Practice Board

Professor (Emeritus) Tony Lavender M.Phil, PhD, CPsychol, FBPsS is an HCPC registered clinical psychologist who worked for over twenty years in the NHS as a practicing psychologist and as Director of the Salomons Clinical Psychology Programme, in what is now, Salomons Institute of Applied Psychology, Canterbury Christ Church University.

He transferred into University employment in 1996 and went on to become Dean and Pro-Vice Chancellor. As PVC he held corporate responsibility for Research and Equality & Diversity and for periods, Sustainability and Internationalisation. He led the University’s successful 2014 Research Excellence Framework (REF) submission. He retired from this role at the end of 2016.

He has been an active member of the BPS for over forty years and chaired a number of Society Committees and Working Groups. He chaired the Committee on Training in Clinical Psychology and, in that role, facilitated the introduction of Clinical Psychology Doctorates. He has represented the Society on workforce development nationally with the Department of Health, NHS Digital and the Home Office. He Jointly Chaired the BPS/Department of Health group looking at ‘New Ways of Working for Applied Psychologists' (2005-7). He is currently the DCP Workforce and Training Lead, a member of the DCP Exec and is actively involved in workforce planning nationally with NHSE/I and HEE.

He has published extensively on services and therapies for people with psychosis and personality disorder, workforce planning, the history of clinical psychology and more recently anorexia. He continues to be involved in research, doctoral supervision, mentoring and organisational consultancy.

Gita is a clinical psychologist who trained in Glasgow.  Clinically, Gita has specialised in working with adults and older adults.

Her current clinical work is in a specialist Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Service in Lancashire.

She recently contributed as a co-investigator on a NIHR RfPB funded research project on Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR) and Psychosis with further research development underway.   

From 2006 to 2023, Gita was the Director for Psychological Professions at Lancashire & South Cumbria NHS Trust, with professional responsibility for psychological professions staff across the lifespan and a range of settings.

Alongside this role within the Trust, Gita also implemented a supervision system for all staff, developed the staff wellbeing portfolio and during Covid, set up the county wide staff wellbeing service/resilience hub.

Gita was a founding member of the Psychological Professions Network (PPN) which started in the North West in 2013.

From 2018 – 2023, she undertook a range of projects and roles with Health Education England including National Psychological Professions Development Lead.

She continues to co-chair the PPN in the North West.  In the North West, Gita has been part of an innovative new roles project seeking to improve psychological professions workforce supply.

Gita has contributed to and chaired committees for the National Institute of Health & Care Excellence (NICE) and was also a member of the Guideline Development Group for the PTSD Guidelines update.

In addition, she has been a member of a number of BPS Division of Clinical Psychology Faculties and Groups over the past 25 years.  

Alison Cole is a Chartered Coaching Psychologist and an HCPC registered Occupational Psychologist.

She is the Chief Assessor for the BPS Division of Coaching Psychology, a committee member of the Division of Coaching Psychology and DoCP Peer Practice Lead.

Like many, Alison didn’t have a clear idea of what direction she wanted to take in her career when she left school and discovered her passion for psychology after establishing her career first in the public sector working in finance and then moving into the private sector, working within multinationals in a variety of senior roles.

Whilst working full time, Alison retrained as a psychologist and developed a portfolio career leading to combining independent practice and academia.

As a practicing psychologist with over 25 years’ professional experience, her work incorporates her training and experience across the disciplines of occupational psychology, coaching, management and human resources.

Today, Alison combines her roles with the BPS alongside running a small independent practice and supporting practitioners through supervision in both the fields of occupational psychology and coaching psychology.  

A passionate advocate for the development and recognition of coaching psychology , Alison is a member of the editorial board for the International Coaching Psychology Review and in her BPS roles, continues to be active in encouraging collaboration and shared learning between different domains of psychology.

Her ambitions for coaching  psychology include development and growth of the division and supporting  strategies to promote best practice in psychology through initiating and facilitating the production of good practice guidance and discussion in evidence-informed coaching practice leading to a greater understanding of the issues across the profession.

In addition to her commitment to psychology, Alison is also an artist with a flair for portraiture in oils and a keen horticulturalist with an obsession for growing and exhibiting dahlias.

Dr Helena Bunn BA (Hons) PGDipRes (OU) DEdChPsy CPsychol FHEA (she/her) is a HCPC‑registered Educational Psychologist, Chartered Psychologist and Programme Director for the Doctorate in Educational and Child Psychology at the University of East London.

Helena is a Past Chair of the BPS Division of Educational and Child Psychology, where she has worked closely with BPS colleagues, regulators and policy stakeholders to support high professional standards and coherent practice guidance. 

