Dr Louise Roper
My Experience
I am a qualified Health Psychologist with a PhD from University of Liverpool (UoL). I currently work part time in the NHS as a Principal Health Psychologist alongside my private practice. I work with people to help them to adjust and live alongside a range of long-term physical health conditions such as Long Covid, arthritis, multiple sclerosis, diabetes and acquired brain injury. I also work with people experiencing difficulties related to their working environment such as burnout and stress as well as working with people to cope with mental health difficulties such as anxiety and depression.
In my NHS role, I currently lead a team of Psychologists who cover a range of outreach and clinical work. I currently work with health and social care staff who are experiencing poor psychological wellbeing; this could be due to anxiety, depression, PTSD, trauma, divorce, family issues or relationship difficulties, burnout, physical illness or Long Covid.
I am also a supervisor for a number of Trainee and Qualified Health Psychologists and have supported training programmes at the associated University training courses.
Prior to working in the NHS, I worked in academia, and for 15 years worked in research and teaching at The University of Liverpool. When I left, I was the Programme Director of an MSc in Health Psychology. I have worked in a number of clinical trials, for both children and adults, across the topics of epilepsy, arthritis, liver disease and continue to be involved in research across the UK. I completed a PhD whilst at UoL and the focus was on older people’s experiences of end of life care, focusing on people who had lung cancer, stroke or heart failure, and I focused on supporting their resilience.
My Values
It is important that people feel safe and supported by me when I work with them. Building up a good working relationship is really important and I recognise and value that each person is an individual and therefore tailor therapy to each person I work with. I hope to foster a sense that people can move towards the life they want to be living, and can find space to better understand the difficulties they are facing.
Models I work with
Due to working with people with chronic physical illness, I particularly like using the Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) therapeutic modality, which encourages people to live well in the face of their illness (or circumstance). ACT has worked really well in the past with patients with physical illness, as well as people who are worrying/ have anxiety and those who have trauma. Compassionate Focused Therapy (CFT) can also be useful for working with people who suffer from guilt, or shame about the past, or who are critical of themselves. I also work within Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and completing formal qualification with the University of Oxford.
Clinic Information
I hold my clinic online and offer sessions on Monday evenings and Wednesday and Thursday daytimes. My sessions are 50 minutes and £130 per session.
Training and Qualifications
- BABCP CBT – 2023
- Qualification in Health Psychology – 2016
- PhD in Resilience & End of Life – 2019
- MSc Health Psychology – 2008
- BSc Psychology – 2007
- Acceptance and Commitment Therapy
- Compassion Focused Therapy