Dr Theresa C Kelly, CPsychol, CSci, AFBPsS, Reg EuroPsy, NCC
Director and independent psychologist
Dr Kelly is a registered practitioner clinical and counselling psychologist with the Health and Care Professions Council and holds chartered member and scientist, and Associate Fellow status through the British Psychological Society (BPS). She is also a Registered EuroPsy Psychologist through the European Federation of Psychologists’ Association. After completing her undergraduate and post-graduate studies at The George Washington University in Washington, DC, Dr Kelly attended the University of Toronto where she earned her doctorate in counselling psychology. Applied training included practica and internships at St Elizabeths Hospital, Correctional Service of Canada, and the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health. Prior to entering private practice, Dr Kelly previously worked for the NHS in both inpatient and community settings, specialising in the assessment and treatment of service users affected by mood and anxiety disorders, psychosis, traumatic stress, personality disorders, and alcohol and/or substance misuse.
Dr Kelly’s expert witness work includes assessments of capacity, cognitive functioning, diagnostic psychopathology, risk, family relationships, traumatic stress, and attachment in children, adolescents, and parents. She has experience giving evidence at final hearings and providing input during multidisciplinary professionals’ meetings. Her reports have been used in family court proceedings, fitness to work cases, criminal court for sentencing mitigation, and treatment planning for dually diagnosed service users.
As a BPS Registered Applied Psychology Practice Supervisor, Dr Kelly strives to balance clinician professional development and client well-being. She offers supervision for expert witness work and other psychological assessment, and involving presentations relating to posttraumatic stress, domestic violence, alcohol and/or substance misuse, and cognitive functioning concerns. Dr Kelly also offers reflective practice facilitation for mental health treatment teams, promoting experiential learning to support staff professional development and good service user outcomes.
In addition to her clinical activities, Dr Kelly is an Associate Lecturer at The Open University. Her research interests include sexual aggression, offender treatment, jury-decision-making, suicide, and traumatic stress and resilience. She has presented at various conferences in Australia, Canada, the United States, and the United Kingdom. Dr Kelly’s work has appeared in publications, such as the Journal of Sexual Aggression, Partner Abuse, Vulnerable Children & Youth Studies, and International Journal of Health Promotion and Education.