Helena’s work spans local authority practice, doctoral‑level training, national professional leadership and expert witness practice, including work within SEND Tribunals and the Civil and Family Courts.

She has a longstanding interest in how psychological theory, professional standards and ethical guidance translate into meaningful, high‑quality, ethical practice within complex real‑world systems. 

As a member of the Practice Board, Helena is particularly interested in the interface between professional standards, applied psychological practice and service systems, and in supporting BPS guidance that is relevant, inclusive and responsive to emerging practice needs. 

Honorary Professor Dr. Geraldine Akerman C.Psychol AFBPsS C.Sci. EuroPsych is an HCPC registered Chartered Psychologist, Chartered Scientist, Deputy Chair of the Division of Forensic Psychology Executive Committee (2020-2022) and member of Cyber Psychology, Independent Psychologists,  and Defense and Security Psychology member networks.

Geraldine is also an Associate Fellow of the BPS, as well as a member of the Professional Practice Board and Co-founder of Let's talk Forensic Psychology, a You Tube channel promoting Forensic psychology as a profession.

Geraldine is a Consultant Forensic Psychologist working for Oxford Health NHS Trust based at HMP Grendon, having worked for HMPPS since 1999, with men who have committed violent offences. She is also a visiting lecturer at Cardiff Metropolitan University and the University of Birmingham as well as a PhD supervisor and examiner and trainee supervisor.

In addition, Geraldine is a Trustee for the Safer Living Foundation and a TC Specialist for the Royal College of Psychiatrists, and has received an award for her Distinguished Contribution to Forensic Psychology.

Dr Newson has varied experience as a Chartered Psychologist and HCPC Registered Practitioner Psychologist (Health). She is a proud innovator of applied health psychology and promotes behavioural medicine within academia and healthcare practice.

Dr Newson's expertise influences health prevention (overlapping with public health) and is applied directly to the management of long-term conditions. Her previous experience within the NHS, as a clinical practitioner; within Public Health commissioning & management and as an applied researcher through academic-health collaborations, helps her to bridge the 'knowledge-language gap’ and add value between the ambitions and needs of academia and those working within healthcare.

Dr Newson is recognised for her expertise in Long-term conditions, mostly Obesity and Diabetes, two priority health topics which have enormous economic, social and health consequences for society worldwide. With particular expertise within qualitative research methodology, Dr Newson contributes to a range of community projects exploring public and patient experiences of interventions and pathways.

Dr Newson, is the Co-Programme Director of the Professional Doctorate in Health Psychology (2023 onwards) and previously Programme Leader for MSc Health Psychology (2015 -2023) at Liverpool John Moores University, for which both are accredited by the British Psychological Society (Stage 1 professional training), and the Prof Doc is recognised for HCPC registration.

Dr Newson, is a supervisor to MSc, Trainee Health Psychologists and PhD candidates. She is a BPS RAPPS approved supervisor and national assessor. In July 2023 Dr Newson was invited to take the position as Health Psychologist representative on the National Practice Board of The BPS and seeks to promote the work and development of Health Psychologists nationally.

Dr Langman was selected to join the BPS Practice Board in 2023 to represent Psychologists in Independent Practice across all psychological disciplines (clinical, forensic, neuropsychology, educational, occupational, health, sport & exercise, coaching, counselling, academics, and research psychology).

As an experienced and compassionate clinician, researcher and educator, Dr Langman seeks to promote excellence in practice so that everyone can access high quality, evidence-based interventions to enhance their lives, organisations, communities and benefit our wider society.

Dr Louise Langman is a clinical psychologist, HCPC registered practitioner psychologist, chartered scientist, and an Associate Fellow of the British Psychological Society. 

Dr Langman has practiced within community and inpatient settings, in the UK and USA, within the NHS, private and voluntary sectors.

Dr Langman founded Flourish Psychology in 2015 to improve access to evidence based psychological services across the lifespan.

Flourish is now an award-winning dynamic family friendly clinical psychology practice offering assessment, therapy, supervision, training, and consultation internationally.

Dr Langman is on the Register of Applied Psychology Practice Supervisors and an elected Committee Member of the Special Group of Independent Practitioners (SGIP).

Dr Langman has served previously as Chair Elect of the South West of England Branch of the British Psychological Society (2012-2018).

Dr Langman co-facilitates monthly Peer Practice Hubs, a confidential online space for Independent Practitioners across the UK to share expertise and encourage professional development and flourishing.

Dr Daniel O’Hara is a clinical neuropsychologist and clinical psychologist.

