Teika Pininski

Teika is a Consultant Clinical Psychologist with extensive experience working across New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and South Africa. She has worked across public mental health, forensic services, specialist psychological and neurodevelopmental services, and private practice. Teika holds a PhD in Psychology from the University of Johannesburg, South Africa.

In the United Kingdom, Teika worked in both the private sector and the National Health Service (NHS) across a range of specialist settings. She, while working in the NHS, worked as a Specialist Child Psychologist and, within the private sector, as Head of Psychology across forensic services, acute inpatient and Psychiatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) services, and specialist autism and intellectual disability services. Her experience also includes working within a women’s rehabilitation services, with people experiencing complex personality difficulties. In South Africa, she worked in forensic services, specialist mother and child services and community clinics.

Teika has expertise in the assessment of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and has previously led an autism assessment pathway across the South of England. Her assessment experience extends to cognitive, personality, neuropsychological, and broader psychological assessment, as well as Functional Assessment (FA) and the development and implementation of Positive Behaviour Support (PBS). She works across the lifespan; with children, adolescents, and adults presenting with a broad range of difficulties, including depression, anxiety, trauma, emotional regulation difficulties, relationship and interpersonal challenges, and complex mental health presentations.

Teika’s therapeutic practice is strongly informed by psychodynamic thinking, alongside evidence-based psychological interventions. She works collaboratively and flexibly, adapting her approach to the individual rather than applying a single model of therapy. Her aim is to provide a warm and thoughtful space in which clients can develop a deeper understanding of themselves, their relationships, and the patterns that may contribute to current difficulties, while also developing practical ways of creating meaningful change. Alongside her clinical work, Teika has an active research practice grounded in critical methods. Her research interests focus particularly on relational and attachment-based topics, as well as the processes involved in psychotherapy and psychological assessment.

Areas of Practice

Teika works across a range of clinical and assessment areas, including:

· Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) assessment

· Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) assessment

· Cognitive and neuropsychological assessment

· Functional Assessment (FA)

· Positive Behaviour Support (PBS)

· Anxiety and obsessive-compulsive difficulties

· Personality difficulties

· Trauma and adverse experiences

· Emotional regulation difficulties

· Relationship and interpersonal difficulties

· Complex mental health and personality presentations

· Parent, child, and family relationships

· Psychological formulation and consultation