"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!
KEYNOTE SPEAKERS
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
Bettina is a Consultant Clinical Psychologist, Speaker, Educator, Podcaster and Author of The Incredible Teenage Brain. She is also an Honorary Senior Research Fellow at UCL. Bettina specialises in neurodiversity, child and teenage mental health and family relationships. ​
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Bettina brings a wealth of clinical and research experience spanning more than 25 years. Bettina primarily works with parents because she sees what a powerful influence this can have on child wellbeing and family life.
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Dr Matt Price
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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Maddie is a Principal Clinical Psychologist, and skilled VIG Supervisor and Trainer - she is a real VIG Champion. Supporting AVIGuk with work on our Board, and cruically by co-writing the VIG-SDS, with Helen Gibson. Maddie has also spearheaded the integration of VIG into the North West CYP-IAPT 0-5s programme
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Maddie currently divides her time between a Clinical and Lecturing post. She works as a Clinical Psychologist for the Children and Parent’s Service (a specialist 0-5 CAMHS Service in Manchester) as well as being Operational Lead for the North West CYP-IAPT Parent Training and 0-5s programmes, affiliated with the University of Manchester.
She has a passion for VIG in perinatal and Early Years settings, and using VIG antenatally to support expectant families who have experienced previous baby loss.
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Dr Stefi
Pethica
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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