About Us

Enhancing Futures was developed by Dr Claire Leonard, Chartered Clinical Psychologist.

Our Values

We have a focus on helping individuals and families access appropriate mental health support at a time they most need it, in a way that best fits their personal circumstances.

We believe that additional needs should not be a barrier to seeking professional psychological support and we advocate a person-centred and family-centred approach to care.

We believe in offering a high level of up-to-date clinical expertise to support and empower individuals and families to achieve their goals and live their best life.

Mental health is something we all have and Enhancing Futures pledges to destigmatise mental health by offering training and education and making professional support as easy to access as possible.

Our Team

Dr Claire Leonard

Chartered Clinical Psychologist | Clinical Director

Claire is a mum of two and a Chartered Clinical Psychologist who has many years of experience working with children and families.  She has worked in the NHS for over 12 years in the mental health field including working with people with Autistic Spectrum Disorders, Learning Disabilities and other Special Educational Needs.

Her specialist interests include Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA), complex genetic health presentations, attachment difficulties, and supporting siblings.  She uses an integrative approach to understanding difficulties, building on systemic, compassion-focussed, acceptance-commitment, behavioural and attachment-based therapies.

She is Chartered by the British Psychological Society (BPS) and registered as a Practitioner Psychologist with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC). Claire has also acted as an Expert Witness in Court and EHCP Tribunal arenas.

Phillip Lycett

Business Director

Phil is a dad of two and our Business Director. His role includes keeping the various parts of the business running smoothly and liaising with professionals, associates and other companies.

Phil has significant past experience of working in the Local Authority alongside self-employment and so is an asset in terms of considering the business needs objectively.

His specialist interests include supporting people with additional needs, leading on our sensory equipment and facilities and developing the range of ways we connect with families.

Hannah Sharples

Assistant Psychologist

Hannah is a mum of two and an Assistant Psychologist. She joined us with over 8 years NHS experience in inpatient Eating Disorders and Dietetics and so has a wealth of experience in supporting clients and their families with complex mental health and behavioural presentations.

Alongside her interest in supporting the mental health of all members of a family, she brings with her specialist interests in the role of exercise and diet in mental health and is keen to support us to develop our services more holistically.

Charlotte Tipping

Registered Learning Disability Nurse

Charlotte Tipping is a mum of two and a Registered Learning Disability Nurse. Charlotte supports with our Neurodevelopmental Assessment Service and has significant experience of diagnosing Autistic Spectrum Disorders (ASD), Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA) and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)

She has over 10 years previous experience working in NHS services with adults and young people with Learning Disabilities and additional complex needs. Her training has given her great appreciation of the complex relationship between physical and mental health and the importance of interventions that address both. She has a focus on supporting us to address physical assessments and interventions to support positive mental health.

Faye Saunders

Administrative Coordinator

Faye is a mum of five and is our Administrative Coordinator. Her role includes bringing organisation and oversight to the smooth running of the business with a friendly and approachable manner.

Faye has significant past experience of working in roles that have required her flair for organisation and processes and helping people to feel their best self.

Her specialist interests include supporting people with additional needs themselves and supporting the whole family in negotiating the world of additional needs.

Sarah Parkin

Registered Learning Disability Nurse & Nurse Prescriber

Sarah is a mum of one and a Registered Learning Disability Nurse. She holds additional qualifications as a Nurse Prescriber, and joins Enhancing Futures new prescribing service to support our clients to benefit from medication where appropriate.

Sarah brings a wealth of nursing experience, most recently from her role as an ADHD Nurse in the NHS which she currently maintains alongside her role with us.

Sarah has clinical interests in sleep onset and maintenance difficulties, ADHD and supporting clients who may not manage to access mainstream services due to their complex needs. She also brings considerable knowledge and experience of the QB Test, which is an innovative method recently endorsed by the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE), for assessing attentional difficulties and objectively understanding medication benefits in clients with ADHD.

Alice Pearl

Therapeutic Play Practitioner

Alice is a mum of one and our Therapeutic Play Practitioner who is currently working towards her qualification as a Play Therapist. Her passion lies in supporting children to find ways to cope with things that they find difficult.

Alice has a wealth of experience working with children and young people, having a background in Early Childhood Studies and experience of working in primary school settings. We believe play is a wonderful tool for supporting children to do cope with things they find difficult and Alice hopes to be able to allow as many children as possible to witness this for themselves.  

Kirsty Lee

Associate Counsellor

Kirsty is a qualified Counsellor and works with Enhancing Futures to provide therapeutic interventions for young people and adults.  Kirsty has particular experience of working with neurodiverse clients and supporting parents, and has a history of working with people who have experienced difficult life events.

Kirsty brings with her a wealth of experience in supporting young people and their families, through secondary education and specialist education settings and her own Counselling practice.

Kirsty takes a person-centred approach to ensure that the young person feels comfortable and able to engage with the support.

What does a Psychologist do?

What is Psychology? Psychology is the scientific study of mind and behaviour.

So, what does a Clinical Psychologist do? A Clinical Psychologist is a person who has trained for many years to Doctorate level. They are experts in understanding thoughts, feelings and behaviour and how mental health affects all of these areas.

How might they help me? They can help you to put into words how you are feeling, try to make sense of it with you, and help you find ways to manage your feelings differently.

They can help you achieve your goals – whether that is to feel better about yourself or perhaps to understand yourself differently.

They can provide you with a safe space to talk about things that are troubling you.

They can listen, without judgement, and allow you to say things you might be afraid to say to anyone else.

It’s not always about talking.  Sometimes young people like to use arts, crafts, music or acting out to take the pressure off trying to put ‘big feelings’ into words.  We work creatively in the best way to suit you.

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