Meet the DISCOVER team

Irene Sclare

Consultant Clinical Psychologist

Irene is a consultant clinical psychologist who created DISCOVER as a service innovation in 2010, and has since shaped and refined the programme so that DISCOVER can reach troubled young people in schools and clinics, and help resolve their problems.

She has also evaluated the impact and effectiveness of DISCOVER, with psychology colleagues at Kings College, London, and continues to explore ways to sustain participants’ progress. Irene has worked in the Trust for over twenty years within Child and Adolescent Mental Health services in various settings.

Irene has expertise in adolescent mental health and provision of evidence-based treatments for teenagers and families, service innovations in community and multi-agency working, and staff training. 

Ruth Braidwood

Clinical Psychologist

Ruth is a Clinical Psychologist who graduated from UCL with a Doctorate in Clinical Psychology in 2017. Prior to clinical training, Ruth worked in an anxiety disorders research group at King's College London, and at UCL developing NICE guidelines for mental health.

Ruth has skills and experience in a range of child and adolescent interventions and in multi-agency working. Ruth has a strong commitment to developing innovative services that are acceptable to young people and families who may find difficulty accessing mainstream support.

In addition to running the DISCOVER programme in schools, Ruth is leading the Lambeth schools initiative in conjunction with Lambeth CAMHS, and led the project to develop the DISCOVER app in 2019.

Emilie Bourke

Clinical Psychologist

Emilie is a clinical psychologist who completed her Doctorate in Clinical Psychology at University College London (UCL). Before taking up this post within the DISCOVER team in 2020, she worked across a range of settings including as the psychologist for an inpatient ward, offering therapeutic support for young people during times of mental health crisis.

Prior to clinical training, Emilie was part of a research group at the University of Oxford that develops evidence-based therapeutic interventions for people living with psychosis. She is passionate about engaging young people as well as their families so that psychological ideas and strategies feel applicable within everyday life. Emilie is committed to the DISCOVER ethos of inclusivity and early intervention to foster resilience in young people.

Rhian Parham

Senior Clinical Psychologist

Dr Rhian Parham is a Senior Clinical Psychologist who joined the DISCOVER team in July 2019. Aside from her work in running the main programme in schools, Rhian is leading on the development of package of resources to support sixth form teachers to deliver mental health and wellbeing content to their students.

Prior to joining the DISCOVER team, Rhian has worked in both the National and Specialist Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) CAMHS and the Service for Complex Autism & Associated Neurodevelopmental Disorders (SCAAND).

Rhian has a particular interest in supporting young people with autism to access psychological therapies, as well as the delivery of psychological interventions in the school setting. Rhian completed her Doctorate in Clinical Psychology at Salomons, Canterbury Christ Church University.

Dr Jack Nejand

Clinical Psychologist

Jack graduated from King’s College London (KCL) with a Doctorate in Clinical Psychology in 2021. He joined DISCOVER as a qualified Clinical Psychologist following a 12-month placement with the team in his final year of clinical training.

As well as running the DISCOVER programme in our partner schools, Jack is undertaking an evaluation of the DISCOVER Emotional Wellbeing session currently offered to whole sixth-forms, to extend its impact and accessibility. This project is funded by Maudsley Charity and involves collaborating with students via surveys and focus groups.

Prior to clinical training, Jack worked on a neuro-rehabilitation ward, and at the Social Communication Disorders Clinic at Great Ormond Street Hospital during undergraduate degree at the University of Bath. He is particularly committed to increasing access to psychological support within the school setting within the DISCOVER outreach approach. 

 

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