Our Board of Directors are committed to a future where all DDP community members feel seen, heard and valued.
They are responsible for running and managing the Institute, overall strategy, setting our values and leading our culture, and are accountable to our membership.
Find out about the Executive Team:
I have been a Consultant Clinical Psychologist in the UK for over 30 years, and specialising working with looked after/adopted/SGO children for the last 18 years. I manage an adoption support agency in Yorkshire (the North of England) that covers the whole of Yorkshire and Lincolnshire. I have been a DDP Practitioner for 15 years and love DDP and all it entails. I am especially passionate about DDP and how in intersects with neurodiversity, as well and race and culture, and train on this regularly.
I am a proud member of the DDPI Worldwide Racial Equity and Social Justice (RESJ) Committee and co facilitate a Special Interest Group (SIG) for people of colour in the UK. I am a great proponent of synthesising models to meet the need for clients and their families ,and am also trained in EMDR, Theraplay and AEDP and sit on the AEDP diversity and belonging subcommittee. I am excited to be part of the DDPI Worldwide Board to help it to continue the growth and influence of DDP worldwide and to make these strides though an RESJ lens.
Hello, I’m Billy, a Clinical Psychologist based in the UK. My journey with DDP began in 2012 when I attended a DDP Level One training, feeling unsure about how to bring my psychology training to life. It was a revelation! Over the next decade, I had the privilege of learning from the children, carers, and families I met in DDP therapy, deepening my understanding of what it means to build safety and connection through relationships.
I first joined the DDPI Board in 2020 and was part of the group grappling with how DDP unintentionally mirrored wider societal inequalities, including around race. As part of this work, I supported the transition to the new DDPI Worldwide Board in 2023, after which I continued to contribute to working groups and serve as a Director of DDP Connects UK. DDP continues to grow globally and is increasingly becoming a real force for social justice and belonging. I’m returning to the Board in 2025 feeling inspired and ready to support however I can.
Outside of work, I try to stay balanced by spending time with my wife and two children—ideally outdoors, on the river paddle-boarding or kayaking—or enjoying the revival of 90s bands from my teenage years.
Contact our Co-Chairs
To contact the DDPI Board of Directors Chairpersons, please use our contact form.
Lorren Arezio
I am a Clinical Psychologist based in Brisbane, Australia. I have worked with families experiencing challenges, disruption and trauma for many years, both within statutory child protection, and also in health. Since 2021 I have worked for myself in private practice, both as a Clinician, but also a Supervisor and now a Trainer. Above all, I am a wife and a mother of 3 now amazing adults, the youngest of who was adopted.
I discovered DDP many years ago when working for statutory child protection, landing overnight in a new role that no-one else was doing. I had vision and enthusiasm, but quickly realised not the skill to go with it. What do you do with kids who have strong defences and don’t talk? So I went on a journey that led me to DDP and Dan. I have loved this journey though it has also been long and isolated at times. I love what DDP offers, both in discovering ourselves, but in understanding our clients and also our families. Growing in Australia has come with many challenges, but I am excited to be on the Board to bring these experiences to help us build a bigger lens, especially as DDP reaches into new spaces across the globe where a broader voice is needed.
Anne Benson
I am Anne—a woman, a lesbian, a wife, a musician, a therapist, an American. I was raised by a large, nurturing community that taught me the power of acceptance and empathy, which is partly what has fueled my passion for DDP.
I came to clinical social work following years of volunteering with marginalized LGBTQ+ youth and living/working in a rural Ukrainian village. My master’s degree focused on clinical treatments of trauma in children and led me to pursue advanced training in a few models of therapy, but none have gripped me quite like DDP. I appreciate how DDP helps each clinician harness their own ability to form healthy relationships, then teach carer/child dyads to do the same.
I am excited to work with other board members from around the world to expand DDP’s reach into marginalized populations often overlooked by white, western therapy models.
My passion for growing my own DDP skills and helping it to expand led me to join the Training Committee and consider practical steps to achieve that goal. I’m honored to be a part of this new board and excited to grow with this community of clinicians and invite others in from around the world.
