“Children are not their behaviour.”
In the NHS since 1999 · Consultant & Lead Clinician since 2004. Everything starts with understanding — a written formulation before any plan.
“For parents, I start with what mornings are really like in your house — and I will never judge how you've handled them.”
“For adults, this often begins late at night, with a question that won't settle. Wanting to understand yourself properly isn't self-indulgence — it's the first step.”
“For referrers: a signpost is enough — and with the family's consent, you'll hear back properly, in writing.”
“For fellow clinicians: supervision from someone still in the work — restorative as well as clinical, with room for the cases that stay with you.”
You've found a good place to start.
Tell me who this is for, and I'll show you only what matters to you.
Choose the one that fits — you can change your choice at any time.
In crisis right now?
For your privacy, this site sets no cookies and keeps no record of your visit.
Worried about your child? You're in the right place.
You don't need to wait for a crisis, and you don't need to be sure. Noticing early and asking the question is good parenting — not overreacting.
You know your child best. My role is to join your team — never to judge your parenting.
When school stops working
Some children can't attend school — not won't, can't. It has a name now — School Can't, or emotionally based school avoidance — and it is a nervous-system response, not naughtiness or poor parenting. If your mornings end in tears (sometimes everyone's), you are in one of the loneliest corners of parenting, and you are far from alone.
I work with families wherever they are with school: working towards a return, part-time or flexi arrangements, or home educating — whether by choice or because school became impossible. There is no judgement here about the path you're on; the work is understanding your child, so the next step is the right one.
Claire is a Consultant Clinical Psychologist with NHS experience since 1999, and particular expertise in anxiety, OCD, autism and neurodivergence in children and young people.
HCPC registered · verify registration PYL18637 →
Moments parents often describe
"School mornings have become battles."
"They're exhausted from holding it together all day."
"We're told they're fine at school — but home tells a different story."
Talk to me first — without your child
Many parents start with a conversation on their own. Nothing happens without your agreement.
The first conversation is gentle
No couch, no interrogation — a relaxed conversation at your child's pace.
No labels unless they help
Understanding comes first. Any next steps are decided together.
Not all "therapists" are the same
There are many good people in mental health — including excellent counsellors. But "therapist" is not a legally protected title; anyone may use it. "Clinical Psychologist" is protected by law — it requires HCPC registration and doctoral-level training.
Don't take anyone's word for it — including mine. My registration is PYL18637; see it for yourself in under a minute.
View my registration on the HCPC register →The First Step Consultation
I keep my caseload deliberately small — so my time goes where it can make a genuine difference. Every family begins the same way:
- Before you meet — a short pre-consultation checklist, completed at home in your own time
- A structured 90-minute consultation — your child's story and the essentials, explored properly, without the clock cutting you short
- The written formulation — a detailed document, yours to keep: what's going on for your child, why, and exactly what I recommend
- The recommendation — the right way forward stated plainly: therapy and how many sessions, an assessment, or signposting to the right service
From her formulation, one of three clear outcomes
- A recommended therapy — and which kind
- A recommended assessment — where one would genuinely help
- Signposting to the right service — if I'm not the best fit
Payments secured by Stripe
Whatever the outcome, you keep the written formulation — that is the minimum you leave with. Sometimes the honest answer is that nothing more is needed; that answer has real value too.
The therapies I use — CBT, CFT, ACT, EMDR, solution-focused and systemic approaches — include those recommended in NICE guidance for difficulties like these.
Sessions are online over Teams, working visually together — I share my screen and we build plans and lists side by side. For younger people we keep a shared task book between sessions, so nothing gets forgotten. For families within 35 miles, home appointments are also available.
Written for nights like tonight
Is It Time to Seek Support?
Gentle signs worth noticing — duration, change, impact.
Download PDFTalking to Your Child About Seeing a Psychologist
The conversation parents dread is gentler than feared.
Download PDFStaying Steady Under Pressure
Five evidence-based ways to keep a clear head.
Download PDFWhy Time Matters
The honest picture of children's services — and why acting early helps.
Download PDFDr Claire Millward — at a glance
Registration, training, specialisms and how the practice works — one page to keep or forward.
Download PDFUnlock the guides
Enter your email and they're yours — free, instantly.
Your email is never shared. See our privacy policy.
Book your First Step Consultation
A few short questions — about a minute — and I'll reply personally, usually within two working days, to arrange your hour and send the pre-consultation checklist.
Thank you — your request has been sent.
I'll be in touch personally, usually within two working days, to arrange your First Step Consultation and send the pre-consultation checklist.
This form is not monitored for urgent concerns. If you or your child needs urgent help, contact your GP, call NHS 111, or in an emergency call 999.
