Research
Anxiety in Healthcare
By psychologically preparing and supporting more children throughout their hospital journey we do believe that Little Journey can support all...
Meet Dr Megan Hofmann & Dr Vicky Queralt, Little Journey's Clinical Psychologists who ensure psychosocial support is always at our core.
We are pretty unique as a health tech company to have two Clinical Psychologists as part of our in-house team - Dr Megan Hofmann and Dr Victoria Queralt. We sat down to learn more about them, their roles and how they contribute to Little Journey's mission to change the future of personalised paediatric care, one empowered family at a time.
What is a Clinical Psychologist?
Clinical Psychologists are healthcare professionals trained in using psychological theories, scientific research and clinical knowledge to reduce distress and improve emotional wellbeing. They work across a wide variety of settings (e.g. NHS, education, charities, and aim is to bring understanding and compassion to people who are struggling with their mental and/or physical health.
Clinical Psychologists are skilled in working with of a wide range of mental health conditions, such as depression, anxiety, trauma, psychosis, eating disorders and addiction. They also work with people living with neurodevelopmental disorders like autism or ADHD. Once qualified, Clinical Psychologists typically specialise in an area that most interests them.
Clinical Psychology is a highly regulated profession. To become a Clinical Psychologist, you need to complete an undergraduate degree in Psychology, gain relevant experience working in mental health services and complete a Doctorate in Clinical Psychology.
Who are the Clinical Psychologists at Little Journey?
Dr Megan Hofmann is passionate about the role of psychology in helping people living with physical health conditions. This interest was fuelled from her experiences of being diagnosed with a chronic health condition at the age of 6.
She completed an MSc in Health Psychology and after achieving her Doctorate in Clinical Psychology, decided to specialise in children’s health (paediatrics). As a mum of two, and from her own personal and professional experiences, she understands the great need for emotional support for children (and their families/carers) who are accessing health care.
Dr Vicky Queralt has always worked with children, young people and their families/carers. She has particular interest in supporting individuals who are neurodivergent and/or have a physical health condition.
Vicky has a passion for working creatively with individuals, such as through drawing, Lego and now apps. She hopes that, by working with Little Journey, she will be able to help empower others with psychological knowledge and to share strategies to support other’s emotional wellbeing when accessing health care.
Psychology at Little Journey
With their years of training and clinical experience, Megan and Vicky have a broad and collaborative role within the company, including:
- Ensuring that psychological theory and practice is embedded throughout Little Journey's products.
- Sharing their knowledge with the team on subjects such as anxiety, neurodevelopmental conditions, and potential stressors in paediatric healthcare, along with strategies that can support emotional wellbeing.
- Supporting the team in the design and development of new features, to enable further tailoring to the individual needs of children and their families.
- Delving into the behavioural science behind the Little Journey products and keeping it in line with the most relevant and up to date research.
- Hosting our Spotlight Sessions podcast.
Little Journey's Spotlight Sessions podcast
Little Journey’s ‘Spotlight Sessions’ podcast gives parents and caregivers, who can often feel alone and unheard, a safe space to talk about their experiences navigating healthcare with their child(ren).