Alison Woods – Hospital Manager

Alison has a wealth of experience in clinical and operational Health Service Management, having worked for 23 years in the NHS and 21 years in the private sector. She started her career as a Registered General Nurse in 1982 and had a professional career as a Senior Nurse in acute hospital services, midwifery and primary health.

Prior to joining Cygnet Health Care in October 2022, Alison was the Hospital Director at the Frenchay Brain Injury Rehabilitation Centre in Bristol for 21 years. Alison enjoyed expanding this regional service from a 24 bed neuro-rehabilitation service to a 52 bed service, opening a new hospital in 2016. In her earlier career she managed acute, community and rehabilitation Mental Health Services in Avon and Western Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust and primary health community services in North Bristol NHS Trust.

Alison is a passionate manager, committed to visible and compassionate leadership. She strives to ensure that service users are at the heart of Cygnet Alders Clinic and have a voice in their care at all levels in the service. She enjoys MDT working and supporting and motivating the team to constantly aim to deliver high standards of care, improve the service and achieve good outcomes for service users on their rehabilitation pathway.

Dr Mark Luffingham - Consultant Psychiatrist

Dr Mark Luffingham joined Alders in February 2016. He graduated from Southampton University in 1999 before completing specialist training and qualifications in Bristol and Adelaide. Mark has gained wide experience across a number of settings in the U.K. and Australia. He is on the Specialist Register for General Psychiatry and has worked as a Consultant Psychiatrist in inpatient and community settings both in the NHS and private sector. His areas of special interest include rehabilitation psychiatry, CBT, personality disorders, patient engagement and supervision. Outside of work he lives with his family and numerous pets and enjoys walking, tennis and camping.

Philip Petts - Clinical Manager

Philip has been working at Cygnet Alders Clinic since August 2022 and has a passion for high quality care to be delivered to the patients and also to build a strong, experienced, well trained nursing team within Alders.

Philip is a registered Mental Health Nurse and has worked in the field of mental health for over 36 years and has a vast experience in working within the NHS as an acute Ward Manager, Senior Nurse, Staff Nurse and as a CPN, Community Nurse. Philip has 8 years’ experience working as a Hospital Director / Registered Manager in the private sector in both male and female rehabilitation, PICU services as well as acute male / female services and private wards. Philip is also a fitness instructor and developed a mental health drop-in-centre service in Wales, which encouraged people with mental health problems to engage in physical activities.

Isabel Booth - Severn Ward Manager

Isabel has worked within the mental health field for over 20 years, gaining experience in a range of settings. She is a Registered Mental Health Nurse and has also previously practiced as a Cognitive Behavioural Therapist, firmly believing in the power of combining nursing and psychological practice to support recovery and well-being.

Isabel is hugely passionate about women’s services, with a drive to support women who have experienced trauma and promote female empowerment and resilience using a compassion based approach.

Isabel also has a strong interest in staff well-being and is the well-being lead for Alders. In addition, Isabel is dedicated to staff development and has enjoyed supporting many student nurses in her role as Practice Assessor. Culture and Compassionate Leadership are areas of keen interest for Isabel, who is currently studying Operational Management at UCB.

Outside work Isabel enjoys hiking and exploring new places.

Charlene McIntosh - Lead Psychologist

Charlene obtained her qualification (Cum Laude) in 2006, from South Africa. She spent the next 10 years working as the head psychologist at The Kenmont School, a remedial school in Durban. She developed a wide range of psychological skills and played an active role in developing a department that offered psychological services to students, their family members and the broader community.

In 2016, she joined a private practice offering a range of psychological services with a particular interest in health psychology and personality disorders. Charlene worked as the lead psychologist for The Durban Pain Clinic and has worked in an in-patient psychiatric hospital providing psychological treatment for both acute mental health issues, as well long-term therapeutic support for personality disorders. Charlene is also trained in Autism specific assessment (ADOS) and neuropsychological assessments.

Syitah Idress – Psychotherapist

Syitah holds an education degree in counselling and previously worked as a school counsellor, establishing and running a counselling service for an international school in Malaysia. She worked with adolescents and young adults who were suffering from various mental health issues, as well as the whole school community in providing psycho education. As part of the school Multidisciplinary team, she also worked as deputy to the safeguarding officer.

Syitah later pursued her postgraduate studies in Glasgow where she completed a master’s degree in Counselling and Psychotherapy. Following this, she worked as a counsellor with adults in various settings such as private counselling practice, employee assistance programmes and charities. She has experience with adults in short and long-term therapy settings, working with anxiety, trauma, grief, anger, relationship issues and many more.

Her main interests are therapeutic relationship, trauma, emotion processing and psycho-education. Syitah enjoys weightlifting, walks and listening to all sorts of music to switch off.

Tessa Taylor – Art Psychotherapist

Tessa completed her Masters qualification in Art Psychotherapy from University of South Wales in 2023 and joined Cygnet Alders Clinic later that year. Tessa has worked as an artist for over 25 years and deeply understands the therapeutic benefits art-making can facilitate. She is passionate about women’s mental health having worked with women in a variety of capacities throughout her career. Alongside her work at the Alders Clinic, Tessa continues to work in women’s refuge services where she has worked since 2019. Tessa has experience delivering art psychotherapy in NHS community adult mental health services, working with people with profound and complex disability and learning needs and with children, young people and families.

Tessa enjoys being outdoors in nature, walking and gardening, and using natural and found objects in art-making, encouraging connection to the surrounding environment and working creatively at every opportunity.

Millie Schofield - Assistant Psychologist

Millie joined Cygnet Alders Clinic as an Assistant Psychologist in October 2022. Millie previously gained experience as an Assistant Psychologist at Cygnet Brunel, alongside her role as Ward Clerk, whereby she provided clinical support for men with brain injuries.

Millie’s main interests relate to Forensic Psychology, and the role of mental health in the criminal justice system. She has also developed a passion for rehabilitation, and is regularly involved with this through her volunteering with Circles South West.

Millie completed her BSc in Forensic Psychology at the University of Portsmouth and then went on to complete her MSc in Forensic Psychology at Royal Holloway, University of London. In the future, she intends complete a doctorate in Clinical Forensic Psychology.

Dulcie Lily – Occupational Therapist

Dulcie joined the Alders Multidisciplinary Team in July 2023, her previous experience is working with young people with complex needs in a school and college setting, including students with Autism Spectrum Condition (ASC). She has a special interest in women’s mental health, having spent time in both in-patient and community teams. Dulcie is excited to join the MDT at Alders and is passionate about patient co-production on the therapy programme and group timetables, as well as making links with outside organisations, to increase what the OT service can offer the patients during their rehabilitation.

Dulcie’s meaningful occupations include growing flowers for cutting on her allotment, cooking new recipes and Pilates.