Dr Claire Winchurst
Consultant Clinical Psychologist
Dr Claire Winchurst is a highly experienced Consultant Clinical Psychologist with 30 years of expertise in the NHS and private sector.
Psychological Wellbeing and Mental Health
Dr Winchurst provides psychological therapy to adults, couples and young people, aged 16 and over, addressing a broad range of psychological difficulties and neurodiverse conditions. Her areas of expertise include anxiety, depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), trauma, relationship difficulties, bereavement and loss, and autistic spectrum disorder (ASD).
With extensive training across multiple therapeutic approaches—including Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), psychodynamic psychotherapy, systemic therapy, and solution-focused therapy—Dr Winchurst tailors interventions to meet the individual needs and preferences of her clients.
Dr Winchurst brings a wealth of experience as a psychological therapist providing a compassionate, confidential, and relaxed therapeutic environment for her clients.
Specialist in Chronic Pain and Physical Health Psychology
In addition to her expertise in mental health, Dr Winchurst is a specialist in Clinical Health Psychology, focusing on the psychological management of chronic pain and physical health conditions. For the past 30 years, she has worked in Acute NHS Hospital Trusts and is currently employed as a Consultant Clinical Psychologist in an NHS Chronic Pain Management Clinic.
She provides evidence-based psychological treatments for individuals with a range of chronic pain conditions, including musculoskeletal pain, fibromyalgia, post-surgical pain, and pelvic/vulval pain. Her work also extends to supporting individuals with medical conditions such as diabetes, cancer, gynaecological conditions/women’s health issues, long COVID, chronic fatigue syndrome, functional neurological disorder (FND), and medically unexplained symptoms.
Dr Winchurst is highly experienced in helping individuals better manage their health conditions and enhance their quality of life through effective psychological approaches.
Dr Winchurst retains close working relationships with medical colleagues allowing for inter-professional referral and multidisciplinary treatment when required.
Teaching and Research
From 2000 to 2020, Dr Winchurst was a visiting lecturer on the University of Hertfordshire’s Doctorate in Clinical Psychology Training Programme, where she taught various aspects of the course, including therapy skills and medical psychology. She was also a member of the selection and interview panel and provided clinical supervision for trainees on placement, as well as for doctoral research studies. She continues to supervise psychologists, counsellors and therapists in training and in qualified practice.
Claire has conducted research in the fields of learning difficulties, cancer, and chronic pain, with a particular focus on the psychological support of cancer patients, attachment relationships, and the benefits of multidisciplinary approaches to chronic pain management.
She has published her findings in peer-reviewed journals and has presented her research at both national and international conferences.
Education:
BSc (Hons) Psychology 1989
MSc Clinical Psychology University College London 1994
Doctorate in Clinical Psychology (D.Clin.Psychol) Canterbury Christchurch University College 2002
Current NHS Post: Consultant Clinical Psychologist, West Hertfordshire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust
Memberships: Associate Fellow, British Psychological Society - AFBPsS
Chartered Psychologist, British Psychological Society - C.Psychol
Health Care Professions Council - HCPC