María José Cumsille
My name is María José Cumsille, and I am a clinical psychologist, DDP Therapist, Consultant/Supervisor, and Trainer, as well as a Theraplay Intermediate Certified Practitioner. I have spent more than 25 years working with children, adolescents, adults, and families impacted by trauma, attachment disruptions, abuse, and complex developmental challenges.
I was born in Chile, raised in Canada, lived in Brazil, and made Los Angeles, California my home for 12 years before returning to Chile. Those experiences shaped not only who I am as a person but also how I understand relationships, culture, and healing. I am trilingual in English, Spanish, and Portuguese, and much of my work has focused on building bridges across languages, cultures, and professional communities.
I have been deeply involved in training, supervision, translation, and mentoring to help make DDP accessible to Spanish-speaking clinicians around the world. As the first Latin American professional certified as a DDP Therapist, Consultant/Supervisor, and Trainer, I feel incredibly fortunate to contribute to the growth of this community and to support the expansion of relationship-based, trauma-informed practice throughout Latin America and beyond.
Fiona Duncan
Fiona’s professional journey is characterised by its breadth and depth, spanning across residential childcare, the emergency ambulance service, and the further education sector. This diverse background underscores her enduring dedication to supporting and advocating for vulnerable individuals. Influenced by her early experiences working with care-experienced young people, Fiona was driven to return to the care sector with a specific focus on organisational excellence.
In her current role, she champions exemplary staff learning and development, operating on the firm belief that well-trained, highly skilled professionals are the fundamental key to achieving positive outcomes. Fiona is committed to equipping staff with the specialised knowledge necessary to navigate and effectively support the complex needs of care-experienced children and young people, ensuring they receive the highest standard of care and advocacy. Fiona is delighted to be joining the DDPI Worldwide board and her appointment will allow Fiona to continue this journey in a much wider scope.
Louise Faulkner
I am so excited to be joining the DDPI Worldwide Board, especially at a time when there is so much energy and excitement about DDP’s ever developing worldwide journey. I bring my knowledge, skills and values as a therapeutic social worker for over 25 years, as well as my Irish humour! I am so looking forward to collaborating, mentoring and learning with other passionate and motivated individuals, systems and organisations across the DDP Community and other communities who share common interests.
I am a certified DDP Practitioner, and avail of regular supervision in the very safe hands of Dr Kim Golding, who is also supporting me through my Consultant practicum. DDP would be my core intervention and impacts on all areas of my life, in my employment as a Director of HENOSIS Therapeutic Family Services, Therapeutic Social Work Consultant, Trainer, Supervisor and Clinician and in my family life as a mum to my energetic, honest, fun, adolescent, neuro-divergent daughter, our two pups, two cats, 2 fish and our hibernating hedgehog, as well as a partner, step mum, sister, aunt and friend. Hence, an attitude of PACE is an important way of being in my life, or even being PACEful with myself, to help me continue to be everything I need to be when alongside others.
Tiziana Frau
I am an Italian clinical psychologist and psychotherapist, born in Sardinia and currently living and working in northern Italy. My path has been enriched by time spent living in both Scotland and Spain, experiences that shaped my cultural curiosity and relational openness. My clinical training is rooted in cognitive-constructivist and post-rationalist approaches, with a strong focus on developmental psychology, attachment, trauma, and emotional regulation.
I work in private practice with children, parents, families, and adults, integrating relational and body-based models. I also teach at CBT Academy, a postgraduate school of psychotherapy, and at IUSTO – the Salesian University Institute of Turin – in the Department of Psychology and Educational Sciences. I coordinate a Master’s program in Clinical Psycho-Traumatology.
I am a certified DDP Practitioner and also a certified Theraplay Therapist, COS-P facilitator, and co-founder of Theraplay Italia.
DDP has become a core part of how I meet others — in the therapy room and beyond — with safety, playfulness, and connection.
Joining the Board feels like a meaningful continuation of this journey, and I am excited to contribute to a shared vision of care that honours relationships, regulation, and co-created meaning.
