QUALIFICATIONS

BSc (Hons) in Psychology, University College London

MSc in Clinical Psychology, North East London Polytechnic (now the University of East London)

PhD in Psychology, Birkbeck College, University of London

MSc in Forensic Psychology, Manchester Metropolitan University 

APPOINTMENTS

Clinical (and from 2003 Forensic Clinical) Psychologist, Wathwood Hospital (Regional Secure Unit), Rotherham (.4, and later, .5 wte)

Clinical Psychologist in private practice (also Chartered Forensic Psychologist from 2003)

Part-time Teacher and Honorary Lecturer, Department of Psychology, University College, University of London

Lecturer in Clinical Hypnosis, Centre for Psychotherapeutic Studies, University of Sheffield (.2 wte rising to .5 wte in 1993, then .2 in 1999-2000)

Part-time Locum Clinical Psychologist, Mental Health Unit, Sheffield Health Authority

Principal (Grade A) Clinical Psychologist, Mental Health Unit, Sheffield Health Authority (.8 wte)

Lecturer, Department of Psychology, University of Sheffield (.2 wte)

Senior Clinical Psychologist, Canterbury & Thanet Health Authority (St Augustine's Hospital)

Basic Grade Clinical Psychologist, Royal Free Hospital, London

Probationary Clinical Psychologist, Royal Free Hospital London

Probationary Clinical Psychologist, Charing Cross Hospital, London

Part-time tutor, Department of Psychology, Goldsmith's College, London

Research Assistant, Department of Psychology, Maida Vale Hospital for Nervous Diseases, London

MEMBERSHIP OF PROFESSIONAL AND LEARNED SOCIETIES

OFFICES AND HONORARY APPOINTMENTS HELD

Honorary Lecturer Department of Clinical Psychology, University of Sheffield

Editorial Consultant, International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis

Chairman, (now also Secretary), Association for Skeptical Enquiry

President, British Society of Experimental and Clinical Hypnosis

Vice Chairman, British Society of Experimental and Clinical Hypnosis

Brief Reports/Clinical Reports Editor and Book Review Editor British Journal of Experimental and Clinical Hypnosis (now Contemporary Hypnosis)

Hon. Secretary, British Society of Experimental and Clinical Hypnosis

SUMMARY OF CURRENT WORK

I am a chartered clinical forensic psychologist with 36 years' experience working both in the Health Service and privately, assessing and treating people with psychological disorders and difficulties.  Since 1992 I have worked privately in clinical practice and I regularly undertake psychological assessments for legal purposes.  My work at Wathwood Hospital since 1999 has been with patients detained under various sections of the Mental Health Act.

I provide psychological profiles of accused and convicted defendants, and expert testimony for legal purposes (pre-trial, pre-sentence, soundness of confession, risk assessment, etc.).  To date I have undertaken 140 such assessments. 

Also, to date I have provided about 500 medico-legal reports for solicitors on assessments of psychological injury.  I generally work with a client group of 16 years and over but also see children with post-traumatic stress.  I have appeared in the County Court on about ten occasions.  I receive instructions for personal injury, usually road-traffic accidents but also accidents and harassment at work and clinical negligence.  I estimate that around 90% of my instructions were formerly from the claimant’s side, but now I am now undertaking more work as the agreed expert witness, probably around 50%. 

I have undertaken training in the Civil Justice Procedures with Howell’s Solicitors, Sheffield, and Thomas Sands Training.

Work and experience involving hypnosis 

From 1990 to 2000 I was Administrator of the Diploma and Masters Courses in Clinical Hypnosis at the University of Sheffield, and from 1993 to 1999 I was Assistant Administrator of the Diploma and Masters Courses in Applied/Clinical Hypnosis at the Department of Psychology of University College, London. 

From 1979 to 1995 I was Honorary Secretary of the British Society of Experimental and Clinical Hypnosis, a learned society of doctors, dentists and psychologists and later I was for several years its President. In the last 27 years I have published many learned papers and chapters on hypnosis in scientific journals and books and have lectured on the subject throughout Europe and in Israel, Canada and the USA.  I was the Book Review Editor of the journal Contemporary Hypnosis, and continue to act as an Advisory Editor for the International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis.  In the last 17 years I have edited, co-edited and co-authored sevenlearned books on the subject of hypnosis and its clinical applications.  In 2001 I was convenor of a Working Party commissioned by the British Psychological Society to prepare a report on hypnosis, its various applications, and matters of ethics and safety.  

I have been provided expert opinion in around 25 civil and criminal cases in which hypnosis or related procedures have been used or allegedly so.  Most of these have involved allegations of psychological injury or indecent assault.  I have published five learned papers and one book chapter and lectured and taught on this aspect of my work in this country and in Europe. 

TERMS OF ENGAGEMENT

Unless the client is in custody, or unless contra-indicated, I usually see him or her at my private office at my home address.  My usual terms are £80 per hour plus typing costs.  I do not charge VAT.  This represents my rate for all work, including court attendance, except any travelling time for which I charge £30 per hour.  I do not normally charge a cancellation fee but may charge a fee for any preparatory work. 

Currently the period of time elapsing between receipt of instructions for civil cases and submission of report is around four weeks.  For Crown Court reports the period depends on the urgency of the case.