Dr Russell Woodhead

I founded Thriving Teen in 2021 and aim to provide friendly, high-quality support to young people and their families. Whatever the difficulties you or your child are facing, I will work with you to move things forward.

I've been working with teenagers for about 14 years, in education before I became a clinical psychologist. During my training and after qualifying I worked variously in community CAMHS teams, learning disability services, a young offenders institution and inpatient care. I chose to leave the NHS in 2023 as I felt that I was able to see more young people and work for longer periods with them outside of this context. However, I still work closely with NHS services and social care where this is needed, and I undertake publicly funded work as an independent practitioner. I’m also passionate about sharing psychological knowledge and am a regular contributor to the Let’s All Talk Mental Health series of expert seminars on the topics of self harm and emotional dysregulation.

I am trained in a variety of therapeutic approaches, including cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) and others that are recommended by national guidelines for the treatment of common mental health problems. These guidelines are based on what works for many people, not all, and the benefit of being a clinical psychologist is that I can develop an approach specific to the young person I'm working with based on evidence, theory and my clinical experience. My passion is for understanding how our early experiences, especially those in relationships, shape our view of the world, and how this is reflected at the level of the brain (this is often called attachment science or interpersonal neurobiology). My developing specialism is in the field of trauma, although I continue to work with young people struggling with a wide range of difficulties.

I am a chartered member and associate fellow of the British Psychological Society (BPS) and a member of the Association for Child and Adolescent Mental Health (ACAMH). My HCPC registration status is available to check online, and I am happy to provide my latest DBS disclosure certificate on request.