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Emma Abboh

MA Scholar | TAVISTOCK AND PORTMAN NHS FOUNDATION TRUST | 2021 – 2022

Emma started out as an English Teacher, teaching GCSE and A-level English in a number of further education colleges in inner city London and surrounding counties. Part of that role included being a tutor for some of the most vulnerable and at-risk children within the college.

Working with vulnerable young people led to her current position as a Virtual School Teacher for Children in the Care. Her job means she is responsible for monitoring and advocating for the education of looked after children focusing on 16-18 year olds. In this role she has helped change the culture within the local authority ensuring the Personal Education Plan (PEP) meetings for post 16 young people are mandatory, creating the local authority’s first electronic PEP form for post 16 looked after children. 

It was through her work as a teacher that she developed an interest in youth mental health, having worked with a number of young people who struggled with mental health diagnoses.

Emma is currently on the 2nd year of the M7 Working with children, young people and families: a psychoanalytic observational approach hoping to go onto the M80 clinical training in Child and Adolescent Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy, to become a child and Adolescent Psychotherapist with a focus on looked after children. She wants to be a part of changing the stigma around therapy within the black community, especially the West African community.

“I’m honoured to be a Stuart Hall Foundation Scholar surrounded by so many inspirational and talented academics.  I was first introduced to the writings of Stuart during my undergraduate degree dissertation. It feels like a full circle moment to now be a part of this amazing foundation.”