Hand-picked for you
Reach comprises of Director Ruth Chapman, and hand-picked associates. We never use staff we don’t know. Our network includes other psychologists, counsellors, psychologists in training and a Consultant SENCo.
All of our practitioners have experience of working in a variety of settings and can offer a wealth of skill and expertise in applying psychological theory in order to deliver high quality assessments, training and intervention packages.
The Team
All Reach staff are hand-picked for their skills, personality and personal and professional experiences.
Ruth Chapman
Ruth created Reach Psychology with a passion to make psychological thinking and support easy to understand and stigma-free for people and places that ordinarily wouldn't use it. Those people and places have included reluctant adults and children, high net worth clients, schools, looked after children, social services, law firms, charities and even a film set. Ruth is known for her energy, her support-and-challenge style and her ability to connect with those anxious about all that psychological support entails. She’s a consultant, facilitator, supervisor, expert witness and therapist as well as responsible for the day to day running of Reach and raising her headstrong daughter. Ruth is an aspiring features writer and perpetual student; currently undertaking a remote learning course at the London School of Journalism.
Deb O'Keeffe
You’ll usually find Deb in a school counselling a young person or undertaking wellbeing support calls to staff or adult clients. Deb joined us with extensive experience supporting adults with diagnosed mental health difficulties and overcame her own barrier to learning (dyslexia) to gain a Degree in Counselling. She has first-hand experience of navigating the Special Educational Needs system as a mother of a child with significant disabilities, now thriving at University. Deb is one of the busiest members of the team. To relax, she escapes to the coast in her caravan and enjoys time with her family.
Laura Buzzing
With over fifteen years of experience working with children and families as a qualified teacher and pastoral lead, a strong background in positive behaviour management and counselling skills, Laura is ideally placed to provide home-school collaborative work. She's already training others, visiting lecturing and holds her own case load (supervised by Ruth) as she is an accredited member of the NCPS and a Registered member of the BACP. When she's not working on her thesis, you'll find Laura's love of music manifesting in an 80s sing-a-long.
Mary-Claire Booth
Mary-Claire is an experienced Educational Psychologist who has worked with a number of local authorities and directly supported young people in schools. She brings a solution-focused and systemic, consultation-led approach to Reach. Managing chronic pain and being part of a military family, Mary-Claire also brings a significant understanding of the many additional challenges families can face. When not supporting schools and families for Reach, she is typically playing in the park with her daughter or tending to their pet rats.
Becky Hall
Becky loves a spreadsheet! She is a part-time finance manager at a kitchen company, member of the chartered institute of management accountants (CIMA) and brings her undergraduate degree in psychology as a great fit to be the associate practice manager for Reach. Becky helps coordinate the work of the associates and liaises with clients. In her free time, Becky is either taking her eldest daughter to auditions for musicals or taking her to netball matches or is watching her youngest daughter at swim training whilst she dreams of her next cruise holiday.
Georgia Flavell
We snapped Georgia up from her voluntary placement with Reach and offered her work. She came with a first class honours degree in Psychology and Counselling studies and has experience of providing person-centred care to deaf adults who also experience other mental health challenges. For Reach, Georgia counsels young people in schools and has worked with vulnerable populations as well as those in more affluent settings. Don't be fooled by the word 'trainee' - Georgia has completed over 100 hours of counselling on placement alone alongside employment and associate work with Reach.
Coming Soon - Amelia Treasure
Amelia joins us having completed her Masters in Integrative Counselling and Psychotherapy and has a background in supporting young people in schools as well as caring for adults. When not with Reach, Amelia counsels women who have experienced domestic abuse. As a mum to a toddler, there's little down-time for Amelia; she enjoys her church community and the wonder of toddler-related days out!
Anna Dalton
Anna is a qualified teacher who has a passion for inclusion. As well as being a qualified SENCO and having a postgraduate diploma in dyslexia research and practice she also has a Masters in Special Educational Needs and Inclusion. Anna supports future paralympic athletes with their education while they are on the programme. This includes supporting them in classroom-based learning and through their international classifications. We are envious she went with them to the Paralympics in Paris in 2024! For Reach, Anna offers consultation and assessments regarding learning and social-emotional needs and is well placed to support families make sense of diagnoses their child may have received. A mum to three, her favourite times are on the beach in Wales where they can all run wild!