Questions parents often ask
Do we need a GP referral?
No — you can contact me directly; no referral is needed. Some families do come via their GP or school, and that's welcome too.
What ages do you see?
Children and young people from 0 to 25, and their families. For children under 8 — and for children with an intellectual disability — the most effective work usually happens alongside parents and carers, so that's how we begin.
Can I talk to you without my child knowing?
Yes. Many parents begin with a conversation on their own — the First Step Consultation can happen without your child present, and nothing happens without your agreement.
A note on discretion: for exactly this reason, this site sets no cookies and keeps no record of your visit — nothing here will follow you around the internet as adverts or reminders. On a shared device, the only trace is your own browser history, so if you'd rather leave none at all, open this site in a private browsing window.
What is the First Step Consultation?
The deliberate starting point for everyone (£200): a short pre-consultation checklist completed at home, then a structured 90-minute consultation with me. From it I write you a detailed formulation document — what's going on, why, and exactly what I recommend: therapy and how many sessions, an assessment where one would genuinely help, or signposting to a better-suited service. Whatever happens next, that document is yours to keep.
What do sessions cost after the consultation?
If I recommend working together, sessions are £139 per hour. Your written formulation will say how many I recommend — a minimum of six, up to twenty-four — and how payment is structured is agreed openly at the consultation, never before. There are no surprise fees and never pressure to continue.
How will we know it's working?
We review progress openly together, using recognised outcome measures — typically the RCADS, SDQ and Beck Youth Inventory — so you always know whether it's working, and therapy never simply drifts.
How often are sessions?
Weekly. That isn't admin convenience — momentum is where change happens, and gaps cost more than the week they take. Holidays happen, and the odd session moves; but weekly is the rhythm that works, and I'll say so honestly if it's slipping.
Is everything confidential?
Yes — in line with professional and legal standards. The only exception, always explained clearly at the start, is a serious concern about someone's safety.
What if my child refuses to come?
That's common, and not the end of the road. Parents can begin on their own, and many pieces of work start exactly that way.
Is there anyone you can't help?
Yes — and I'll tell you honestly. I don't provide emergency or crisis care, court reports or medico-legal assessments, or ongoing care that needs a full multi-disciplinary or inpatient team. If that's your family's situation, I'll say so at the First Step Consultation — or before — and point you to the right service. Stating the limits of a practice is part of practising well.
This page was written for parents — if that's not quite you:
Something doesn't feel right — and you'd like to understand it.
Worry that won't switch off. Sleep that doesn't refresh. Feeling flat, foggy, or "not yourself" for weeks. Coping by over-working, over-checking, or avoiding. You don't need a diagnosis to deserve understanding.
Some people are recognised early. Others learn to mask — appearing to cope while feeling exhausted inside. I specialise in seeing what's been missed.
Claire is a Consultant Clinical Psychologist with NHS experience since 1999 — with particular expertise in anxiety, OCD, trauma, and in recognising autism and neurodivergence in adults, including presentations often missed in women.
HCPC registered · verify registration PYL18637 →
How I help adults
Anxiety in all its forms
Worry, social anxiety, phobias, climate anxiety, fear of mistakes and criticism, rejection sensitivity.
OCD & Pure O
Intrusive thoughts and compulsions — understood properly, with structured evidence-based approaches.
Autism, ADHD & AuDHD
Late recognition, masking, PDA — a pervasive drive for autonomy — and adjusting to a new understanding of yourself.
Trauma
Difficult experiences that still shape today — including EMDR.
Low mood & self-criticism
Flatness, harsh inner voices, and low self-esteem.
Overwhelm & dysregulation
Strong feelings that arrive faster than they can be managed — and knowing you are not your behaviour.
Not all "therapists" are the same
"Therapist" and "counsellor" are not legally protected titles in the UK — anyone may use them. "Clinical Psychologist" is protected by law, requiring HCPC registration and doctoral-level training. Whoever you choose, ask which register they're on — and verify it.
Don't take anyone's word for it — including mine. My registration is PYL18637; see it for yourself in under a minute.
View my registration on the HCPC register →The First Step Consultation
I keep my caseload deliberately small — so my time goes where it can make a genuine difference. Everyone begins the same way:
- Before you meet — a short pre-consultation checklist, completed in your own time
- A structured 90-minute consultation — your story and the essentials, explored properly, without the clock cutting you short
- The written formulation — a detailed document, yours to keep: what's going on, why, and exactly what I recommend
- The recommendation — the right way forward stated plainly: therapy and how many sessions, an assessment, or signposting to the right service
From her formulation, one of three clear outcomes
- A recommended therapy — and which kind
- A recommended assessment — where one would genuinely help
- Signposting to the right service — if I'm not the best fit
Payments secured by Stripe
Whatever the outcome, you keep the written formulation — that is the minimum you leave with. Sometimes the honest answer is that nothing more is needed; that answer has real value too.
