A clinical psychologist is someone who is interested in understanding and working with how people think, feel and behave. Our team will work with you, or members of your family, to build a shared understanding of your/your child’s current difficulties and what might have contributed to them starting in the first place. We will support you to better understand your emotional experiences, think about ways to help improve how you are feeling and help you to re-engage with things that are important to you. Our team try to help people adjust to and cope with all sorts of challenging situations.
In the Cleft Team, we understand that having a cleft lip and/or palate, and having the associated treatment can at times be challenging for some individuals and their families. Not all individuals born with a cleft lip and/or palate will need to see a psychologist.
Below is a diagram which illustrates some of the key areas in which our team can support you or your family:
The main role of the Cleft Psychologists is to try to minimise the impact that a cleft lip and/or palate can have on patients and their families
We can support individuals with cleft lip and/or palate at any stage during their life. Below are the main areas in which we can support families along the Cleft care pathway. For more information about each area, please read our Cleft Psychology Leaflet (above).
- Antenatal support for expectant parents
- Postnatal support for parents
- Supporting parents in speaking to their child about their Cleft
- Psychological impact of having a Cleft- Young People and/or parents
- Support around upcoming medical procedures
- Future surgery decisions
- Adult returners (support for adults aged 22+ who may have previously been discharged from the Cleft treatment pathway)
Richa Aspland - Lead Clinical Psychologist
Karine Edme - Clinical Psychologist
Roland Casson - Clinical Psychologist