I am a Clinical Psychologist with over 14 years of therapeutic experience working across NHS and private mental health services. I work with people aged 16 and over and have a particular interest in supporting individuals navigating identity, neurodiversity, trauma, and life transitions.

Throughout my career, I have worked with people from a wide range of backgrounds and experiences, including those struggling with anxiety, low mood, self-esteem difficulties, trauma, shame, relationship difficulties, burnout, and questions around identity and belonging. I aim to create a therapeutic space that feels warm, collaborative, and genuinely accepting, where people feel able to explore difficulties without judgement.

Alongside therapy work, I offer gender assessments and have specialist experience working within a gender service, supporting transgender and gender diverse individuals exploring their identity and accessing gender-affirming care. I also completed specialist training through Pink Therapy and have many years of experience working affirmatively with LGBTQIA+ and Gender, Sexual and Relationship Diverse (GSRD) communities.

I have also completed specialist ADHD assessment training and will shortly be offering ADHD assessments alongside my wider clinical work. My interest in neurodiversity has developed through supporting many clients who have felt misunderstood, overwhelmed, or “different” for much of their lives, often without fully understanding why.

My therapeutic approach is integrative and evidence-based, drawing from approaches including Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT), Cognitive Analytic Therapy (CAT), Systemic approaches, and EMDR-informed practice. I have recently completed EMDR Part 1 training and have a strong interest in trauma-informed approaches that help people process difficult experiences safely and compassionately.

Dr Alexandra Richards (she/her) is a Clinical Psychologist and Neuropsychologist working in private practice, offering gender assessments. She qualified in 2014 and has 15 years of experience of working in the NHS and charity sector. Her main areas of work are with gender and sexual diversity, Disability and long-term health conditions. Currently she works in private practice and is also a support group facilitator for transgender charity Not A Phase. She has completed additional training in neuropsychology, trauma-informed approaches and working with trans and gender-diverse adults.

She has worked with transgender, non-binary and gender diverse adults since 2018. She aims to be collaborative and affirmative in her approach, centering the experiences and needs of trans people within the assessment process. She is familiar with adapting her approach to support people with a diverse range of needs including those related to health conditions, cognitive difficulty and neurodivergence.

Dr. Pipkin is a registered clinical psychologist, fully accredited cognitive behavioural therapist with the BABCP, an associate fellow of the Higher Education Academy, and a registered specialist in the field of gender dysphoria with the UK Equalities Office. 

He is an experienced diagnostic assessor of autism, ADHD, gender dysphoria and the range of mental health difficulties. He is also an experienced academic, published researcher and experienced consultant and supervisor for students up to doctorate level. 

He leads Unlock Psychology Ltd, overseeing the clinical, academic and research services provided. Dr. Pipkin provides diagnostic assessments, academic and research services.