08/04/2026
We recently caught up with Louise, our Psychologist and Psychotherapist, whose work spans neurodevelopmental assessment, forensic psychology, and aviation psychology. Working with children, adolescents, and adults, Louise’s approach is also shaped by ongoing Doctoral research.
When we spoke, Louise shared a theme that consistently arises in her clinical work: how people respond in moments of sudden overwhelm.
“In aviation psychology, this is known as the startle response,” she explains, an automatic reaction to unexpected events that can briefly disrupt thinking and decision-making. “In high-risk environments, even a few seconds of cognitive ‘freezing’ can have significant consequences.”
But as Louise highlights, this response isn’t limited to aviation, it’s universal.
“In school environments, children can experience similar responses to sudden demands, sensory input, or social pressure. These moments are often misinterpreted as defiance or inattention, when in reality the nervous system is briefly overloaded.”
Research shows that startle can affect information processing for up to 30 seconds, something Louise believes is highly relevant in understanding behaviour in educational settings.
“That’s why, when I’m assessing someone, I don’t just focus on what’s happening now. I take a developmental perspective, going back as far as behavioural reactions in utero, and then looking at early activity levels, responses to separations from care givers, and recognising patterns of responding to stress over time. It gives a much more clinically meaningful picture of a person.”
By bringing together insights from aviation and clinical practice, Louise aims to reframe how we understand behaviour.
“Ultimately, behaviour isn’t simply a choice, it reflects how the brain and body are coping in that moment, for a person of any age, and we need to start recognising and acknowledging that across different environments.”
