Our People

Dr Brock Chisholm

DIRECTOR OF CLINICAL SERVICES

Dr Brock Chisholm is a Consultant Clinical Psychologist and Director of CAPS. He is the former Clinical Lead of the UK Psychological Trauma Society and former Trustee of Survivors UK.

Dr Brock Chisholm is an extremely knowledgeable Consultant Clinical Psychologist with a degree in Psychology, Masters in Psychological Research Methods and Doctorate of Clinical Psychology who previously been employed in specialist NHS PTSD services and has 15 years of specialist clinical experience.

Dr Chisholm works collaboratively and compassionately, using evidence based psychological interventions such as CBT to assist people in making emotional and behavioural changes and improve well-being.  He cultivates a therapeutic space where people genuinely experience being heard and understood. 

Dr Chisholm has particular expertise in assisting people who have experienced events such as sexual & physical assaults, accidents, bereavements, domestic violence and traumatic childhoods, as well as adjustments to life events such as bullying or relationship difficulties.  Dr Chisholm treats post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, low mood, depression, phobias, and adjustment difficulties and with people experiencing psychosis and the overlap between trauma and psychosis.

Dr Chisholm also has provided expert witness in several high profile cases in the UK and International courts. for criminal and civil matters in Specialist Immigration, and Asylum Court, Court of Appeal, Supreme Court, the European Court of Human Rights, the Baha Mousa Public Inquiry, the African Court of Justice, Military Courts Martial and The United Nations. He has acted in terrorism, police, rendition, serious fraud, trafficking, war crimes, torture, and many other matters nationally and internationally.  In HS (Uganda), R (on the application of) v Secretary of State for the Home Department [2012] EWCA Civ 94 Lady Justice Rafferty says ‘it seems to me that the authority and depth of Dr Chisholm's report arguably changes the landscape of the appellant's claim.’ 

He was previously retained by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) as expert witness in a case litigating against alleged torture at CIA run black sites.

Country Experts

Dr. Ayesha Ahmad

Dr. Ayesha Ahmad is a country expert for mental health and associated stigmas, human rights violations, gender-based and honour violence towards both men and women, female genital mutilation, paediatric humanitarian health, trafficking, and conflict-related harms. Her countries of representation are Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Iran, Iraq, Sierra Leone, Nigeria, Ghana, Eritrea and Ethiopia. Dr. Ahmad has extensive expertise as an expert witness. She has and provided written and oral evidence and provided expert evidence for AS (Safety of Kabul).

Dr. Ayesha Ahmad is a Reader/Associate Professor in Global Health Humanities; St. George’s University of London and a medical ethicist with significant international experience as an academic lecturer and researcher in global health who specialises in is mental health and psychological trauma in conflict settings. Especially with survivors of gender-based violence. Her academic research focuses on cross-cultural mental health.

She is an executive committee member for the Transcultural Special Interest Group at the Royal College of Psychiatrists, United Kingdom and a member of the Clinical Ethics Committees at St. George’s Hospital and Great Ormond Street Hospital for children, London, United Kingdom.

Dr Rodney Reynolds

Dr Rodney Reynolds is a medical anthropologist. He is a country expert on mental health in regions of Central America, South America, Caribbean, and Sub-Saharan Africa. His expertise is on mental health and human rights violations.  

He is a board member for a U.S based non-governmental organization providing assistance to migrants who have fled armed conflict, gang violence, trafficking, and modern slavery. He has given expert witness including country reports for men with severe mental disorder facing deportation to Jamaica from the United Kingdom.

Expert Witnesses and Clinical Consultants

Dr Sarah Whittaker-Howe

CHARTERED CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGIST 

Dr. Sarah Whittaker-Howe, Clinical Psychologist, is expert in the   psychological consequences and recovery from organised violence and human right abuses as well as in veteran mental health and with survivors of sexual violence.  She has considerable experience both within the NHS and charitable sectors providing psychological interventions to those suffering complex trauma reactions, including survivors of torture, sexual violence, and combat. She was previously worked at The Havens Sexual Assault Referral Centres; The Forced Migration Trauma Service and Combat Stress.

Sarah has a strong commitment to non-profit organisations working within conflict areas. She partners with several organisations in the Middle East and Africa, providing consultation, training, and developing programmes that address the mental health needs of war affected communities and refugee populations.  She also provides expert witness for criminal investigations, asylum tribunals and international courts.

