Tel: 0118 988 7074 Email: admin@every-mind.co.uk
Tel: 0118 988 7074 Email: admin@every-mind.co.uk
My name is Fiona Knott and I am a clinical psychologist specialising in working with children and adults with autism. I joined Every Mind in September 2020 and deliver therapy to young people.
I have been passionate about autism since I spent my gap year working in a school for children with autism in my home county of Dorset. Since then, I have been lucky enough to have worked as a clinician and an academic in a variety of settings. I completed a PhD at the University of Reading looking at the way children with autism interact with their siblings. In 1995 I qualified as a clinical psychologist at the University of Glasgow and spent a number of years in the West of Scotland working in child psychology services with children with a range of developmental and other difficulties. On my return to Reading in 2002, I took up a split post, working as a lecturer at the University and as a clinician in Berkshire CAMHS supporting children and families with autism spectrum disorders. Since leaving the NHS in 2014 I have worked in various settings as a clinical psychologist, including the Centre for Autism, University of Reading and at Prior’s Court School.
As well as working therapeutically with individuals and families, I have developed and run groups for parents and siblings and have delivered numerous training courses to professional and voluntary sector organisations. My academic research interests have two key areas. I am keen to understand attitudes to autism in order to improve awareness and reduce stigma. I am also keen to develop better understanding and treatments for anxiety as this is such a common problem for autistic people. I have a number of publications in these areas.
As a clinician I work holistically, starting by understanding young people’s strengths and challenges and then working with individuals and their families to find solutions. I find cognitive behaviour therapy a useful framework particularly when it is adapted for each individual and I particularly enjoy finding out about young peoples’ interests and using these creatively in the work we do together.
We have launched a new programme of workshops for parents of autistic children. Workshops include Supporting Self Esteem, Managing Anxiety, and the Transition to Adolescence. Please contact us for more information