Psychologists

Clinical Psychology

Clinical Psychologists are part of the Psychosocial team. We offer a confidential service offering psychological therapeutic interventions to inpatients, outpatients and young people from diagnosis through to up to five years off treatment.

Where are we based?

We are based in the Department of Clinical & Health Psychology, Fielding House, St James's University Hospital. We also work with inpatients on the Children’s, Teenage and Young Adult wards and sometimes in clinic and in Bexley Wing Radiotherapy Service. We offer Psychology Outpatient appointments in Fielding House, at St James’s.

We work with children, teenagers, young adults and/ or family members (including siblings). We also work with the rest of the Oncology Team to offer consultation, teaching and training on psychosocial aspects of care for young people with cancer.

Some of the ways that Clinical Psychologists can help include:

• Contributing to the team, helping children and young people to access normal activities including playing, learning and socialising with other young people to encourage their continuing development
• Offering support and advice to parents and staff to help young people express their feelings, either through playing, talking or other creative activities
• Offering psychological support and advice to parents in relation to their child’s illness where required
• We sometimes work jointly or alongside other team members and with families to minimise distress cause by illness, procedures and treatments
• We offer assessment of behaviour, emotions and family functioning where families experience difficulties and need specific psychological input and support.
• We offer a variety of psychological interventions/ therapies to young people and their families, including siblings

How can you access the Clinical Psychology Service

You can ask any member of the Paediatric / TYA team if you want to speak with a Clinical Psychologist. They will then contact us to make a referral. Sometimes team members talk with families about referring them to our Psychology Service too. We ask all team members to seek your permission and consent to being referred, before they contact us about a referral. You may see us on the wards or in clinic please feel free to come and introduce yourself and ask any questions any time that you see us!

Team Members

Karen Shimmon, Senior Clinical Psychologist and Katja Osswald, Senior Clinical Psychologist.