Dr Westrup is an HCPC registered Educational Psychologist with over 25 years’ experience working with children, young people and their families. She is a member of the Association of Educational Psychologists and has been a Chartered member of the British Psychological Society since 2009. Dr Westrup specialises in working with children and young people who have experienced developmental trauma; helping schools and families understand the maladaptive stress reactions related to developmental trauma and the difficulties the child may experience with identifying, expressing and managing their emotions.

Since qualifying from the University of Bristol in 2002, Dr Westrup has worked as the link Educational Psychologist for a range of mainstream and specialist schools including a pupil referral unit (PRU), hearing impaired resource base, resource base for children with autism and a school for children with severe learning difficulties.

Dr Westrup was awarded a Doctorate in Educational Psychology from the University of Cardiff in 2015. Whilst studying, she published an article in the Journal of Educational Psychology in Practice which reviewed the research literature on the prevalence of foetal alcohol syndrome and the implication of this for schools. The focus of her research dissertation was how children with language and communication difficulties can be supported to access highly verbalised interventions such as Restorative Justice.

Dr Westrup has extensive experience of working with families where there is neurodiversity and has contributed to multidisciplinary assessments of autism spectrum conditions in children. She has also worked as a licensed trainer on the Barnardo’s Cygnet programme. Dr Westrup values working with new entrants to the profession and has supervised trainee Educational Psychologists in years 1 – 3 of their training as well as Assistant Educational Psychologists.

Dr Westrup currently works as part of the multidisciplinary Clinical Services Team at an integrated therapeutic provision for children and young people in residential care, working collaboratively with staff in both the home and the school to meet the needs of the young people.

Dr Westrup has completed training in Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing Therapy, DNA V which is the youth model of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, and has undertaken training towards the Cardiff University Bond Solon Family Expert Certificate.