Megan Laverick-Smith

Megan Laverick-Smith is a Registered Mental Health Nurse at Harbor. Her background is in acute mental health care and crisis support, and she also carries out neurodevelopmental assessments.

She has worked on inpatient wards with adults, as well as with children and young people in CAMHS (Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services). She also supports people who find their emotions hard to manage. This includes people who self-harm or are at risk of suicide, as well as those with disordered eating.

Alongside her nursing work, Megan mentors young adults and university students, including neurodivergent students.

Professional Background & Qualifications

Megan holds a First Class BSc in Psychology from the University of Sussex and a PGDip in Mental Health Nursing from the University of Surrey, awarded with Distinction.

Her further training includes dialectical behaviour therapy (DBT), autism assessment and ADHD assessment.

She is currently completing a Level 5 apprenticeship in operational management and strategic leadership.

Professional Experience

In acute and crisis settings, Megan assesses risk and works with people on safety plans. She is also trained to step in during a crisis and to calm situations before they escalate.

Her experience includes care planning and Positive Behaviour Support (PBS), an approach that looks at the reasons behind behaviour that challenges. She also uses DBT-based methods to help people manage their emotions and cope with distress.

Her neurodevelopmental work involves assessing people for ADHD and autism, and she draws on recent training in how autism can present differently in women and girls.

Approach to Care

Megan aims to make mental healthcare clear and practical, while giving people space to understand what they are experiencing.

With people who have autism or ADHD, she adapts the way she works, for example if it affects how they communicate or manage day to day, so that it doesn’t become a barrier to treatment.