DClinPsy, PGCert, BSc
Clinical Psychologist and Cognitive Behavioural Therapist
Adult and Child and Mental Health, Anxiety Disorders, OCD, Autism Spectrum Condition, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

Hello, my name is Aylana. I am a Clinical Psychologist and BABCP-accredited CBT therapist based in South East London (East Dulwich), and I also offer remote therapy. I completed my Doctorate in Clinical Psychology at King’s College London Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience.

I am passionate about providing warm, compassionate, and person-centred psychological care to children, young people, adults, and families. I work in a collaborative, empathetic, and non-judgemental way, creating a safe space where individuals feel understood and supported to explore their experiences, build on their strengths, and work towards meaningful change. I aim to tailor therapy carefully to each person, recognising their unique background, needs, and goals.

I have over eight years’ experience working within the NHS across a wide range of settings, including adult mental health, older adults’ memory and dementia services, learning disability services, paediatric health psychology, child neuropsychology, and specialist Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS). I currently work clinically within the National and Specialist OCD, BDD and Related Disorders Service for Children and Young People at South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, providing specialist assessment and evidence-based treatment to young people and families across the UK.

I have also worked within the National and Specialist CAMHS Service for Complex Autism and Associated Neurodevelopmental Disorders (SCAAND) and have a particular interest in supporting children and young people with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) to access and benefit from psychological therapies. I am experienced in adapting CBT for neurodivergent individuals, ensuring therapy is accessible, flexible, and responsive to different communication styles and cognitive profiles.

Experience in:
– Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
– Social Anxiety Disorder
– Generalised Anxiety Disorder
– Panic and agoraphobia
– Specific phobias (including blood-injection-injury phobia)
– Health anxiety
– Trauma and PTSD
– Low mood and depression

Further training in:
– Specialist assessment of OCD and BDD
– Specialist treatment of OCD and repetitive behaviours
– Foundation-level training in Systemic Therapy (Association of Family Therapy and Systemic Practice)
– Autism assessment using the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule – Second Edition (ADOS-2)

I am fully registered with the Health Care Professional Council as a Registered Clinical Psychologist: PYL046957

I am fully accredited with the British Association for Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapies: 1046828

Research & Special Interests

My clinical work is informed by a strong research background. I am a peer-reviewed author and have contributed to academic publications. I have a particular interest in autism and neurodiversity, as well as racial and ethnic minority mental health. My doctoral research explored the relationship between racial discrimination, social anxiety, racial-ethnic identity, and internalised racism in Black adults in the UK — one of the first studies of its kind in this area.

Selected Publications

Ho, J. K. Y., Brewster, A., Kienzler, H., & Brown, J. S. L. (2026). Perceived Discrimination and Mental Health Among First-Generation East Asian Immigrants: A Systematic Review. Journal of Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities, 1-22.

Adams, L., Adamo, N., Hollocks, M. J., Watson, J., Brewster, A., Valmaggia, L., … & Simonoff, E. (2023). Autistic young people’s experiences of remote psychological interventions during COVID-19. Autism, 27(6), 1616-1627.

Lei, J., Saoulidi, A., Muranjan, A., Deane, H., Brewster, A., & Hollocks, M. J. (2023). Exploring the Association between Cognitive Inflexibility, Irritability, and Depressive Symptoms in Relation to Autism Traits in Adolescents. INSAR 2023.

Adams, L., Simonoff, E., Tierney, K., Hollocks, M. J., Brewster, A., Watson, J., & Valmaggia, L. (2022). Developing a user-informed intervention study of a virtual reality therapy for social anxiety in autistic adolescents. Design for Health, 6(1), 114-133.

Adams, L., Adamo, N., Hollocks, M. J., Valmaggia, L., Brewster, A., Watson, J., … & Simonoff, E. (2022). Examining clinicians’ concerns delivering telemental health interventions directly to autistic individuals during COVID-19. Research in autism spectrum disorders, 94, 101956.

Flannery, H., Glew, S., Brewster, A., & Christie, D. (2017, December). Measuring outcomes of psychological well-being within paediatric health settings. In Healthcare (Vol. 6, No. 1, p. 1). MDPI.