Specialist Interest
As part of my work with children and adolescents, I have developed a particular interest in helping young people who struggle with unwanted intrusive thoughts: distressing, repetitive thoughts that can feel confusing, frightening, or out of control. These thoughts are often linked to OCD, although they can appear in many different forms, and they often trouble the kindest, most thoughtful children and young people.
To support this area of work, I have created a dedicated space called the Understanding Intrusive Thoughts Service, or UITS. This is an independent hub of blog posts, reflections and practical guidance for families trying to understand intrusive thoughts, OCD and the emotional distress that can sit beneath them. The aim is simple: to help young people feel less alone, and to help parents respond with steadiness rather than panic.
Books and Writing
This area of work has also led to two books. Intrusive Thoughts and Compulsions in Adolescent OCD: A Psychoanalytic Framework for Treatment is a clinical text for professionals, focused on the treatment of adolescent OCD and intrusive thoughts.
As of May 2026, Routledge have commissioned my second book, When Your Teenager’s Mind Gets Loud: Understanding Intrusive Thoughts and OCD in Adolescents, and How You Can Help, which is due to be published towards the end of the year (Image is provisional Mockup). Unlike my first book, which is written primarily for clinicians, this forthcoming book is aimed at parents and carers. It is written for families trying to understand what may be happening when a teenager is struggling with frightening, repetitive or unwanted thoughts, and how adults around them can respond in ways that are steady, thoughtful and genuinely helpful.