Leo completed his doctorate in Educational and Child Psychology at University College London (UCL). His thesis research focused on how to support young people to cope with uncertainty. Leo’s interests as a practitioner and researcher are in adolescent mental health, neuropsychology (i.e., the relationship between brain, thinking and behaviour), and neurodevelopmental differences such as autism and ADHD.

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As an Educational Psychologist, Leo has experience working in local authority practice (i.e., supporting schools, writing EHCP advice) and in hospital settings. In addition to being an associate at the practice, he works for a large NHS trust, within a team focused on the diagnosis and care of children with ADHD. Leo also has experience in conducting neuropsychological assessments for children with conditions like epilepsy.

 

Leo is originally from Melbourne, Australia, and prior to his doctoral training at UCL, he worked as a psychology research assistant at The University of Melbourne, on projects related to mental health in adolescence and adulthood. In addition to this, he worked as an overnight telephone counsellor on Australia’s national crisis hotline. Leo is passionate about research and evidence-based practice and has published several papers.

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Credentials:

• Registered with the Health and Care Professionals Council (PYL34875)

• Chartered member of the British Psychological Society

• Member of the Association for Education Psychologist​

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Research:

Mares, L. S. & Fuller, M. (in press). Prior Educational Psychology Involvement Predicts EHCNA Application Outcomes: A Quantitative Analysis of 412 SEND Panel Decisions. Educational Psychology in Practice.

Mares. L. S. & Fuller, M. (2025). Intolerance of Uncertainty, Anxiety, and Depression in Children and Adolescents: A Meta-Analysis and Intervention Pilot Study. UCL Thesis.

Doan, U., Hong, D., Mares, L. S., Butler, M., Dahl Askelund, A., Gutenbrunner, C., ... & Hitchcock, C. (2025). The predictive power of autobiographical memory in shaping the mental health of young people: An individual participant data meta-analysis. Psychological Bulletin, 151(4), 455. https://doi.org/10.1037/bul0000474

Mares, L. S., Davenport, R. A., & Kiropoulos, L. A. (2023). Adverse childhood experiences and depression, anxiety, and eating disorders: The mediating role of intolerance of uncertainty and emotion regulation difficulty. Traumatology. https://dx.doi.org/10.1037/trm0000442

Mares, L. S., (2022b). Unconscious processes in psychoanalysis, CBT, and schema therapy. Journal of Psychotherapy Integration, 32(4), 443. https://doi.org/10.1037/int0000276

Mares, L. S., (2022a). Bayesian theories, visual perceptual states, and multiple realizability. Journal of Theoretical and Philosophical Psychology, 42(3), 158–166. https://doi.org/10.1037/teo0000194

Mares, L. S. (2020). More therapy isn't a cure for climate anxiety. Eureka Street, 30(21), 5-7. https://www.eurekastreet.com.au/article/more-therapy-isn-t-a-cure-for-climate-anxiety

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