The therapies I use — CBT, CFT, ACT, EMDR, solution-focused and systemic approaches — include those recommended in NICE guidance for difficulties like these.
Sessions are online over Teams, working visually together — I share my screen and we build plans and lists side by side. For younger people we keep a shared task book between sessions, so nothing gets forgotten. For families within 35 miles, home appointments are also available.
Start with understanding
Staying Steady Under Pressure
Five evidence-based techniques for a clearer head.
Download PDFGetting What You Need From Therapy
Being an active partner in your own care.
Download PDFNot All Therapists Are the Same
Which UK titles are protected — and what they guarantee.
Download PDFIs It Time to Seek Support?
Duration, change, impact — a kind rule of thumb.
Download PDFDr Claire Millward — at a glance
Registration, training, specialisms and how the practice works — one page to keep or forward.
Download PDFUnlock the guides
Enter your email and they're yours — free, instantly.
Your email is never shared. See our privacy policy.
Book your First Step Consultation
A few short questions — about a minute — and I'll reply personally, usually within two working days, to arrange your hour and send the pre-consultation checklist.
Thank you — your request has been sent.
I'll be in touch personally, usually within two working days, to arrange your First Step Consultation and send the pre-consultation checklist.
This form is not monitored for urgent concerns. If you need urgent help, contact your GP, call NHS 111, or in an emergency call 999.
Questions people often ask
Do I need a GP referral?
No — you can contact me directly; no referral is needed.
What is the First Step Consultation?
The deliberate starting point for everyone (£200): a short pre-consultation checklist completed in your own time, then a structured 90-minute consultation with me. From it I write you a detailed formulation document — what's going on, why, and exactly what I recommend. Whatever happens next, that document is yours to keep.
Could this be autism or ADHD I've masked for years?
It's a question many adults arrive with — especially women recognised late or never. The consultation is designed for exactly this: understanding first, and an honest view on whether a formal assessment would genuinely help.
Is everything confidential?
Yes — in line with professional and legal standards. The only exception, always explained clearly at the start, is a serious concern about someone's safety.
That confidentiality starts before you ever get in touch: this site sets no cookies and keeps no record of your visit, so nothing here will follow you around the internet. On a shared device, the only trace is your own browser history — use a private browsing window if you'd rather leave none.
What do sessions cost after the consultation?
If I recommend working together, sessions are £139 per hour. Your written formulation will say how many I recommend — a minimum of six, up to twenty-four — and how payment is structured is agreed openly at the consultation, never before. There are no surprise fees and never pressure to continue.
How will we know it's working?
We review progress openly together, using recognised outcome measures — typically the RCADS, SDQ and Beck Youth Inventory — so you always know whether it's working, and therapy never simply drifts.
How often are sessions?
Weekly. That isn't admin convenience — momentum is where change happens, and gaps cost more than the week they take. Holidays happen, and the odd session moves; but weekly is the rhythm that works, and I'll say so honestly if it's slipping.
How long does support usually last?
It varies with each person and goal — from a small number of focused sessions to longer-term work, reviewed together openly. There is never pressure to continue.
Is there anyone you can't help?
Yes — and I'll tell you honestly. I don't provide emergency or crisis care, court reports or medico-legal assessments, or ongoing care that needs a full multi-disciplinary or inpatient team. If that's your situation, I'll say so at the First Step Consultation — or before — and point you to the right service. Stating the limits of a practice is part of practising well.
This page was written for adults seeking help for themselves — if that's not quite you:
Referrals welcomed — with a clear, structured pathway.
Dr Claire Millward is an HCPC-registered Consultant Clinical Psychologist with NHS experience since 1999, accepting referrals for children, young people, adults and families.
Areas of specialism: autism, ADHD and AuDHD — including demand-avoidant profiles (a pervasive drive for autonomy) and presentations often missed in girls and women — anxiety in all its forms, OCD including Pure O, School Can’t/EBSA, trauma, tics, ARFID and related food worries, sleep, emotional dysregulation, and understanding a diagnosis.
Diagnostic & cognitive assessment tools: ADOS-2, ADI-R, DISCO and 3Di · WPPSI-IV, WISC-V and WAIS · WIAT · ABAS-3 · BRIEF.
