Staff Profile
Dr Sarah Thwaites
Clinical & Academic Tutor
- Email: sarah.thwaites@ncl.ac.uk
- Telephone: 0191 2080297
- Address: Doctorate in Clinical Psychology
School of Psychology
Faculty of Medical Sciences
Dame Margaret Barbour Building
Wallace Street
Newcastle upon Tyne
NE2 4DR
I'm currently the Clinical Director / Deputy Programme Director for the Clinical Psychology Doctorate. I initially joined the programme as a Clinical Tutor in December 2019 and then extended my role to additionally work as an Academic Tutor and Admissions Lead from November 2020 - November 2022. I co-chair the Equity, Diversity and Inclusion sub-committee with second-year trainees.
I trained as a Clinical Psychologist at Newcastle University from 2006-2009. Following this, I completed further training in CBT (PgDip Advanced Practice in Cognitive Therapy) and Neuropsychology (PgDip in Clinical Neuropsychology). I have worked in a range of NHS specialties post qualification, including Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT), Community Acquired Brain Injury Rehabilitation, and Older Adult Mental Health and Dementia services.
Prior to my applied clinical training, I undertook a PhD looking at the developmental trajectories of anxiety and ritualistic behaviour in childhood with a view to better detect, understand and treat obsessive-compulsive disorder in young people.
My current research interests include understanding and treating uncertainty distress in family caregivers of people with dementia, as well as understanding the experience and implications of uncertainty for clinical psychology trainees during their training.