Dr Mariëtte Henning-Pugh
Mariëtte is Consultant Clinical Psychologist (HCPC/BPS registered) with a Doctorate in Clinical Psychology and PGDip in Neuropsychology. She is also a registered DDP Practitioner, CAT Therapist, and certified in EMDR, Theraplay, VIG. Mariëtte has over 15 years’ experience working in the UK NHS and Adoption services, local authority teams, promoting the mental health and well-being of children & adolescents. Choosing specifically to specialise in working with children or adolescents who are neurodiverse, marginalised, or who have experienced being in care and trauma, Mariëtte strongly advocates on behalf of children who have had any Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACES) and whose voices may often be unheard. Mariëtte is also a Senior Teaching Fellow at the University of Southampton, Lecturing and doing Research on the DClinPsy Programme, where she is also the Equity Diversity & Inclusion (EDI) Lead.
Shaped by her own lived experiences, Mariëtte deeply believes that all children deserve to be kept safe from harm, cared for and nurtured, as these are the fundamental building blocks of a prosperous society. She also believes in an equitable world where everyone deserves respect and compassion and has an equal chance for success. She asserts that acceptance, curiosity, and empathy are the foundations of all good relationships which fosters a positive society allowing children to thrive.
Warm Greetings to the inimitable DDP Global Community! I am writing to introduce myself as I join the DDPI Worldwide Board of Directors.
I consider myself a citizen of the world having grown up in Southeast Asia, had the privilege of travelling widely and have always been fascinated by language. I now reside in Brighton where Acceptance and community are prioritised. I volunteer for a local youth homelessness charity and with young asylum seekers and refugees in the UK and France. I love live music, dancing, being in and by the sea, lifting weights, singing in a singing circle and walking in remote places.
I trained first as a physiotherapist, then as a child and adolescent psychotherapist before becoming a DDP Practitioner, Consultant and Trainer. I was a founding director of DDP Connects UK, part of the DDPI Global working group and have sat on the RESJ, Community Development and Professional Standards committees.
I believe DDP has not only a strong pull but is developing an immense reach and as a DDPI Worldwide board member I am looking forward to widening, deepening and strengthening that reach wherever it is sought and wherever it is needed.
Ravi Sharma
I am the co-founder and CEO of My Tribe Homes, a growing group of therapeutic children’s homes in the UK. Our work integrates DDP with therapeutic community principles to create deeply relational and transformative environments for children who have experienced developmental trauma.
Before entering residential childcare, I spent over 15 years building mission-driven businesses across real estate and operations. Alongside this professional journey, elements of my own lived experience led me toward a deeper exploration of attachment, trauma, belonging and the healing power of relationships.
I first encountered DDP whilst searching for a framework that could bring greater coherence, emotional depth and humanity to residential care. What resonated most powerfully was DDP’s emphasis on the growth of adults — developing reflective capacity, emotional maturity and the ability to remain open-hearted under pressure in both care and leadership.
Today, much of my work focuses on embedding relational and trauma-informed practice systemically within residential care communities, whilst developing future leaders capable of creating safe, connected and healing environments for children and teams alike.
I hold graduate and post-graduate Law degrees, completed the Stanford Ignite entrepreneurship programme, and hold a Level 5 Diploma in Leadership and Management for Residential Childcare. I have completed DDP Level One training and look forward to continuing the journey of learning and development within the DDP community.
Gretchen Wilhelm
I’m delighted to be a part of DDPI Worldwide’s journey as a member of the Board of Directors! I’ve been working with children and families impacted by developmental trauma for 40 years. As a psychologist, professional counselor, and clinical supervisor, I have found DDP to have the most positive impact on my clinical work. I have years of family therapy training, have been an avid consumer of attachment-focused literature, and recently completed my DDP Practicum with the help of Hannah Sun-Reid and Dan Hughes.
I am currently active in advocacy policy and regulation efforts in the State of Virginia, where, among other things, I promote attachment-focused approaches such as DDP to help children and caretakers heal within safe relationships. My hope is that, as DDP continues to grow, it will be more widely practiced in North America and other needed areas of the world. With ongoing organizational and research-based efforts, I foresee a very bright, sustainable future for DDP.
In my free time, I enjoy playing as hard as I work by spending time with family, friends, and pets; dancing and camping with friends at music festivals; working outside; creating stuff; and, when able, playing ice hockey with friends.
