Meet the Team
Our Friendly Team
At EDS Plymouth, our team is made up of dedicated and highly experienced therapists and dietitians who specialise in eating disorder recovery. Each member brings their own expertise, compassion, and understanding to help adults build a healthier relationship with food and themselves. Together, we provide a supportive environment where every individual feels listened to, respected, and guided towards lasting change.
Caragh Sanders-Wright
Director
I’ve specialised in eating disorders for most of my career and have always been passionate about helping people make positive changes in their lives. It can be complex work, but even the smallest step forward can make a life-changing difference.
My background is in dietetics, and I joined EDS in 2013 as the specialist eating disorder dietitian. I became Clinical Manager in 2020 and Director in 2022. Alongside my work, I’ve continued to learn and develop, completing a BSc (Hons) in Dietetics, an MSc in Human Nutrition, Postgraduate Certificates in Eating Disorders and in Health Leadership and Management, and I’m currently studying for an MSc in Leadership.
I enjoy sharing knowledge and experiences through professional journals such as Dietetics Today, Complete Nutrition, and the British Dietetic Association. Leading the EDS team is a real privilege, and outside of work I love spending time with family and taking on marathons and ultra-marathons.
Claire Russell
Practice Manager
I joined EDS as Practice Manager in July 2021, bringing many years of experience in commercial management after making the switch to charity and healthcare to pursue my passion for improving people’s lives.
Working here is both rewarding and inspiring – I feel privileged to be part of a team that makes a difference every day. I’m passionate about making the numbers work, and enjoy learning new skills and developing improvements. Most of all, I value being part of an innovative team who work together towards the charity’s aims and objectives.
Being surrounded by such skilled and motivated professionals pushes me to be my best and inspired me to achieve my proudest professional milestone: completing a nationally accredited qualification in healthcare and management to become a certified Practice Manager.
Outside of work, I spend most weekends in all weathers supporting my son’s football team. I might not know all the rules, but I love seeing the teamwork and support they show each other through every match.
Kathryn Maries
Senior Therapist
Kathryn is a BACP qualified psychotherapist and supervisor.
In 2012 Kathryn started as a volunteer and has been working with eating disorder clients at EDS for over 13 years. Kathryn has developed an extensive knowledge of eating disorder specific therapeutic interventions; she delivers individual therapy, and supervision to the EDS team.
Kathryn is also responsible for developing and delivering the Body Image group to both community and day service clients, which provides invaluable support to clients post therapy to help them remain in recovery.
Away from work, Kathryn enjoys traveling and reading fiction.
Jess Smith
Therapist
Jess is a BACP qualified psychotherapist and has been with EDS since 2021 when she joined us having spent many years working with and supporting young adults.
Jess has an array of skills with a particular interest in supporting young adults to navigate their eating disorders in the complexities of today’s society. She offers support to clients attending the Day service as well as individual therapy.
Jess facilitates and leads the carers support programme offering skills and support to loved ones supporting someone with an eating disorder.
Jess enjoys travel, and spending time with her family and dog.
Maddie Brindley-Scott
Assistant Psychologist
Maddie joined the team in 2023 as an Assistant Psychologist and is a registered member of the BPS.
Maddie has a special interest in both Autism and ADHD. Maddie is responsible for delivering both one-to-one therapy and exposure work. She provides weekly skills sessions in our Day Service and conducts client assessments.
When not in work Maddie enjoys spending time with her family and dog.
Natalie Strachan
Dietician
Natalie is a HCPC-registered Dietitian specialising in eating disorders, she is also a member of the British Dietetic Association. Natalie has been with EDS since 2022 bringing with her a wealth of knowledge and expertise having worked for many years with eating disorder services outside of Plymouth. Natalie provides one to one dietetic advice and meal plans to support clients, helping them improve their relationship with food by identifying and addressing nutritional imbalances and dispelling food myths.
Away from work Natalie likes photography, yoga and spending time outdoors.
Claire Evans
Therapist
Claire is BACP qualified psytherapist and clinical supervisor with a BSc in Psychology.
She joined EDS last year and brings with her an extensive wealth of therapeutic experience, she specialises in CBT and is trained in Gestalt, transpersonal and person-centered therapies. She is skilled in adapting her approach to meet the unique needs of each client, drawing on various techniques to address OCD, phobias and specific anxieties.
Claire is responsible for delivering one-to-one therapy, assessments and delivers the Body Image group to the day service.
Outside of work, Claire enjoys spending time with her young family.
Abbie Scott
ED Practioner
Abbie has a BSc in Psychology and joined the team last year bringing with her previous experience in supporting individuals with a range of mental health needs, with particular experience in eating disorders.
She has real passion for helping others and enjoys collaborating with and learning from the multi-disciplinary team here at EDS. Abbie is responsible for conducting client assessments and her passion for supporting people makes her the perfect fit for being our Day service support practitioner.
Outside of work Abbie enjoys the cinema and spending time with her family and pets.
Karis Asten
ED Practioner
Karis joined the team in 2024 and has a BSc in Psychology. Karis has worked in various mental health settings, including suicide bereavement, which is where she developed a real passion for improving lives through wellbeing. Karis joins our team as an experienced wellbeing practitioner and she delivers wellbeing sessions within the community and our day service programme where she supports clients with gentle exposure, emotional resilience and building and maintaining mood.
