Dr Melanie Smart

Biography

Following qualifying in 2006 from the University of Leicester Clinical Doctorate programme, Melanie has worked in Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) in Worcestershire and West Sussex. Alongside generic mental health assessment and intervention, specialisms in CAMHS have included pre-school mental health, including post-natal depression in parents, attachment and parent infant psychotherapy; pre-school and school age neurodevelopmental disorders and differential diagnosis, and neurodevelopmental trauma and looked after or maltreated children and young people.

Melanie has also been involved in extensive care pathway planning, service redesign and service evaluation of comprehensive CAMHS and LAC CAMHS.

Theoretical and treatment approaches consist mainly of Systemic and Narrative approaches, Brief Solution Focussed therapy, Parent Infant Psychotherapy, Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy and Theraplay.

Research interests

Neurodevelopmental trauma and attachment disruption, systemic mental health issues (parenting), infant mental health, mental health promotion and positive psychology (including post traumatic growth).

Departmental duties

Teaching Fellow Clinical (Tutor) for Trainee Clinical Psychologists,

Lecturing, Convening Teaching Units,

Assignment Co-Ordination,

Research Supervision and Placement Co-Ordination.

Affiliations

HCPC Registered Practitioner Psychologist

BPS Chartered Clinical Psychologist

Honorary Lecturer - University of Birmingham

Honorary Lecturer - University of Coventry and Warwick