call ‘Just Listening,’ involves: A turn away from (centripetal) me-centeredness; a (centrifugal) turn toward the Other and the opening of a space for hospitality and for thoughtfulness, outside the grip of totalising theories.

Leon qualified in medicine in the US, with post-graduate training in paediatrics and psychiatry. He is a member of the Philadelphia Association and a past Chair of that organisation and of its Psychotherapy Training Committee and Faculty.

CLINICAL SUPERVISOR – Respond Help Line

Anup Karia, MBACP (Snr Accred)

Anup is a Process Oriented psychotherapist, clinical supervisor, trainer, organisational consultant and conflict resolution facilitator. He has extensive experience of working with trauma both with individuals and groups. He is particularly interested in the creative and the mysterious potential that can emerge from working with both the ‘ordinary’ and the ‘not ordinary’ aspects of life. He works as a facilitator and trainer with organisations and communities encompassing a wide range of topics and applications including diversity, conflict resolution, team building and leadership.

BOARD OF TRUSTEES

The Board of Trustees come from a wide range of experience and backgrounds.

TRUSTEES

Nicola Harney

Nicola is the Chair of Respond. She has been a Trustee since 2001. Nicola is a solicitor who specialises in cases involving children and people with learning disabilities who have suffered abuse. She is a recognised leader in this niche area of the law and she is also the Chair of the Association of Child Abuse Lawyers.

Isabel Clare

Isabel is a Consultant Clinical & Forensic Psychologist in a community-based NHS service for adults with learning disabilities, and a researcher in the Learning Disabilities Research Group, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge.

Claire Harris

Claire works for the London Borough of Haringey as an Attachment-Based Psychoanalytic Psychotherapist with children who have severe and profound learning disabilities. She also sees adults in her private practice.

Jo Sumner

Jo worked with children with emotional and behavioural difficulties and their teachers in mainstream, special and psychiatric hospital schools for 25 years.She has also been a Childline telephone counsellor, and is a member of the Independent Monitoring Board at Holloway Prison.

Peter Burridge

Peter is the Honorary Secretary of Respond.He is a solicitor with 17 years experience in the charitable sector. Prior to that he was Company Secretary and head of the Legal Department of a major plc in the chemical industry.

Seán Kelly

Sean is Chief Executive of the Elfrida Society a charity that works with people with learning difficulties in Islington and nearby. The charity also publishes Community Living magazine. Seán has worked with people with learning difficulties for over 30 years in many different roles. His early experience, in the mid-1970's, of working for a year in a large residential hospital fuelled a continuing commitment to people with learning difficulties having control over their own lives.

Richard Kramer

Richard joined Turning Point as Director of Policy in November 2002. A qualified solicitor, Richard has worked for a public affairs consultancy, NCVO, and was Mencap’s Head of Campaigns for four years. Richard is Chair of the Making Decisions Alliance, and a former Chair of Governors of a special needs school.

Caroline Keely

Since 1985 Caroline has been a freelance fund-raiser, events organiser and arts administrator. Clients include the Tricycle Theatre, Askonas Holt Music Agents, and Act IV. She is the UK Administrator of the Susan Smith Blackburn Prize.

Ayesha Janjua

Ayesha is Senior Policy Advisor for Learning Disability at Turning Point, the leading social care organisation that provides a range of support to people with learning disabilities. She has previously worked at the Charity Commission and also has a background in Media and in Parliamentary Affairs.

Dorothy Bowers

Dorothy worked in Human Resources for over 17 years mainly in the field of further education. Before her retirement in 2006 she was H R Director at Enfield College. She is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development and still works part-time in education.

Angela Hennessey

Angela is the Treasurer of Respond. She has been a Trustee since 2005. She is a Chartered Accountant with over 25 years experience in the profession and works full time as a partner in a firm of consultants.