Meet our team
Amy Williams
Founder, Director, and Clinical Lead Speech and Language Therapist
Amy founded Clarity Independent Speech and Language Therapy (CISLT), formerly Castlepoint Independent Speech and Language, in 2019, driven by a passion for making high-quality, person-centred therapy accessible to children and families across Essex. Since qualifying from De Montfort University in 2006, she has built a rich and varied career supporting both children and adults in diverse clinical settings.
Early in her career, Amy worked in hospitals and NHS trusts across Essex, supporting children with speech and language difficulties and developing specialist expertise in stroke rehabilitation and dysphagia. She also worked with people living with progressive neurological conditions, including Parkinson’s disease and dementia.
Amy later joined Homerton University Hospital Foundation Trust as a Senior Specialist Speech and Language Therapist, contributing to its renowned neurological rehabilitation services, while continuing her independent practice with children - a foundation that grew into CISLT.
A strong advocate for lifelong learning and professional collaboration, Amy serves as Chair of the local Association of Speech and Language Therapists in Independent Practice group. She enjoys mentoring new therapists, regularly hosting student placements through CISLT in partnership with the University of Essex, where she has also guest lectured.
Her special interest in bilingualism was shaped by working in diverse communities such as Hackney and teaching as a Speech and Language Therapy lecturer in Bangladesh. Amy is currently studying for an MSc in Senior Leadership in Healthcare at the University of Exeter, combining clinical expertise with a commitment to innovative, values-led leadership.
Amy founded Clarity Independent Speech and Language Therapy (CISLT), formerly Castlepoint Independent Speech and Language, in 2019, driven by a passion for making high-quality, person-centred therapy accessible to children and families across Essex. Since qualifying from De Montfort University in 2006, she has built a rich and varied career supporting both children and adults in diverse clinical settings.
Early in her career, Amy worked in hospitals and NHS trusts across Essex, supporting children with speech and language difficulties and developing specialist expertise in stroke rehabilitation and dysphagia. She also worked with people living with progressive neurological conditions, including Parkinson’s disease and dementia.
Amy later joined Homerton University Hospital Foundation Trust as a Senior Specialist Speech and Language Therapist, contributing to its renowned neurological rehabilitation services, while continuing her independent practice with children - a foundation that grew into CISLT.
A strong advocate for lifelong learning and professional collaboration, Amy serves as Chair of the local Association of Speech and Language Therapists in Independent Practice group. She enjoys mentoring new therapists, regularly hosting student placements through CISLT in partnership with the University of Essex, where she has also guest lectured.
Her special interest in bilingualism was shaped by working in diverse communities such as Hackney and teaching as a Speech and Language Therapy lecturer in Bangladesh. Amy is currently studying for an MSc in Senior Leadership in Healthcare at the University of Exeter, combining clinical expertise with a commitment to innovative, values-led leadership.
Catherine Prior
Highly Specialist Paediatric Speech and Language Therapist
Qualifying from City University in 2009, Catherine has extensive experience working with children aged 0-16 years in both community clinic and school settings.
Catherine has extensive experience assessing and treating children with language and speech sound disorders, and highly specialist skills in Deafness and hearing loss. She can support children with any aspect of their communication skills, including but not limited to building language and vocabulary, grammar, social skills, speech sounds, and supporting developing literacy skills.
Having completed the British Sign Language Level 2 qualification, Catherine can both assess and treat Deaf children’s speech, language and communication skills in English and British Sign Language.
Catherine offers supervision sessions for other therapists, students, and Apprentice Speech and Language Therapists.
Lois Beecham
Specialist Speech and Language Therapist
A recipient of City University’s prestigious Clinical Excellence Award, Lois has worked across a variety of mainstream and specialist paediatric settings, with children aged between 2-16 years.
Lois aims to always deliver exceptional care and support to children and families. She takes a neurodiversity-affirming approach to create personalised therapy that builds on intrinsic motivation and person-centred goals.
Additionally, Lois has specialist skills in supporting Autistic children and young people. She is trained in Autism-specific approaches including Attention Autism, Alternative and Augmentative Communication (AAC), and Natural Language Acquisition (gestalt language development).
Lois is passionate about delivering naturalist, personalised child-led therapy that focuses on supporting and developing functional communication. She is a strong advocate for training and sharing knowledge and advice with others.
Jessica Leech
Speech and Language Therapist
Jessica is a dedicated Speech and Language Therapist supporting children and young people in both clinic and school settings. She works with a wide range of speech, language, and communication needs and is a key member of the Autism team.
She holds a First-Class Integrated Masters in Speech and Language Therapy, where she gained extensive experience across early years, primary, and secondary settings in London. Her additional year of study strengthened her knowledge of evidence-based assessment and intervention in paediatrics.
Jessica is trained in Natural Language Acquisition (NLA) and Meaningful Speech approaches to support Gestalt Language Processors. She is also certified in Building Early Sentences Therapy (BEST), a targeted intervention for children aged 3–6 years.
With a strong commitment to strengths-based, child-centred practice, Jessica collaborates closely with families and educational staff to create supportive, functional environments that promote meaningful communication.
Amy Knight
Speech and Language Therapist
Amy graduated with a Bachelor’s degree with Honours in Speech and Language Therapy from City St Georges, University of London. During her training, she worked in a variety of settings, including early years clinics, primary and secondary schools, and a specialist complex needs school. These experiences gave her the opportunity to support children with a wide range of speech, language, and communication needs.
Additionally, Amy has experience working in a children’s hospice, where she supported children and young adults with a wide range of complex medical and communication needs. In this role, she gained valuable experience in both communication and feeding, working closely with families and multidisciplinary teams to provide holistic, compassionate care. This experience deepened her skills in tailoring therapy for children with complex conditions and strengthened her commitment to making a meaningful difference in their daily lives.
Amy particularly enjoys working alongside families, teachers, and other professionals to make therapy fun, engaging, and tailored to each child. She is passionate about helping children build their confidence and reach their full communication potential, and she brings warmth and creativity to every session.
Jo Watkins
Speech and Language Therapist
Jo qualified with a first-class master’s degree in Speech and Language Therapy from the University of Essex. After making the transition from a successful career as a primary school teacher, Jo brings a deep understanding and experience of communication, learning and the importance of social connection to her therapeutic practice.
Jo is passionate about helping children and adults develop their communication skills in order to live rich and happy lives. She has special interests in children’s speech sound disorders, autism and developmental language disorder. During her training at the University of Essex, Jo has worked in a variety of school settings, both mainstream and specialist, to support children with their speech and language skills.
Jo also has a keen interest in therapy with adults following stroke and brain injury. During placements she has gained valuable experience working with adults, through online support sessions and intensive aphasia programmes, to develop their communication skills and re-establish social connections. Her person-centred approach, combined with evidence-based practice, enables individuals to rebuild confidence in their communication.
Empathetic and committed to lifelong learning, Jo is dedicated to helping individuals of all ages communicate more effectively and live rich, fulfilling lives.
Rachael Harvey
Practice Manager
Rachael is our Practice Manager, bringing a unique blend of educational expertise and healthcare management to our team. With over 12 years of experience in teaching, she has honed exceptional organisational and interpersonal skills that are indispensable in managing our practice efficiently.
A graduate of Nottingham University, with a degree in Biology, Rachael transitioned from a successful career in education to healthcare management, driven by a passion for improving patient care and administrative excellence.
With an unwavering commitment to patient and staff well-being, Rachael ensures that our clinic runs seamlessly, allowing our professionals to focus on providing high end patient care.