Daniela Ivan

Daniela is a dually qualified professional, Systemic Family Psychotherapist and Social Worker, with over 11 years experience working for statutory mental health, social care and third sector settings.

Daniela provides a safe and non-judgmental space where people can make sense of their experiences and feel supported in a compassionate way. She is passionate about her work and feels that it can make a difference in people’s lives. Daniela is guided by the needs of the people she sees, has a collaborative approach to her work and values a transparent and strength based approach. She uses many creative tools including play, drawing, writing etc. as a way of ensuring the support provided is adapted to individual and family/couple’s needs and is accessible and useful to the people that she works with.

Daniela is experienced in working with children and families from across a wide range of cultural backgrounds, class, race, religion, education, ability, diverse gender identities and sexual orientations as well as age and family structures. Ensuring inclusivity and challenging oppression is part of Daniela’s practice.

In her work with families, couples and individuals she uses a systemic/relational and integrative approach informed by both NICE guidelines and evidence based interventions as well as her experience of practice accumulated over the years. She currently works at the Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust including clinical work with families with complex mental health and social care needs as well as in the perinatal mental health team.

Daniela is a visiting lecturer for the postgraduate course provided by the Tavistock which focuses on Working Systemically with Families, Organizations and Individuals. Previously she has worked in both generic community child and adolescent services as well as specialist teams including looked after children CAMHS team, a specialist team for children with gender identity development difficulties and a perinatal mental health team.

Daniela is experienced in providing both short and long term therapeutic support for children and families facing a variety of mental health presentations and associated difficulties at various times throughout their development including: low mood, anxiety, self-harm, suicidal ideation, depression, eating disorders, trauma following experiences of abuse and neglect, substance abuse, behavioral difficulties, anti-social behavior, bullying, loss, sexuality and sexual identity, gender identity development, LGBTQ+ support; neuro-developmental conditions, parental mental health.

Daniela has a compassionate way of working which acknowledges that it is a privilege to be in a position of trust with families sharing their most private stories. She always tries to maintain a position of respectful curiosity towards the people she works with. Daniela believes that it is important for everyone she sees to feel empowered through working with her and that working together will be an enabling experience that helps them achieve positive changes in their lives.