Dr Claire Cartwright

Principal Clinical Psychologist

Claire is a HCPC registered Clinical Psychologist with over 10 years experience working in the NHS.

Claire has primarily worked in adult mental health services.

She has a diverse range of experiences which includes working with people across all age ranges, living with: emotional, cognitive, and/or neurological difficulties.

She works with those experiencing a wide range of difficulties (but not limited to):

• anxiety and low mood
• perinatal and postnatal mental difficulties (including birth trauma)
• trauma
• emotional dysregulation and impulsivity
• relational difficulties
• neuropsychological difficulties
• long term health conditions
• OCD
• stress
• adjustment difficulties

Claire will work with you to:

• identify your challenges,
• draw on your strengths to develop a collaborative understanding of your psychological needs and
• empower you to aim for the changes you wish to make and see in your life.

Using an integrated approach to therapy, drawing upon CAT, CFT, CBT, Systemic and Trauma informed approaches. Through utilising multiple therapy models Claire is able to tailor-make her approach to you.

Her approach is based upon building an authentic therapeutic relationship, making therapy accessible, while committing to collaboration and working towards achieving your goals.

What’s it like to have therapy with Claire?

Clients have described her as:

• down to earth,
• warm,
• engaging and
• compassionate.

Claire offers a:

• safe space,
• containing and
• empathic, aiming for high quality, effective therapy.

She works often with people who feel overwhelmed by their emotions and experiences, and are struggling to navigate these challenges alone.

Claire believes in supporting people to develop understanding and skills through therapy that can continue to benefit them after therapy has ended.

Central to Claire’s work is a values-based approach which aims to understand you and your difficulties in the context of your values and life experiences. This ensures a meaningful therapy experience which acknowledges and prioritises aspects of life that are most important to you.

Claire understands that seeking support for your mental health takes great strength, and is keen to work alongside you to support and guide you throughout your journey.

Claire offers a Formulation-driven approach (i.e., guided by a thorough understanding of what has led to you having the current difficulties and what makes it hard for you to overcome them).

Session Availability and Flexibility

Claire offers online and in person sessions and is available evenings and weekends (availability to be discussed at 1st appointment).

Please get in touch for more information.

Research and teaching experience

She has a research interest in Human Rights in Mental Health.

Claire has been involved in producing several human rights based resources for clinical practice in collaboration with the Equality and Human Rights Commission.

Claire has had a paper accepted for publication in BMC Health Services Research titled: “A meta-ethnography of shared decision making in mental health care from the perspective of staff and service users”.

Claire is passionate about disseminating research beyond academic contexts, particularly to people experiencing mental health difficulties.

In 2015, Claire co-presented at a Teaching Conference on Human rights and Clinical Psychology training: A pilot of an EBL approach to teaching on human rights decision-making, leadership and evaluation. University of Liverpool, 13th Annual Learning “Recognising and Sharing Teaching Excellence”.

That same year, she presented at The British Psychological Society’s Division of Clinical Psychology Faculty of Psychology for Older People conference, on “Human rights and clinical psychology training: A pilot of an EBL approach to teaching on human rights decision-making, leadership and evaluation for older adults”.

Claire has also developed, taught and evaluated introductory courses to Clinical and Forensic Psychology at the University of Liverpool.