Karis also conducts assessments as well as regularly attending local universities to increase awareness of the signs and symptoms of an eating disorder, as well as being a listening ear and offering support to those who may need it.
Outside of work Karis enjoys travelling, audiobooks and seeing her loved ones.
Debbie Weymouth
Receptionist/Administrator
Debbie will always greet you with a smile when you arrive at EDS. She is responsible for all our administration and support for the service.
She joined EDS in March 2022 with over 20 years of combined customer service and administrative experience. She brings a positive attitude, excellent communication and superb interpersonal skills to EDS.
Her attention to detail, ability to multitask and her overall can-do attitude help the service reach it’s goals.
Outside of work Debbie enjoys skiing, spending time with family and friends, and walking her dog.
Ailsa Murray
Therapist
Ailsa is a committed, friendly and experienced therapist at EDS Plymouth.
Yvonne Mitchell
Dietician
Yvonne has been a HCPC registered dietitian for 20 years and loves her job. She joined EDS this year and brings with her extensive experience in many areas of Nutrition and dietetics including Eating disorders and mental health. Yvonne strives to help people in recovery by improving their diet and lifestyle. She currently supports our day service providing one to one sessions helping overcome individual barriers around eating.
Outside of work Yvonne loves coastal walks, meeting with friends, and enjoys watching anything sci-fi, vampires or zombies, and to relax she loves to sea swim, all year round.
Caleb Carter
Therapist
Caleb joined EDS earlier this year as an integrative therapist at EDS offering one-to-one therapy and client assessments. He brings with him several years of experience in behavioural change and therapeutic work including an extensive knowledge of neurodiverse clients allowing him an extensive understanding of how differently we all experience and process life’s challenges.
Calebs background allows him to bring a flexible and compassionate approach to his therapy, adapting to individual needs and drawing on a range of approaches, including Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), to support people in making meaningful changes in their relationship with food, thoughts, and emotions.
Outside of work, Caleb enjoys playing football, hiking, being in nature, and spending time with family.
Jess Flanagan
Administrator
Jess joined EDS in March 2025 having made the decision to use her background in finance and business administration to pursue her passion of helping others by assisting with the work the charity does for the community.
Jessica enjoys being part of a team who are committed helping others. She has an eye for detail is solution focused and enjoys learning and building on these skills to be able to give back to the community and support the team.
Outside of work Jessica enjoys spending time with her family, reading and going to the theatre.
Our Trustees
Cathy McCabe
Chair
Cathy joined as a trustee in September 2023 and has worked across many sectors in health and mental health.
Currently, Cathy works as an independent research and evaluation consultant. Cathy brings to EDS a wealth of skills and knowledge of the charity sector and provides fresh ideas and great insight into driving the charity forward.
Bradley Armitage
Chair
As a Royal Marine Bradley brings a unique approach to problem solving blending discipline and innovation. Bradley has seen a family member successfully come through the service and therefore has a personal interest in the work the charity does and how it can best serve the needs of the community.
Bradley enjoys sailing, motorcycling and running on Dartmoor.
Sarah Robens
Trustee
Sarah is CEO of a global charity, RE!INSTITUTE, that works with systems in different sectors, including health, social care, homelessness and justice, to improve how they work so that they can create better results for those they work with. Before joining RE!NSTITUTE, Sarah worked within the health system in Devon and Cornwall, with a particular focus on evaluation and innovation, and specialist expertise in mental health.
She is passionate about finding ways to put the experience and needs of people at the heart of systems, helping them to work better for those who need them.
Kirsten Davenport
Trustee
Kirsten is a qualified mental health nurse and psychotherapist with over 30 years of working in the NHS is a variety of settings with her current role being to support children in care as part of the CAHMS team. Kirsten see the increasing numbers of individuals suffering with eating disorders and has a vested interest in the valuable work EDS does for its community.
When she is not working Kirsten enjoys Yoga, Swimming and her dogs.
Louise Hall
Trustee
Louise is passionate about using research and evaluation to improve health and social care. With 18 years’ experience across the NHS, charities and innovation sectors, she helps organisations understand what works and why, ensuring services make a real difference to peoples lives. She has held senior evaluation roles at Health Innovation South West, Marie Curie and SafeLives working closely with service users, staff and partners to capture learning and drive improvement. Louse is committed to supporting charities to be evidence-led, sustainable and delivering the best possible outcomes for the people and communities its serves.
When she is not working she is school secretary for her three children, personal trainer for her greedy labrador and a keen volunteer at her schools PTFA.
Chloe Phillips
Trustee
Chloe is greatly committed to supporting others and is excited to contribute to the important work of EDS. With a background in commercial management and customer success, she brings a fresh perspective to the team.
Chloe is a Partner of a coaching business, dedicated to helping others to be the best version of themselves, to ensure they get the most of their life and business. She is also pursuing her dream of becoming a Counselling Psychologist, currently studying to achieve this goal.
Mark Gale
Treasurer
Mark became a trustee in November 2024 and has a background in education. He has worked in several secondary schools in South Devon and is currently a science teacher and deputy head of a large comprehensive where he is responsible for assessment, reporting and data analysis. Having worked with many pupils over the years, Mark has encountered a diverse range of challenges as he has supported pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds and those facing difficulties, including mental health issues or special educational needs.
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