About Bettina
Bettina came to academia relatively late in life. She was in her early 20’s when she found her love of learning and a passion for the field of psychology. Gaining a 1st at the of University of Kent in her undergraduate degree she then studied for a PhD in behavioural genetics at University College London (UCL). Spurred by her desire to provide more direct help, she went on to earn her Doctorate in Clinical Psychology, training within the National Health Service (NHS).
Her early career experiences working with children with neurodevelopmental disorders at Great Ormond Street Hospital inspired her to develop further in this field with specialist training in Paediatric Neuropsychology at UCL.
In her private practice Bettina works therapeutically with parents, young people and families. She has many years’ experience carrying out complex educational assessments and as a result has an in-depth knowledge of neurodiversity and its impact. In 2016 she co-founded Connections in Mind, an organisation devoted to increasing awareness of Executive Functioning skills and their impact on young people’s lives. Now independent from Connections in Mind she continues to be one of the UK’s leading lecturers and consultants on the impact and implications of executive skills functions on children’s lives.
Bettina holds an honorary position as Senior Clinical Teaching Fellow at UCL. She enjoys teaching across UCL to Masters and Doctoral students on a range of topics that reflect her clinical work.
Bettina’s children are grown up now enabling her to write and publish more. She is an engaging lecturer, writes for the national press and is a regular guest on podcasts and radio. She is recognised for her sharp, engaging lectures where she distils complex ideas into actionable strategies that parents and teachers can use. She runs a small private practice and loves working with parents, teachers and professionals who support young people. Jane and Bettina have been commissioned to write two more books which are well underway on other incredible topics related to children for parents and teachers.
The Incredible Teenage Brain
Bettina Hohnen, Jane Gilmour and Tara Murphy
While the teenage years are often associated with difficulty and challenge, neuroscience is beginning to shift this narrative as we see how the teenage brain is wonderfully adapted to the important tasks of this time of life. In The Incredible Teenage Brain book Bettina, Jane and Tara offer a thorough review of the science in this field and translate what it means for parents, teachers and professionals supporting teens. This award winning book is written in an accessible style with clear messages, case studies, top tips and action points.
Jane and Bettina studied together, both with a strong interest in and respect for young people and dreamed of writing a book together one day. Along with their colleague Tara, who they met while working at Great Ormond Street Hospital, they produced this accessible, science based book which one mother said she found “so full of useful recommendations that I’ll be using it like TripAdvisor in researching my teens for months and years to come” (Valerie Lindsay).
The Incredible Teenage Brain is an Amazon Bestseller.
How to Have Incredible Conversations With Your Child
Jane Gilmour and Bettina Hohnen
Parents want to communicate with their children, find out what is going on in their life at home and at school, but they find it hard to get conversations going or find the right context to communicate meaningfully with their children. Yet all the science is telling us that communication and conversation skills are the key to long-term well being.
Jane and Bettina’s second book offers parents a place to build their relationship with their child through shared experience and conversation. Expect a variety of creative, engaging props that cover four points on a well-being compass Who are you? How are you? What helps? What gets in your way? It is aimed at parents and children of primary school age so is a kind of prequel to the Incredible Teenage Brain, setting families up for adolescence.
If you are looking to strengthen your relationship with your child while getting to know them better and offering your child a sorting space to figure our how they feel, look no further.
