About Me
I qualified as a clinical psychologist in 2001 and am now based in Cirencester, Gloucestershire. I provide a confidential assessment and therapy service to adults and young people aged 14+ and most of my work is now online, which offers the benefit of increased flexibility.
I have a specialist interest and expertise in working with people who have experienced trauma and for whom there is a sense of moral injury, guilt or shame attached to their experience. I have worked extensively with serving military personnel and veterans and supporting people who are at increased likelihood of experiencing or witnessing trauma again due to their occupation.
I particularly enjoy working with men, adolescents and neurodivergent individuals, as it is an honour to be invited into the world of those people for whom exploring their emotions and finding an emotional language is unfamiliar and sometimes challenging.
Dr Marie O’Neill
D Clin Psy, C Psychol
My Background
I obtained a degree in Psychology and Law in 1992 and then worked for several years within the Probation Service, at Broadmoor Special Hospital and at St Thomas’ Hospital, London. During which time I held both clinical and research posts.
In 2001 I obtained the Doctorate in Clinical Psychology from University College London (UCL), when I specialised in work with teenage boys in secure accommodation and in care. I subsequently worked in NHS and private adult and child services in Gloucestershire, Wiltshire and Oxfordshire.
Between 2012 and 2020 I worked for the Ministry of Defence (MOD), providing psychological therapy to serving members of the army, navy and air force, where I developed specialist skills in assessment, individual and group therapy for PTSD. Alongside this work with the armed forces, I also worked with veterans experiencing symptoms of post traumatic stress, anxiety and depression.
In 2021, as a direct result of the Covid-19 pandemic, I returned to work part-time for the NHS and am the lead psychologist for colleague health and wellbeing with Gloucestershire Health and Care NHS Trust.
I am an HCPC registered clinical psychologist, chartered by the British Psychological Society (BPS) and am a full member of the Association of Clinical Psychologists (ACP-UK).
I hold professional liability insurance and an enhanced DBS check.
What is a Clinical Psychologist?
- A clinical psychologist integrates science, theory and clinical knowledge to help people who are struggling with their mental health;
- A clinical psychologist has completed an undergraduate degree in psychology and a specialist doctoral training in clinical psychology. This training takes at least 6 years and includes placements working with people of all ages and with a wide range of emotional and behavioural difficulties;
- A clinical psychologist is trained in a broad range of psychological theories and models;
- A clinical psychologist always looks at the research and evidence base to guide the way they work;
- A clinical psychologist works in collaboration with the client to find a way to cope with psychological distress;
- A clinical psychologist develops a unique formulation of your difficulties, which guides therapy and is more flexible than “one size fits all” self-help treatments;
- A clinical psychologist promotes well-being and personal development;
- A clinical psychologist in the UK does not prescribe medication.