He qualified in 2007 and has extensive experience working with people with brain injuries, neurological conditions, and other physical and mental health difficulties.

Daniel is currently employed as Consultant Clinical Neuropsychologist within the NHS and is also in independent practice. 

Daniel has a strong interest in how clinical research can improve user experience and outcomes.

He is a co-investigator on a large NIHR-funded trial investigating the cognitive outcomes of radiotherapy for brain tumours.

To further his clinical-academic career, he is also completing a PhD with Professor Jonathan Evans at the University of Glasgow, exploring the rehabilitation of attention for people following brain injury. 

Charalampos (Babis) Fountoulakis, Ph.D., CPsychol, AFBPsS is an HCPC- registered sport and exercise psychologist who has worked in the applied arena for more than 15 years providing extensive consultancy to athletes, coaches, multidisciplinary teams in multiple sports (e.g. Formula 1/2/3, football, shooting, fencing, table tennis).

His consultancy includes – but is not limited to – individual sessions, group workshops, psychophysiological training, coach education and customized psychometric, psychomotor and psychophysiological assessment.

He is specialized in technology-based sport psychological testing and training as well as biofeedback-based support to performers. His niche is heart rate variability training which is a pioneering strategy that results in optimal emotional control and cognitive functioning.

Since March 2020, Dr. Fountoulakis has been working as the Director of Academic Affairs in the College for Humanistic Sciences- ICPS, which is the biggest school of psychology in Greece, providing four undergraduate and fifteen postgraduate degrees, with all of them being in psychology and/ or psychotherapy, in collaboration with the University of Central Lancashire.

He is also a member of the EuroPsy UK National Awarding Committee, a Practice Lead in the DSEP and a member of the executive board in the Association of Greek Psychologists.

Ivor is a Consultant Clinical Psychologist and Honorary Senior Lecturer at Queen’s University Belfast.  Following his Doctoral qualification in Clinical Psychology Ivor spent the first part of his career specialising in the assessment and treatment of Complex Childhood Trauma before Joining the Southern Heath & Social Care Trust in 2006. 

Ivor then worked for the next 10 years as the Consultant in charge of the Acquired Brain Injury Rehabilitation Team and as the Specialist lead for Neurodisability before moving full-time to the position of Clinical Director of Psychology Services for the Trust in 2016.  

Ivor also has roles as an active committee member of the Northern Ireland branch of the British Psychological Sociality, the Division of Clinical Psychology, and as a National Assessor.

I did my first degree in Manchester then did a master’s at Queen's University Belfast and qualified as a Clinical Psychologist.

I was seconded to the course by the Western Health Board and went to work for them, initially for a District and following promotion provided a service to the whole Health Board.

I followed this up by being the first Clinical Psychologist employed by the Government of Botswana.

Returning to the UK I worked in the third sector then returned to the NHS before moving to Scotland in 1989.

While working in Scotland I have held a number of leadership and management roles and completed an MBA. I went part-time before retiring from the NHS in 2023.

I have been a member of BPS and DCP since being an undergraduate (I have the 4 digit membership number to prove it!).

I was briefly DCP Chair in Northern Ireland, was Chair in Scotland and continue to be a DCP-S Committee member.

Dr Lelanie Smook is a Chartered Consultant Practitioner Psychologist, trained in Counselling Psychology at Wolverhampton.

She specializes in supporting people living with long-term health conditions such as persistent pain, fatigue, weight management concerns, stroke, renal, or cardiac issues.

She recognises the links between physical- and mental wellbeing and strives for parity in designing policies, services, and pathways to support people to live their best life despite their long-term health condition being present.

Lelanie is based in Wales and champions the needs of Welsh people, and is particularly focused on promoting equity of access regarding service provision across rural settings.

Lelanie is an active member of the Division of Counselling Psychology (DCoP) and the BPS Welsh branch.

Lelanie is a passionate clinician and supervisor, and felt most at home using EMDR, Humanistic, or third wave therapy approaches.

She works hard to highlight the multi-faceted roles of Practitioner Psychologists and their contribution within both the NHS and the private sector.

She runs a blog focused on highlighting the variety of training pathways available in Practitioner Psychology roles in an effort to inform and attract aspirant colleagues to the wider Psychology field.

Lelanie enjoys presenting and teaching across the field of Clinical Health Psychology. In addition, she holds a project management qualification which brings an agile approach to her work.

Lelanie is thrilled to join the Practice Board and looks forward to contributing to conversations focused on exploring and promoting advancements in safe and effective evidence-based psychological practice.