Our People
Criterion A is the part of the diagnosis for PTSD that refers to the traumatic event that triggers the reaction. Criterion A Psychology provides services to people following traumatic events. We are a flexible company designed to meet complex needs.
Leadership Team
Dr Brock Chisholm
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 20 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 experience being genuinely 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.
Clinical Consultants
Dr Sarah Whittaker-Howe
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.
Amy Chisholm
Amy Chisholm
Clinical Psychologist
I am an experienced Clinical Psychologist who has worked in mental health settings since 2003 and as a registered Clinical Psychologist since February 2009.
My particular area of expertise is treatment of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. I have been involved in teaching and supervising NHS colleagues learning trauma-focused therapies for many years. I have worked as Head of Clinical Services in London for a large charity offering trauma-related psychological treatment. Prior to this I worked for various specialist NHS services offering trauma-focused therapy for police officers, military veterans, survivors of the Grenfell fire and refugees/asylum seekers.
My clinical approach is evidence-based, client-focused and compassionate. I offer the three trauma-focused therapies with the most evidence base (Cognitive Therapy for PTSD, Eye Movement Desensitisation Reprocessing (EMDR) and Narrative Exposure Therapy (NET). I approach work with all survivors of trauma with the utmost respect and compassion and enjoy helping survivors to overcome the impact of their traumatic experiences.
Dr Lisa Monaghan
Dr Lisa Monaghan
Chartered Consultant Clinical Psychologist
Dr. Lisa Monaghan is an internationally recognised Chartered Consultant Clinical Psychologist and Narrative Therapist with expertise in trauma-informed care, psychological wellbeing, and dialogical practice. With over 23 years of experience across the UK’s NHS and third sector, Dr. Monaghan brings deep clinical expertise and compassionate leadership to those working under extreme pressure—including journalists and media professionals navigating burnout, trauma exposure, and relentless demands.
As an internationally trained trainer in Dialogic Practice, Dr. Monaghan is passionate about the power of authentic conversation and human connection in healing psychological wounds. She played a pivotal role in establishing the UK’s first national Open Dialogue service, Dialogue First—bringing innovative, relational approaches to people facing crisis. Her work has helped shape psychologically safe environments in some of the most complex clinical settings, and she now offers this same depth of support to those on the front lines of global storytelling.
Journalists often work under intense scrutiny, frequent exposure to traumatic events, and shifting political and social climates. Dr. Monaghan understands these challenges and has developed tailored psychological support and leadership coaching specifically for those in high-impact, high-risk roles—including investigative reporters, conflict correspondents, news anchors, and editors.
Currently the Trust Clinical Lead for Staff Psychological & Wellbeing Services at University College London Hospitals (UCLH), Dr. Monaghan leads large-scale programmes that reduce burnout, enhance resilience, and foster cultures of psychological safety—expertise she now brings to global media organisations and individual journalists alike.
Her offerings for journalists and media professionals include:
Specialist therapeutic support for those experiencing vicarious trauma, burnout, anxiety and other mental health issues impacting on your daily functioning
Confidential coaching and resilience-building for mid- to senior-level journalists
Restorative retreats and workshops that integrate narrative therapy, dialogical approaches, and mind-body practices
Support for midlife women in journalism through menopause-focused coaching and retreats
Bespoke team interventions to foster healthy newsroom cultures and psychologically safe storytelling environments
Dr. Monaghan is also an accredited EMDR therapist, coach, and mediator, and combines therapeutic precision with a warm, deeply relational style. She works globally with journalists who may feel overwhelmed, isolated, or disillusioned—and helps them reconnect with their purpose, process the emotional impact of their work, and rediscover balance in their lives.
Her recent work spans critical themes for journalists today, including:
Navigating trauma during and after crisis reporting (including COVID-19)
Supporting women in leadership through midlife transitions
Building inner resources to handle moral injury and complex ethical tensions
Lisa also contributes to national policy and research in the UK and chairs key wellbeing committees within the Association of Clinical Psychologists. Her published work includes:
Coping with Psychological Distress During COVID-19(2023)
Dialogical Leadership & Staff Support in Healthcare (2022)
Evaluating Supervision for Professional Nurse Advocates(2023)
What sets Dr. Monaghan apart is her ability to blend clinical credibility with human understanding. She doesn’t just offer therapy—she creates safe spaces where stories can be told, meaning can be made, and wellbeing can be restored.
Whether you're a frontline reporter, editor-in-chief, or documentary filmmaker, Dr. Monaghan offers a trusted, confidential partnership—supporting you to care for your own wellbeing as deeply as you care about the stories you tell.
Download CV
Andrea Jobst-Heel
Andrea Jobst-Heel
Consultant Psychiatrist and Psychotherapist
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Dr Heather Dyson
Dr Heather Dyson
Counselling Psychologist
Dr Heather Dyson is an experienced Counselling Psychologist who specialises in working with trauma, PTSD, and C-PTSD. She has worked with a number of organisations, such as Trauma Treatment International, the National Crime Agency, and Combat Stress. Heather has a wealth of experience working with individuals who have witnessed atrocities from around the world.
Dr Sebastian Siehl
Dr Sebastian Siehl
Cognitive Behavioural Therapist
I work as a Psychological Psychotherapist (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy) in Heidelberg (Germany). After studying psychology in Konstanz and Norway (B.Sc.) and completing a Master’s degree in Neuroscience (M.Sc.) in London, I earned my doctorate (Dr. rer. soc.) in psychology in 2021 at the University of Mannheim (Germany) and subsequently worked (2021–2025) as a Research Associate in Kiel at the University Medical Center Schleswig-Holstein. I have worked clinically and scientifically in various cultural contexts (Germany, the UK, Sudan, Burundi) with soldiers, first responders, and victims of war and violence, and I am familiar with working in particularly challenging environments, such as former conflict zones, firsthand. My focus has always been on stress-related disorders and trauma-related conditions, such as the treatment of (complex) post-traumatic stress disorder, borderline personality disorder, and depression. In doing so, I primarily use techniques from Narrative Exposure Therapy (NET), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT).
Dr Zoe Given-Wilson
Dr Zoe Given-Wilson
Clinical Psychologist
Dr Zoe Given-Wilson is a clinical psychologist who has over 10 years’ experience working with people who are experiencing distress to create change and improve their well-being. Much of this work has been with people who find themselves in difficult circumstances due to exposure to highly distressing events, work pressures, oppressive systems, or uncertainty about their futures. She is trained in eye movement desensitisation reprocessing (EMDR), trauma focused cognitive behaviour therapy (TF-CBT), and narrative exposure therapy (NET). Zoe is also trained in mentalisation based treatment (MBT) and mindfulness approaches to managing stress. Zoe works collaboratively to identify personalised goals for therapy.
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.
Please contact us with your CV if you would be interested in working with us.