CONSULTANTS

Below is an illustration of our consultants. The list is a snapshot of people who can be instructed or provide services. They are employed on a per project basis. 

Dr Abby Seltzer

Abby is an accomplished psychiatrist  experienced in producing IP compliant medico-legal reports. She was a senior psychiatrist and policy advisor at Freedom from Torture (formerly The Medical Foundation). She has provided clinical expertise to torture survivors in a variety of locations and is a recognised expert in her field. She has also worked with The Helen Bamber Foundation and Medical Justice. 

Dr James Underhill

Dr James Underhill was previously at the Traumatic Stress Clinic in London and currently works as a consultant for Medicines Sans Frontiers based in Syria and Turkey and has significant international experience. 

Dr Sharon Doherty

Dr Sharon Doherty is a consultant clinical psychologist, neuropsychologist and trauma specialist. She has extensive NHS-based experience of working therapeutically with survivors of human trafficking, torture, gender-based violence and other human rights abuses. She is experienced in providing expert psychological reports to inform asylum, and conclusive trafficking decisions, and in working closely with legal colleagues to advise on special measures for vulnerable adults. Since 2011 she has worked in partnership with the TARA Service, Glasgow, to provide early psychological assessment and treatment for female victims of trafficking for sexual exploitation. She was also involved in consultations with the Home Office during its’ review of the National Referral Mechanism in 2014, and in the Scottish Government’s Justice Committee’s consultation on the Human Trafficking (Scotland) Bill in 2015.

She provides training to NHS, statutory and third sector agencies on providing trauma-informed and culturally–relevant services. She also lectures, on an invited basis, on the clinical psychology doctoral training courses at Edinburgh and Glasgow University, and on the Global Mental Health MSc at the University of Glasgow.

Dr Doherty’s research interests include head injury and cognitive functioning in asylum seekers, psychological recovery following human trafficking, and the impact on interpreters of interpreting in mental health settings.

She has expertise in CBT including mindfulness-based approaches, EMDR, Narrative Therapy and ACT and is currently based with the COMPASS team, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde Psychological Trauma Service.

Graham Dyson, PhD, DClinPsy, PgCE LTHE, CPsychol, AFBPsS

CONSULTANT CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGIST Consultant

Dr Dyson is an HCPC registered consultant clinical and chartered psychologist.   Most recently he worked as a Senior Lecturer on the Doctorate in Clinical Psychology at Teesside University where he was responsible for recruitment, academic modules and personal professional development. During his time there he supervised a range of research projects and in particular in the area of psychosis and links with trauma. He has published journal articles and book chapters on a range of topics. At Teesside University, he developed and taught on different modules, in particular focusing on case formulation, working within legal settings, ethical leadership, interpersonal therapy (IPT), PTSD and complex trauma.  He has worked independently for the last 8 years focusing on the areas of psychological trauma, occupational health and managing psychological stress and anxiety. He has provided expert witness services since 2006. He has worked extensively on criminal, personal injury and medical negligence cases and has experience in both civil and criminal courts. He has provided training, supervision and consultation to a range of organisations and individuals in the independent sector and the NHS, including social work, nursing, psychology and psychiatry.  Post qualification, he worked as a clinical psychologist in the National Health Service for six years, primarily with adults in a low security rehabilitation setting.  He completed his interpersonal therapy training in 2005 and since then has used both the CBT and IPT models within clinical work, teaching, research, training and supervision.  He is also trained in EMDR and ACT and has used both clinically.   

Dr Eleanor Cross

Eleanor is a clinical psychologist who has expertise in complex trauma arising in human right’s violation, persecution and war. She has provided several IP reports to the IHAT investigation team as well as IP compliant reports within the UK justice system. She previously was employed at The Forced Migration Trauma Service, which is a specialist NHS service that assess and treat migrants following traumatic events. She is currently employed at the Traumatic Stress Clinic.

EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES

We are pleased to announce exciting opportunities for clinical psychologists with experience in the assessment and treatment of survivors of traumatic events. Consultants are not  employees. 

We are always interested in experienced clinicians who would like to join our bank of staff. Please contact us with your CV if you would be interested in working with us.  

For more information email Dr Brock Chisholm