STRIDES: Support to Recovery in Disordered Eating Service for 16-35s

The service is for people who are registered with a General Practitioner (GP) in Kensington and Chelsea, Westminster, Harrow, Hillingdon, and Brent.

Eating disorders affect people of every age, race, size, gender identity, sexual orientation and background. We are an inclusive service provider, our team consisting of a diverse range of staff, and we support people from all walks of life and communities, for example, people with disabilities, black or ethnic minority backgrounds, LGBTQ+, etc.

As we are a talking therapy service, we cannot accept referrals for individuals with high levels of medical risk relating to their eating disorder. However, we work in partnership with Vincent Square Eating Disorder Service and GPs to ensure that individuals referred to us with higher medical needs can access the appropriate level of support.

We are not a weight management service but if this is something you would like support with we recommend that you speak with your GP about local options.

We offer a range of evidence-based treatments for different eating difficulties. The interventions aim to help you understand your problems and provide you with the practical skills to regulate your eating, manage difficult emotions, and improve your body image in the long-term. They are delivered by specialist staff and can be accessed in different formats (for example, video-call or face to face sessions).

Laura Fialko (she/her), Consultant Clinical Psychologist and Team Lead

Laura is a Consultant Clinical Psychologist and leads the STRIDES team.

She has worked in the NHS with adolescents and young adults since 2010 and is passionate about early intervention and helping people access treatments that work when they first need help.

Apostolos Polymerou (he/him), Cognitive Behavioural Therapist

Apostolos is a Cognitive Behavioural Therapist. He is passionate about early interventions and supporting young people to improve their mental health.

Claire Carrington (she/her), Trainee Psychological Therapist and Clinical Nurse Specialist

Claire’s role is a Mental Health Practitioner and the Duty Lead. Claire completed an undergraduate degree in Psychology in 2009 before doing a MSc in Mental Health Nursing. She has worked with eating disorder patients since 2010 across various settings. Prior to joining STRIDES Claire worked as a Clinical Nurse Specialist in the Outpatient Liaison team at Vincent Square Eating Disorder Service.

Sandra Brooks (she/her), Trainee Psychological Therapist and Occupational Therapist

Sandra is a specialist occupational therapist for eating disorders. Sandra completed an undergraduate degree in Sociology in the USA and went on to complete an MSc in Occupational Therapy in southern England. She is experienced in working with patients with eating disorders in outpatient and day programme settings in London. Sandra is eager to advocate for meaningful activities of daily living and support individuals’ process of identity-shaping, through an occupational therapy lens within the STRIDES team. 

Eve Dore (she/her), Trainee Psychological Therapist

Eve is a Trainee Psychological Therapist in the STRIDES team. She has previous primary care experience in IAPT settings. She is really proud and excited to be part of a team that aims to make effective support more accessible to people who are struggling with disordered eating.

Ailén Mahmoud (she/her), Cognitive Behavioural Therapist

Ailén is a Cognitive Behavioural Psychotherapist with the STRIDES team. Before joining STRIDES, she worked in NHS Talking Therapies services.

She is passionate about supporting people with body image issues and disordered eating. She is currently completing a doctorate in Psychology applied to Cognitive Neurosciences.

Lauren Blackstock, Senior Assistant Psychologist

Lauren is a Senior Assistant Psychologist within the STRIDES team. She has previous experience working with young people in tier 4 eating disorder services. Lauren is passionate about improving access to evidence-based treatments for disordered eating, and is proud to be part of an early intervention team focussed on this initiative.

Rachel Noon, Senior Assistant Psychologist

Rachel is a Senior Assistant Psychologist in the STRIDES team. She has previous experience working in the children/young people eating disorders team. She is passionate about early intervention in eating disorders and is proud to work for a team who offer effective and accessible interventions. 

Nice Kitapci, Senior Assistant Psychologist

Nice is a Senior Assistant Psychologist in the STRIDES team. She completed her undergraduate degree in the USA and went on to complete an MSc in England; she worked in a range of countries including Turkey and South Africa.

She has previous experience working with patients with eating disorders, and children in a range of settings. Nice is passionate about tailoring therapy to individuals’ needs and proud to be working within a team that offers early intervention, ensuring that everyone can access effective support.

Sara Desai, Cognitive Behavioural Psychotherapist

Sara is a Cognitive Behavioural Psychotherapist with the STRIDES team. Before joining STRIDES, she worked in NHS Talking Therapies services.

She is passionate about supporting young people with early interventions, to help them  have meaningful lives free from disordered eating.

Liam de Gruchy, Senior Assistant Psychologist

Liam is a Senior Assistant Psychologist in the STRIDES team. He studied a Psychology BSc and went on to complete a MSc in Eating Disorders and Clinical Nutrition.

He has worked in various inpatient and outpatient eating disorder teams in London since 2021, as well as roles in HIV and bariatric surgery services. He is excited to be a part of a team that actively promotes early intervention for eating disorders and has a passion for carer involvement in a person’s recovery journey.

Irem, Counselling Psychologist

Irem is a Counselling Psychologist within the STRIDES team. She holds a Doctorate in Counselling Psychology and brings a wealth of experience from her previous roles in talking therapies and outpatient eating disorder teams in London. Irem is passionate about supporting individuals through their unique therapeutic journeys and contributing to the holistic care offered by the STRIDES team.

• STRIDES referral guidelines for healthcare professionals
• VSEDS referral form
• Medical guidance for eating disorder monitoring
• Beat Eating Disorders (Training for GPs and Primary Care Clinicians)