Selected publications
Research undertaken with the Academic Division of Child Health, Derbyshire Children's Hospital:
- Millward C, Ferriter M, Calver S, Connell-Jones G. Gluten- and casein-free diets for autistic spectrum disorder. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 2004 (updated 2008) — first author; cited across two decades of autism research.
- Anderson M, Egunsola O, Cherrill J, Millward C, Fakis A, Choonara I. A prospective study of adverse drug reactions to antiepileptic drugs in children. BMJ Open, 2015.
- Alkahtani S, Cherrill J, Millward C, Grayson K, Hilliam R, Sammons H, Choonara I. Access to medicines by child refugees in the East Midlands region of England. BMJ Open, 2014.
What happens after your referral
Structured intake
The family completes a pre-consultation checklist; Claire reviews it before meeting.
90-minute consultation (£200)
A full 90-minute consultation leading to a detailed written formulation with a clear recommendation — including number of sessions, or signposting.
Honest disposition
Therapy, assessment, or signposting — including back to NHS or specialist services where that is genuinely the right route.
Claire's promise cuts both ways: if your patient would be better served elsewhere, she will say so and help them get there.
Outcomes are monitored throughout using recognised measures (RCADS, SDQ, Beck Youth Inventory), and the approaches used include those recommended in NICE guidance.
Dr Claire Millward — at a glance
Registration, training, specialisms and how the practice works — one page to file, or attach to a referral.
Download PDFDirect professional contact
For referrals, or a brief professional discussion about suitability before referring.
Thank you — your enquiry has been sent.
Claire will reply personally, usually within two working days, with next steps and a secure route for the full referral.
For urgent clinical risk, please follow your usual local crisis pathways.
Common questions from referrers
How do families access Claire after my referral?
Directly and simply: they book a First Step Consultation (£200, 90 minutes, written formulation included). No paperwork burden falls on you — a signpost to this site is enough, though a formal referral letter is always welcome and reviewed.
Will you correspond back to me?
With the family's consent, yes — Claire values closing the loop with referrers. [Correspondence practice to be confirmed with Claire before launch.]
What if the patient needs NHS or specialist care?
Claire says so, plainly, and signposts — including back to NHS pathways where that is genuinely the right route. Her aim is the right support, not the most clients.
This page was written for referring professionals — if that's not quite you:
Supervision and training, from a clinician still in the work.
I'm a Consultant Clinical Psychologist and Lead Clinician, in NHS practice since 1999, with advanced clinical supervisor training. I offer supervision, consultation and teaching to psychologists, therapists, trainees and teams — grounded in current caseloads, not distant memory of them.
HCPC registered · verify registration PYL18637 →
Three ways to work together
Clinical supervision
Individual or small-group, for qualified clinicians and trainees — restorative as well as normative, online or in person.
Consultation
Case consultation to individuals, teams and schools — complex presentations, neurodivergence, formulation-led thinking.
Training & CPD
Bespoke teaching on autism and AuDHD, OCD, ARFID, School Can't, therapeutic models with CYP, and cognitive & diagnostic assessment.
Fees for supervision, consultation and training are agreed directly and depend on format and frequency — ask below.
Selected publications
Research undertaken with the Academic Division of Child Health, Derbyshire Children's Hospital:
- Millward C, Ferriter M, Calver S, Connell-Jones G. Gluten- and casein-free diets for autistic spectrum disorder. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 2004 (updated 2008) — first author; cited across two decades of autism research.
- Anderson M, Egunsola O, Cherrill J, Millward C, Fakis A, Choonara I. A prospective study of adverse drug reactions to antiepileptic drugs in children. BMJ Open, 2015.
- Alkahtani S, Cherrill J, Millward C, Grayson K, Hilliam R, Sammons H, Choonara I. Access to medicines by child refugees in the East Midlands region of England. BMJ Open, 2014.
Tell me what you're looking for
A sentence or two is plenty — I'll reply personally, usually within two working days.
Thank you — that's with me.
I'll be in touch personally, usually within two working days.
This page was written for fellow clinicians — if that's not quite you:
The person behind the practice.
Credentials tell you someone is qualified. This page is for the other question families quietly ask: who will we actually be talking to?
The short version
Claire is a Consultant Clinical Psychologist and Lead Clinician — a legally protected title requiring doctoral-level training and registration with the Health and Care Professions Council. She has worked in NHS children's services since January 1999, and holds senior clinical leadership roles to this day. Her independent practice serves children and young people aged 0–25 and their families: based in Derby, online across the UK, in person within 35 miles.
