A central focus of my ongoing research is clinical child and family psychology, with particular attention to psychological trauma and post-traumatic stress symptoms in children and parents. I am also interested in the lived experiences of individuals with persistent physical symptoms and how these shape adjustment, relationships, and quality of life.

I supervise doctoral and master’s research projects on psychological trauma, child and family psychology, and children’s sleep difficulties. These projects employ qualitative, quantitative, and mixed-methods approaches, including scoping and systematic reviews. Populations studied include children with sleep problems, those in foster care, and families affected by medical conditions or requiring hospitalisation or intensive care. A number of papers from these projects have now been published.

Building on this work, I am initiating a programme of research focused on the development and evaluation of brief, scalable, and cost-effective psychological interventions; primarily behavioural and cognitive in nature, designed to reduce symptoms, alleviate distress, and improve functioning.

Since June 2018, I have held the position of Lecturer (Education) in Clinical Psychology at Queen’s University Belfast. From November 2021 to October 2024, I served as Clinical Director of the Doctorate in Clinical Psychology Programme. While I remain actively engaged with the academic side of this programme, including teaching and supervising doctoral research, I also serve as Joint Course Director for the postgraduate programme in Foundations in Clinical Psychology. My research focuses on clinical child and family psychology, particularly in psychological trauma and post-traumatic stress symptoms in children and parents.

Additionally, I have served as Northern Ireland Director for the Association of Clinical Psychologists since 2019, a role I will hold until June 2025. More information can be found at, https://acpuk.org.uk/board/

I trained as a Clinical Psychologist at Queen's University Belfast and my doctoral (DClinPsych) research was on the impact of hyperemesis gravidarum on maternal mental health and maternal–fetal attachment. After qualifying in 2009, I worked as a Clinical Psychologist at The Royal Hospitals, Belfast. It was here I became interested in psychological trauma and the impact of physical health problems on psychological wellbeing and quality of life. In 2014 I moved to Oxford and worked for the Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust before moving to The Maudsley Hospital, London where I worked until 2019. During this time I completed the Postgraduate Diploma in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy at Oxford University. In June 2018, while still at the Maudsley, I was appointed as Lecturer (Education) in Clinical Psychology at Queen’s University. In 2019 I moved to work full time as a lecturer at Queen's University. I was a visiting lecturer at King's College London between 2019 and 2023, and from November 2021 to October 2024 I served as Clinical Director on the Doctorate in Clinical Psychology programme at Queen’s University.