Tricia Di Pino

Experienced Psychodynamic Child and Family Psychotherapist working with children, adolescents, young adults, parents and co-parents. I provide a reflective and collaborative space to explore emotional, behavioural and relational difficulties, helping families develop a deeper understanding of the experiences and dynamics that may be shaping a child’s wellbeing.

Training, Qualifications & Experience I have over 30 years’ experience working with children, young people and families across education, social care, Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) and private practice. My career began as a Nursery Officer, where my fascination with childhood development first emerged and led me to pursue a career supporting children and families. Following completion of my Social Work degree in 2003, I worked as a Children and Families Social Worker across several London boroughs, specialising in parenting assessments and therapeutic interventions. This provided me with extensive experience working alongside families facing a wide range of challenges, including family breakdown, trauma, safeguarding concerns, loss, mental health difficulties and complex family dynamics. My desire to develop a deeper understanding of children’s emotional worlds led me to train as a Psychodynamic Child and Family Psychotherapist. I subsequently worked within a London CAMHS service for 11 years, initially as a Clinical Social Worker and later as a Child and Family Psychotherapist, providing assessment, consultation and therapeutic interventions for children, young people and their families. Throughout my career, I have developed particular expertise in working with emotional and behavioural difficulties, anxiety, attachment difficulties, trauma, bereavement and loss, family breakdown, parental separation, co-parenting difficulties and relationship challenges. I also provide consultation and support to schools, social care professionals, GPs and other organisations working with children and families. Qualifications • MA Psychodynamic Psychotherapy with Children, Young People and Families (Distinction) – Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust, 2019 • MSc Psychodynamics of Human Development – Birkbeck, University of London, 2008 • BSc Social Work – Buckinghamshire University, 2003

I am an experienced Psychodynamic Child and Family Psychotherapist with over 30 years’ experience working with children, adolescents, young adults and their families across both statutory and therapeutic services.

Prior to qualifying as a Psychotherapist, I worked as a Social Worker supporting children, young people and families facing a wide range of challenges. This experience provided me with a deep understanding of the realities many families encounter, including family breakdown, separation, trauma, loss, safeguarding concerns, mental health difficulties, neurodiversity and the pressures of everyday family life. Having worked alongside families in both social care and therapeutic settings, I recognise that there is rarely a simple explanation for a child’s difficulties and that every family’s story is unique.

Children and young people are often brought to therapy because they are struggling in some way — through their emotions, behaviour, relationships, school experiences or life circumstances. Whilst the child may be the one presenting with the difficulty, my experience is that meaningful and lasting change often comes from understanding the wider context in which they are living.

My approach is grounded in psychodynamic thinking, which means I am interested in understanding the deeper emotional experiences that may be influencing a young person’s thoughts, feelings, behaviours and relationships. Alongside individual work, I place great importance on working collaboratively with parents and carers, helping families develop a deeper understanding of themselves, one another and the patterns that may be contributing to difficulties.

I have extensive experience working with separated, divorced and co-parenting families. Family breakdown, differing parenting approaches, unresolved conflict and communication difficulties can have a significant impact on children’s emotional wellbeing and development. At times, children can become caught in the middle of parental disagreements, leaving them struggling to make sense of competing loyalties, emotions and expectations.

My role is not to take sides, but to provide a thoughtful and reflective space where parents can develop a greater understanding of their child’s emotional experience and consider how family dynamics may be influencing difficulties. Through this process, parents are often able to communicate more effectively, think together about their child’s needs and work towards creating a more secure and emotionally supportive environment for their child.

I aim to provide a warm, compassionate and non-judgemental space where children, young people and families can feel heard, understood and supported to make sense of their experiences.