"That’s what the AVIGuk Conference left with me....as VIG does for parents...Hope"
Next Conference
11 Cavendish Square
VIG: Seeing and Strengthening Connections
Across Ages, Professions and Systems
We're delighted to announce our next conference date, location and keynote speakers below. Do save the date, and watch this page for more information. Tickets out this summer! Limited places, book as soon as you can!
To apply to do an enhanced Poster Presentation for this conference, complete the online form.
KEYNOTE SPEAKERS
The Importance of Play for Everyone
Paul is LEGO Professor of Play in Education, Development and Learning, and the Director of the PEDAL Centre, part of the University of Cambridge. He also works as a Consultant Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist in the NHS.
​At PEDAL, Paul leads a research team investigating the role of play in children’s early development. His research is focused on early child development with a particular interest in how we give children the best start in life, including the prevention of emotional and behavioural difficulties.
Dr Bettina Hohnen
​Understanding Teenagers: What Neuroscience Tells Us About Connection and Wellbeing
Bettina has 25+ years experience working as a Consultant Clinical Psychologist in child & adolescent mental health and neurodiversity. She believes strong relationships and social connection are central to wellbeing and is passionate about spreading that message.
Bettina works with families, individuals, teachers, groups and communities to strengthen bonds between adults and young people by turning new neuroscience into clear, practical strategies. With specialist academic and clinical expertise in neurodiversity, both assessment and intervention, she offers nuanced, effective support for complex relational and developmental challenges. Her academic achievements include two doctorates and she is an Associate Professor (Hon) at University College London, lecturing widely at graduate and post-graduate level.
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Dr Matt Price
Creating the Conditions for Love to Flourish
Matt is a Clinical Psychologist and Director of Research & Impact at the 1001 Critical Days Foundation. He leads early-years initiatives and is a prominent advocate for evidence-based parental support, early baby bonding, and managing screen time for infants.
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Matt frequently collaborates with other experts to ensure parents have science-backed guidance. He has also previously led NHS parent-infant relationship services and developed government policy for Family Hubs.
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Antenatal and Perinatal VIG
Maddie is a Principal Clinical Psychologist and skilled VIG supervisor and Trainer - she is a real VIG champion. Previously, supporting AVIGuk with work on our Board and crucially by co-writing the VIG-SDS with Helen Gibson. Maddie was central in spearheading the integration of VIG into the CYP-IAPT 0-5s curricula nationally and provided leadership, training and supervision for this programme for the North West Collaborative, integrating VIG into early intervention and parent-infant pathways across the region.
Maddie currently has returned to clinical practice as a Principal Clinical Psychologist within Manchester CAPS-PAIRS a specialist parent-infant relationship service within an early intervention CAMHS service.
Maddie has a passion for VIG in Perinatal and Early Years settings and most recently has been leading on the development of care-pathways for the use of antenatal VIG with families who have previously experienced baby loss.
Dr Stefi
Pethica
Tuning the System. Using the PAIG to shape a specialist Residential Assessment Centre supporting children and families on the edge of care
Stefi is a Consultant Clinical Psychologist and Trainee VIG Supervisor. She trained in VIG whilst training as a Clinical Psychologist in 2015, and VIG has been part of her journey ever since. She describes how in every service she has worked in, she has "thought about how VIG could be implemented and the benefits it could bring".
In the last 5 years she has specialised in working in Integrated Health and Social Care, focussing on family relationships, attachment, complex trauma and neurodivergence. More specifically, how "we can support people to experience relational safety". She is currently the Clinical Lead for a specialist Residential Assessment Centre in North Wales, that works with families of children on the edge of care, where there has been a breakdown in family relationships, to help understand what has led to the difficulties experienced by the whole family and support reunification. Stefi describes how "the principles of attuned interaction and guidance have been the foundation of my work as a Clinical Psychologist, and we are aiming to embed them as part of the service itself".
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More details coming soon...
Tickets on sale from July.
Previous Conference Feedback
We received lots of positive and encouraging messages and emails from 2025 attendees We also had great reflective blogs shared with us by Oxford's babies1st - click links below to read more about what AVIGuk conferences are like.
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