About

Dr Sophie Wicks

I am a qualified Clinical Psychologist and have 13 years of experience working in mental health services, in a variety of roles. I provide assessment and therapy for adolescents aged 12+ and adults of all ages. I strongly for a trauma-informed approach in our work together, which means emphasising that what happened to you in the past was not your fault, whilst empowering you to make changes in the here and now. Your current distress makes total sense when we understand what has happened to you, and that you have used whatever strategies were available to you to survive those situations. Those strategies might need updating now, and that's where I can help.

I also provide specialist supervision to professionals working with individuals suffering from psychosis, following my completion of a qualification in Cognitive Behaviour Therapy for Psychosis (CBTp) at University College London.

I have worked as a qualified Clinical Psychologist in the below contexts, and currently hold a role as a Highly Specialised Clinical Psychologist in the NHS:

A Children and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) inpatient unit and CAMHS Eating Disorders Service
A Community Mental Health Team (CMHT) which supports adults with “severe and enduring” mental health difficulties
An Early Intervention for Psychosis service, supporting adults and adolescents with unusual beliefs and experiences
A specialist neurorehabilitation service, including people with traumatic brain injury
A therapy service for families who are in the military including therapy for their children
Working in independent therapy practices supporting children, adolescents, adults, and families

I have also accessed my own therapy, which provides an additional level of empathy and understanding for what it feels like to be in the client's chair when in the therapy room together. I whole-heartedly believe in the techniques I use with my clients, as these are not only techniques which are evidence-based and I have seen work for many people, but have also worked for me. There is authenticity in my approach and in understanding your healing journey.

Qualifications & Additional Training

Qualifications

DClinPsy Doctorate in Clinical Psychology - University of Lincoln & University of Nottingham
PG Cert CBT for Psychosis and Bipolar Disorder - University College London
BSc Hons Psychology with Diploma in Professional Studies - Loughborough University

Additional Training

Below is a list of some of the additional training courses I have undertaken since qualifying as a Clinical Psychologist. I ensure I go above and beyond the minimum requirements of my continued professional development, so that I am aware of recent literature and recommendations and can widen my knowledge and practice.

EMDR Accredited Training
CBT with Personality Disorder: The ADDRESS Course
ARC (Attachment, Regulation, Competency) Framework: Theory and Application
Acceptance & Commitment Therapy
Compassion-Focussed Therapy in Teams
Compassion-Focused Therapy: Theory and Application
Mindfulness-Based CBT
Dialectical Behaviour Therapy
Working with Personality Disorders
Working with Eating Disorders
Cognitive Therapy for PTSD
Evidence-Based Treatment of Body Dysmorphic Disorder
Working with Long-Term Conditions and Persistent Pain in a CBT Setting
Psychological Approaches to Covid and Long Covid
I am part of a Trauma-Informed Special Interest Group

Published Papers

Goodwin, H., Arcelus, J., Marshall, S., Wicks, S., & Meyer, C. (2014). Critical comments concerning shape and weight: associations with eating psychopathology among full-time dance students. Eating & Weight Disorders - Studies on Anorexia, Bulimia and Obesity, 19(1), 115-118.
Wicks, S., Tickle, A., & Dale-Hewitt, V. (2019). A Meta-Synthesis Exploring the Experience of Postpartum Psychosis. Journal of Prenatal & Perinatal Psychology & Health, 34(1).
Current ongoing research project in partnership with Darkside Rising CIC: "What are people's understanding and experiences of trauma-informed care in services?"

Professional Registrations

HCPC – Practitioner Psychologist – Membership number PYL37484
The Association of Clinical Psychologists UK – Full membership
EMDR Association – Full membership
Howden Indemnity Insurance – Membership number P20T5564
Information Commissioners Office registration – Membership number ZA747168

I regularly access clinical supervision with a qualified Clinical Psychologist, to ensure I am providing the best quality service to my clients and as a reflective space for my own development.