Dr Victoria Williamson
President
Victoria is Senior Lecturer at the University of Bath and a Research Fellow at King’s College London. She completed her PhD at the University of Bath in 2016 which examined parental responses following child experiences trauma. Victoria’s research focuses on psychological adjustment after traumatic events, including combat trauma, human trafficking and moral injury. Victoria is extensively published in the field of trauma and PTSD and leads several research studies and clinical trials. These include studies of patients living with spine sarcoma, an evaluation of the use of psilocybin for patients with PTSD, and an RCT to evaluate a novel co-designed treatment for moral injury-related mental disorders. She serves on a NATO panel providing the UK perspective on military ethics, leadership and mental health, and is on the Scientific Advisory Board of the Chronic Pain Centre of Excellence for Canadian Veterans.
Dr Rachel Ashwick
Financial Director
Rachel is a Clinical Psychologist working in an Adult Community Mental Health Team and Complex Emotional Needs service in London. She studied her doctorate in Clinical Psychology at the University of Oxford. She is currently the company director and treasurer of the UKPTS. Prior to this, Rachel completed a BSc in Psychology at Brunel University and an MSc in War and Psychiatry at King’s College London. She has conducted multiple studies exploring the impact of trauma on Veterans, evaluating treatment programs for PTSD, improving services for women with Birth Trauma and individuals from BAME backgrounds, and investigating the impact of trauma on shame, guilt, anger, and mental defeat.
Dr Radha Kothari
Secretary
Radha is a Clinical and Research Psychologist who was awarded a PhD in Brain and Behavioural Sciences in 2012 and went on to complete the Doctorate in Clinical Psychology in 2017, both at UCL. With a particular interest in the experience of trauma and complex mental health presentations among marginalised and underrepresented groups, Radha spent many years working in prison mental health teams with prisoners and staff. Through this work, her focus has expanded to the provision of trauma informed care, and the negative impact on staff working in traumatised systems. She is now Co-Lead of the Staff Psychology Service at King’s College Hospital’s NHS Trust, and also the lead for the psychological wellbeing of staff working in the Emergency Department. Radha is widely published and continues to engage in research associated with her clinical interests.
Dr Derek Indoe
Board Member (ESTSS Lead)
Derek is a Consultant Clinical and Forensic psychologist who is both a BABCP accredited Cognitive Behavioural Psychotherapist and Consultant EMDR / Clinical Supervisor. He has considerable experience of treating trauma in the UK and the Middle East where he has given and coordinated ongoing training and supervision of practitioners dealing with trauma in Istanbul, Jordan, Gaziantep and other places overcome by traumatic events. He also is a full member of the Child and Educational and Counseling Divisions of the BPS with HCPC protected titles for both. He is vice chair of the European Trauma Aid Association.
Yvonne Farrell
Board Member
Yvonne Farrell is a BABCP Accredited Cognitive Behavioural Psychotherapist, Clinical Supervisor and Trainer. Yvonne works in a specialist trauma service Veterans First Point (V1P) in NHS Lothian, managing the complex needs of the veteran population. In addition she has her own private practice where she sees clients and supervisees, and offers both CBT and trauma-specific training. After gaining her BSC (Hons) in Psychology, Yvonne had a variety of roles before beginning a career as a therapist. She is a longstanding member of the UKPTS.
Dr David Turgoose
Board Member
David is a Lecturer in Clinical Psychology at the University of Leeds, working in the Leeds Institute for Health Sciences. He completed his Doctorate in Clinical Psychology at University College London in 2015. David specialises in working with children and young people affected by trauma, with a particular interest in Complex PTSD, attachment and developmental trauma in children, including those who are looked after or adopted. David’s research focuses broadly on the impact of trauma on children and young people, including those affected by medical trauma, refugees and asylum seekers, and the role of childhood adversity on military veterans with PTSD.
Professor Dominic Murphy
Past President
After completing his undergraduate psychology degree from Glasgow University, Dominic joined King’s College London in 2003 and was part of the team that established the King’s Centre for Military Health Research (KCMHR) and gained his PhD in health psychology from KCL in 2010. Following this he completed a Doctorate in Clinical Psychology at Royal Holloway University in 2013. Since 2013 Professor Murphy has worked at Combat Stress, where he established and now runs the Centre for Applied Military Health Research (combatstress.org.uk/research). He is Clinical Director of KCMHR, works with NATO and international collaboration groups, and is widely published within the field of trauma. He is Director (Treasurer) of the ESTSS.
