Dr Ellie Harper

Training, qualifications & experience

I have a BA (hons) in psychology from the University of Manchester and a Doctorate in Counselling Psychology from Teesside University. I have trained in the following therapeutic approaches:

• Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT)
• Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
• Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
• Cognitive Analytic Therapy (CAT)
• Transactional Analysis (TA)
• Psychodynamic therapy
• Mindfulness

As a psychologist it’s really important to keep up to date with the latest developments in theory, research and practice and I regularly attend further training courses to further enhance my knowledge and skills.

I have worked in a variety of public, private and research settings. In the NHS I have provided assessment, diagnosis and psychological therapy for people with a wide range of complex mental health problems. I have also worked in a specialist service for people with personality disorders, which is where I developed my passion for Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT), having seen first hand how it can help people in so many different ways.

I have also worked on research projects for the University of Liverpool and Liverpool Women’s Hospital. At the Women’s Hospital I tested a package of care for women experiencing post-traumatic stress following childbirth. At the University I designed and tested a community-based intervention aimed at improving the wellbeing of pregnant and postnatal women.

I write a lot on the topics of psychology and mental health including a weekly column, Mind over Matter, which appears in multiple regional news titles across the country, a weekly blog and guest articles for websites and magazines. My work has appeared in publications including Cosmopolitan, More and Take a Break. I also provide expert opinion and commentary for the print and broadcast media.