The training, as a timeline
- 1995BA (Hons) Psychology
- 1999Joined the NHS — children's services from early in her career
- 2000PhD
- 2004DClinPsy, University of East Anglia — and appointment as Consultant Clinical Psychologist & Lead Clinician
- SinceAdvanced clinical supervisor training · BPS child neuropsychology training · supervision and teaching of psychologists and trainees
What she believes
“Children are not their behaviour.” A child who can't attend school is telling us can't, not won't. A pervasive drive for autonomy is information, not defiance. The girls and women whose autism and ADHD went unrecognised for decades were never hiding — we simply weren't looking properly. And nobody, child or adult, should be handed a plan before someone has genuinely understood what is going on. That last belief is the whole architecture of this practice: everyone begins with a consultation, and everyone leaves it with a written formulation.
The research
Before and alongside clinical work, Claire published research with the Academic Division of Child Health at Derbyshire Children's Hospital. She was first author of the Cochrane systematic review examining gluten- and casein-free diets for autism — Cochrane reviews sit at the very top of the evidence hierarchy, and hers became the definitive word on a popular fad, cited across two decades of autism research. It is, in miniature, how she works: look properly at the evidence, then say honestly what it shows — even when the honest answer is “this won't help.”
- Millward C, Ferriter M, Calver S, Connell-Jones G. Gluten- and casein-free diets for autistic spectrum disorder. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 2004 (updated 2008).
- Anderson M, Egunsola O, Cherrill J, Millward C, Fakis A, Choonara I. A prospective study of adverse drug reactions to antiepileptic drugs in children. BMJ Open, 2015.
- Alkahtani S, Cherrill J, Millward C, Grayson K, Hilliam R, Sammons H, Choonara I. Access to medicines by child refugees in the East Midlands region of England. BMJ Open, 2014.
Don't take this page's word for it
“Clinical Psychologist” is a protected title, and registration is public. Check PYL18637 on the HCPC register → It takes under a minute, and Claire would genuinely rather you did.
Now that you know who — choose where:
A letter, instead.
Dear reader,
If you've found this page, you're probably the sort of person who prefers a letter to a website — and you're probably here because someone matters to you and something isn't right. Perhaps it's your child, and the mornings have become battles, or the worries have grown teeth, or school has quietly become impossible. Perhaps it's you — managing, coping, holding it together on the outside while something underneath asks, more and more insistently, to be understood. Either way: you've been carrying this a while, probably at night, probably alone. I'm glad the carrying brought you here.
Let me introduce myself properly. I'm Claire — Dr Claire Millward, a Consultant Clinical Psychologist. I've worked in the NHS since 1999, and I've been a Consultant and Lead Clinician since 2004. "Clinical Psychologist" is a legally protected title, and you shouldn't take my word for any of this: my registration is PYL18637, and you can see it for yourself on the HCPC's public register in under a minute. I'd genuinely encourage you to — checking is not rudeness, it's wisdom, and good clinicians welcome it.
Here is what I believe, after more than twenty-five years of this work. Children are not their behaviour. A child who can't attend school is telling us can't, not won't. A drive for autonomy is not defiance; it's information. The girls and women whose autism and ADHD went unseen for decades were not hiding — we simply weren't looking properly. And nobody — child or adult — should be handed a plan before someone has genuinely understood what's going on.
That last belief is how my whole practice works. Everyone begins with a First Step Consultation: ninety minutes, £200, online. Before it, a short checklist completed at home in your own time. After it, I write you a detailed formulation — a proper document, yours to keep, that says what I think is happening, why, and exactly what I recommend. Sometimes that's therapy with me: £139 an hour, weekly, a minimum of six sessions and never more than twenty-four, with progress reviewed openly so it never simply drifts. Sometimes it's a formal assessment. And sometimes the honest answer is that you don't need me — that reassurance, or a better-suited service, is the right way forward. I'll say so, and I'll help you get there. The formulation is the promise: whatever happens next, you will leave understood, in writing.
Two smaller things that may matter to you. This website sets no cookies and keeps no record of your visit — if you're reading on a shared family device, what you do here stays between us and your own browser's history. And I'm not an emergency service: if you or someone else is in urgent need tonight, please contact your GP, call NHS 111, or in an emergency 999 — and let this letter wait; it will still be here.
If any of this sounds like the help you've been hoping exists, the next step is small: a message through the site, a sentence or two, and I'll reply personally, usually within two working days. Or begin with the consultation directly. There's no referral needed, and no pressure at any point — the door is simply open.
Whatever you decide, I'm glad you read this far. It usually means the hardest part — admitting something needs attention — is already done.
With warmth,
P.S. — If tonight is a difficult one, the site's free guides were written for exactly these hours; Staying Steady Under Pressure is two minutes long, and you're welcome to it with no email and no strings.