Couples and Family Therapy Team

Dr Lycia Forde is a Clinical Psychologist, Cognitive Behavioural Therapist, Psychodynamic Psychotherapist and Behavioural Couples Therapist.  Lycia is a warm and compassionate clinician who places huge importance on the development of collaborative, safe and authentic therapeutic relationships.  She strongly believes in the ability of people to change and achieve their psychological goals and is committed to delivering the highest standard of psychological care at all times.

After graduating with the top first in psychology, Lycia went on to complete a Masters in Psychodynamic Psychotherapy and doctorate in Clinical Psychology.  She has also completed her high intensity Cognitive Behavioural Therapy training, Behavioural Couples Therapy Training level 1 training with the Association of Family Therapy and a mindfulness course at the Tavistock and Portman.  Besides her involvement in various research projects and publications and her work at the Fitzrovia Psychology Clinic, she also works as a Clinical Psychologist for West London NHS Trust.  She has over 15 years of clinical experience, knowledge and expertise across the private, public and charitable sectors.

Lycia’s clinical practice is based on theory and methodologies informed by the latest evidence-base and she works in adherence with the NICE guidelines.  She is trained in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Behavioural Couples Therapy, Psychodynamic Psychotherapy, Systemic Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Compassion-Focused Therapy, Solution-Focused Therapy, Narrative Therapy, Motivational Interviewing, Positive Behaviour Support, Mindfulness-Based Therapies and Mindfulness.  Her wide-ranging training means she is well-placed to deliver a highly adaptable and flexible therapeutic approach that can be tailored to the individual or couple to deliver effective results.  She offers short, medium and long-term therapy and is experienced in dealing with clients of all ages and diverse cultures who are experiencing:

• Adjustment Disorder
• Agoraphobia
• Complex Trauma
• Depression
• Generalised Anxiety Disorder
• Grief and Bereavement
• Health Anxiety
• Insomnia
• Low Self-Esteem
• Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
• Panic Disorder
• Post-traumatic Stress Disorder
• Relationship Difficulties
• Self-harm
• Social Anxiety Disorder
• Specific phobias

“Dr Lycia Forde helped me by being empathetic, understanding and showing me how to leave my own head and see things from a more considered perspective. My experience with her has allowed me to be more compassionate with both myself and other people. Her open but structured approach made me comfortable knowing I could talk about anything I needed to while also knowing that we were taking deliberate steps towards reaching my therapy goals.” Former Client

Dr Allison Hayes is the Founder and Clinical Director of the Fitzrovia Psychology Clinic. Dr Hayes is a highly respected Consultant Clinical Psychologist who has acquired a wealth of clinical experience and a track record of delivering high-quality services, having worked with an international client group in the private sector for 20-years.

Dr Hayes completed an undergraduate degree in Psychology with first class honours and later went on to be awarded her Doctorate in Clinical Psychology. She worked in the NHS and founded her private practice in 2003. The Fitzrovia Psychology Clinic has grown out of her pursuit of establishing a centre of clinical excellence, which provides outpatient care for individuals and families with mental health challenges and emotional needs.

Dr Hayes is an optimistic, compassionate and kind psychologist who is committed to working with patients to facilitate and achieve change. She has expertise working with adolescents and adults with emotional difficulties and those with a diagnosis of personality disorder, and is further experienced in supporting individuals who present with:

• Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
• Adjustment Disorder
• Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
• Addiction
• Adult Survivors of Childhood Trauma
• Bereavement
• Bipolar Disorder
• Depression
• Eating Disorders
• Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD)
• Health Anxiety
• Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
• Personality Disorders
• Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
• Psychosis

Dr Hayes has trained in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Mindfulness-Based Therapies, Compassion-Focused Therapy, The MANTRA model for Eating Disorders, Narrative Therapy, Motivational Interviewing, Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing therapy (EMDR), Radically-Open Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (RO-DBT) and Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT).

Dr Hayes has been highly influential in the development of services for Eating Disorders and group programmes for a range of disorders. She is an experienced clinical supervisor of psychology colleagues, and delivers regular multi-disciplinary training on all aspects of mental health and psychology. Dr Hayes has facilitated a range of corporate training programmes on Stress and Emotional First Aid in the workplace.

Dr Hayes oversees recruitment of all professionals to the Fitzrovia Psychology Clinic to ensure the highest clinical standards in treatment. She promotes that all work undertaken at the Fitzrovia Psychology Clinic is grounded in evidence-based practice, is adherent to the NICE guidelines, establishes treatment efficacy, and reflects the principles of the Fitzrovia Psychology Clinic.

“I am extremely grateful for the care Allison showed me during our sessions. She always adapted sessions to match my needs and demonstrated a real understanding of the difficulties I was facing. Her openness and kindness meant that trust was developed very quickly, and I would have no hesitation in seeing her again should I ever need to.” Former Client

Caroline Parker is a qualified Systemic Psychotherapist and has thirty years experience of working with young people, their families and couples in various clinical settings. This has included Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) within the NHS, Social Care and within private practice.

Children, young people and their families can benefit from Family Therapy when they are faced with stressful circumstances and relationship challenges. In a non-blaming environment, her practice endeavours to facilitate a space whereby each family members’ view and understanding of a particular problem can be heard. This enables families to express and explore difficult thoughts and emotions safely, to understand the different views within the family and for families to unlock their strengths and full potential.

Within Caroline’s practice, she strives to develop a collaborative therapeutic relationship with those that she is working alongside in order to create a safe environment from which change processes can take place.

Caroline is skilled at working with families facing major life events and is particularly experienced with families whereby a member has a diagnosable mental health issue such as anxiety, ocd and clinical depression.

Depending on the circumstances, Caroline is able to work with all members of the family including sibling groups, parents and individuals. Additionally, she has a particular interest in Couples Therapy.

Caroline is accredited with UKCP and maintains regular continual professional development.