Research interests

My main area of interest has been mental health linked to trauma and conflict and the development of evidence based psychological interventions, in particular cognitive therapy for conflict related PTSD.

1. In 1998 after the Omagh bombing I was invited with Dr Kate Gillespie to co-lead the work of the H&SC Trauma & Recovery team. In collaboration with Profs David M Clark and Anke Ehlers, Oxford university and KCL, we led and evaluated the application of a new cognitive model for PTSD with victims of this traumatic event.

2. Since 1998 I have systematically explored the phenomenology of PTSD linked to civil conflict and researched the effectiveness of Trauma Focussed cognitive behavioural psychotherapy (TFCBT) with other conflict related traumas via single case studies, a case series and clinical trials. Between 2003 – 2005, my colleagues and I helped secure funding for, managed and supervised a randomised controlled trial comparing cognitive therapy for PTSD with a wait list group. The trial has since been published in the British Medical Journal.

3. I have also been co -Investigator in large population and school based studies to explore predictors of PTSD and factors that may promote resilience or inhibit recovery. I have co-published several papers on cognitive predictors of PTSD and continue to collaborate with colleagues at Oxford ( Prof DM Clark and Prof Anke Ehlers) and the Institute of Psychiatry, at KCL/Maudsley on trauma related research.

4. Under the leadership of myself and Dr Kate Gillespie our local group has built considerable expertise in the treatment of trauma and we have been consequently invited to present many TFCBT workshops for clinicians working with survivors after tragedies such as: the 9/11 Twin Towers attack New York (2004); 7/11 bombings London  (2005); Oslo bombing and Utoya Island shootings in Norway (2012). In June  2017 I have provided a keynote on "the psychologival care of victims of terrorism" at the prestigious Summer school at the Complutense University Madrid. I have been advising the Manchester Mental Health Senior staff on responses for victims of the terrorist attack at the Manchester concert hall on 22 May 17 and am delivering a keynote on "evidence based responses for PTSD" in Manchester on 1 August 17 for 150 therapists working with victims of this tragedy. 

5. My trauma studies have had a strong impact in the field securing invitations to present our research at many international conferences includinga keynote address and present papers at 2 symposia at the BABCP annual conference in June 2016.

6. Locally, I have advised policy makers and local Health and Victims commissioning agencies on trauma services and in November 2015, with Dr Ciaran Mulholland School of Medicine Dentistry and Biomedical Sciences QUB, I have successfully presented a proposal for a new regional specialist trauma service to political leaders at the Northern Ireland Assembly. The Assembly Health minister has subsequently endorsed and agreed to fund this important project.

7. In November 2015, with Dr Ciaran Mulholland,  I co-organised and presented research at a well attended 2 day Trauma conference at Ridell hall QUB entitled "Treating the Trauma of the Troubles with experts presenting research updates on a range of treatments for a multi disciplinary audience.

8. In order to disseminate the knowledge and skills protocols derived from these studies I have designed a new specialist TFCBT MSc course at Queen's university.

9. I have also conducted research into factors associated with enduring effects of CBT training. In the period  2010 - 2012 I helped co-design and  deliver a short agency based low intensity CBT course in the Republic of Ireland for 500 mental health staff and conducted a study of trainees, mentors and managers at end of training and 1 year follow up. .

 Current research

I am Co Chief Investigator, alongside Prof Anke Ehlers, Oxford University, on a multi-site RCT testing the effectiveness of Trauma-Focussed Cognitive Therapy, with and without a phased element, for complex PTSD. The trial is funded by a £2 million NIHR grant and commenced recruitment across 10 NHS Trusts in England and Northern Ireland in 2023

Duing 2018-2021 I was Principal Investigator on a study of PTSD in children and adolescents exposed to abuse or neglect. The study was funded by the ESRC and NSPCC to test the feasibility of frontline child care staff using a PTSD screening instrument.  

I am currently studying the phenomenology of Prolonged Grief Disorder  and the maintenance factors that are assocoated with traumatic and complex grief presentations. I  am collaborating with colleagues at universities in Oxford and Australia to explore potential new therapeutic interventions for these conditions. I have published several papers and presented sevaeral  workshops on this subject for international audiences audiences. 

I am collaborating with Dr Mulholland on studies exploring links between conflict, trauma and psychosis

 I am collaborating with colleagues studying the rate and pattern of prescribed medications for mental illness in Northern Ireland in comparison with other regions

 I am supervising one  PhD student on the subject" PTSD and Psychosis" and one PhD student on the subject "a cognitive persective on Prolonged Grief Disorder - with a special focus on conflict related bereavement."

I have provided expert commentary in 3 recent Televison documentaries on PTSD screened on BBC, BBC Persia and Channel 4

Mental Health 

Psychological Therapies

PTSD and Complex PTSD

Prolonged Grief Disorder

Trauma associated with conflict

Fellowship/ Membership

Fellow of British Association for Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapies

Member of the Academy of Cognitive Therapy at the Beck Institute

Member of the UK Trauma Council

Member of the European Association for Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapies

Accredited by

BABCP, NISCC , ACT