Clinical Psychologist

Through 30 years of clinical practice, I have developed a unique way of working with families and guiding teams to support young people. Relationships fray when neurodiversity is misunderstood, or mental health is poor.

Using the tools of neuroscience, years of experience and plenty of compassion, I help people change, grow and thrive within safe, nurturing and healthy relationships.

Support & consultation for parents

If your child is struggling, it can feel like the hardest thing in the world. When do I push them? When do I protect them? What does the science say? What does a diagnosis mean for how I parent?  Whether it’s a one-off consultation, some regular sessions or long-term support over many years, this is the work I love to do.

  • Reflect on your own childhood to solve your own struggles
  • Receive key ideas from neuroscience so you can understand your own child
  • Specialist support to navigate your child’s diagnosis (e.g. ADHD)
  • In London face-to-face or online

My aim is to enable parents to nurture a psychologically safe home environment for their children and ensure their kids continue to grow and learn. I work with families across the full spectrum of ages and challenges. I have expertise in neurodiversity so often work with families where there is a diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder and/or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. I have developed an approach where the ‘Executive Functions’ are strengthened as part of family life. 

Therapy: One to one work with parents

I offer a flexible and bespoke approach to working with parents.

  • Some parents are looking for 1-3 sessions to understand what is going on at a time of stress, to decode the meaning of a recent diagnosis for them or their child or to disentangle issues at home.
  • Some parents are looking for more substantial input and we might meet for 6 sessions or more. These sessions are part ‘psycho-educational’, where I will talk through some key tools and strategies, based on neuroscience and psychological science, that we know work best with all children to meet their psychological needs. Of course, all families are different and the other part of the work focuses on parent’s past and how this impacts on family life, communication and the parent-child relationship. Some self-reflection is required and this is extremely powerful. The engagement of the parents truly benefits their kids and together we can unlock patterns and find ways through the most challenging difficulties.
  • For some parents and families, I have a longer-term relationship where we continue to meet for months or even years as children grow and their developmental needs change. This would be at less regular intervals, where I offer a sorting space for parents to work through problems – acting as a kind of specialist thought partner.

Groups: Courses for parents

I have developed a course for parents of teenagers (called Connected Teens), which combines the neuroscience of adolescent brain development with key concepts from attachment theory (co-written with Clare Gates and Jenny Peters). These are group courses of  around 6-12 people with a weekly 90 minute (live zoom) session for 6 weeks. It’s a good opportunity to learn the science while also sharing experiences with parents who may share similar struggles. For more information including dates, contact pari@walkerpost.co.uk

Neurodevelopmental assessments

I work as part of the London Neurodiversity Clinic with a team of excellent clinicians where we offer comprehensive assessments for Autism Spectrum Disorder. If you know this is the assessment you are looking for, please contact pari@walkerpost.co.uk

Information and resources online

With the aim of reaching a broader audience, I have recently begun to put content on social media to support families, teachers and all adults supporting children and teenagers. These are short ‘parent tips’ focussing on a single subject. Please look me up on Instagram, Twitter/X and YouTube – @drbettinahohnen.

I look forward to working with you soon and hope you will find the neuroscience and psychological science as fascinating and helpful as me, and we can work to support the wellbeing of your children and strengthen the relationships that matter the most.