Personality Disorder Support & Therapy in London

Dr Emily Alteirac (nee Smyth) is a Co-Founder of The Fitzrovia Psychology Clinic and Team Lead of our specialist Trauma Team. As a highly experienced Clinical Psychologist, Dialectical Behaviour Therapist, Cognitive Behaviour Therapist, and Integrative Psychotherapist, she brings over a decade of clinical expertise spanning private, public, and charitable sectors.

Dr Alteirac holds a Master’s degree in Psychology, a Master’s degree in Integrative Psychotherapy, a Postgraduate Diploma in Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, and a Postdoctoral Certificate in Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT). She was also awarded her Doctorate in Clinical Psychology from Royal Holloway, University of London, where she specialised in treating Complex PTSD (C-PTSD) with refugees and survivors of torture. Her doctoral research was innovative in examining the relationship between trauma and psychosis in refugees.

Building on her clinical and research expertise, Dr Alteirac went on to work as a Trial Psychologist on the Study of Trauma and Recovery (STAR): an NIHR-funded multi-site Randomised Controlled Trial led by internationally-renowned experts at The Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, Kings College London and University of Oxford. This pioneering trial was the first of its kind to deliver trauma-focused therapy to individuals with psychosis, challenging long-held clinical assumptions and paving the way for integrated trauma treatment in this population.

Dr Alteirac’s commitment to advancing the field of psychology is further reflected in her research contributions. They include published work in neuropsychology examining multisensory detection tasks for screening cognitive impairment, a systematic review on the prevalence of psychosis in refugees, and an empirical study exploring the relationship between complex victimisation trauma and psychosis in refugees compared to non-refugees.

Alongside her trauma specialism, Dr Alteirac has extensive experience in the treatment of complex and enduring mental health difficulties stemming from her work across Personality Disorder services. Since 2012, she has delivered specialist DBT, supporting populations who present with severe emotion dysregulation and high risk presentations. At The Fitzrovia Psychology Clinic, Dr Alteirac thus also sits within our specialist DBT team, providing individual DBT therapy, running DBT Skills Groups, and facilitating DBT Consultation meetings.

Central to Dr Alteirac’s approach is the creation of a safe, trustworthy, and authentic therapeutic relationship. Her testimonials speak to her genuine care, commitment, warmth, approachability and non-judgmental nature – qualities that form the foundation of her work. She believes deeply in the power of kindness, empathy, and validation, and maintains an unwavering belief in people’s capacity for change and growth, regardless of complexity. Dr Alteirac focuses on recognising each person’s unique strengths and in creating a collaborative process at all times that is approached as a partnership. She advocates that while therapy often involves tackling emotionally heavy and challenging subjects, it can coexist alongside the use of humour, positive experiences, and celebrations of therapeutic progress.

Dr Alteirac is highly experienced in delivering integrative, formulation-driven and evidence-based treatment that is tailored to each person’s individual needs. She also provides specialist clinical supervision and consultation to multidisciplinary professionals, career and educational consultation services, and has training resources showcased by the European Association for Behavioural and Cognitive Therapies. She works with a broad range of difficulties, including:

• Adjustment Disorder
• Agoraphobia
• Behaviours that Challenge (BtC)
• Borderline Personality Disorder
• Depression
• Dissociation
• Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD)
• Grief and Bereavement
• Health Anxiety
• Hoarding
• Low Self-Esteem
• Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
• Panic Disorder
• Personality Disorders
• Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD & C-PTSD)
• Psychosis
• Self-Harm
• Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD)
• Specific Phobias
• Suicidality

Dr Alteirac draws on a range of therapeutic models including Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Compassion-Focused Therapy (CFT), Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT), Mindfulness-Based therapies, Positive Behaviour Support (PBS) and numerous trauma-specific interventions including Imagery Rescripting (ImRes). She is also trained in delivering relational, person-centered psychotherapy, offering a reflective and exploratory approach where more suitable. This breadth enables her to create highly personalised treatment plans.

Dr Alteirac offers both short- and long-term interventions and is experienced in working across cultures and languages with interpreters. Her practice is grounded in theory, informed by the latest research, and delivered in line with NICE guidelines to ensure the highest standards of psychological care.

“The early stages showed me that Emily truly cares about helping other people. I was hesitant to start sessions, but Emily remained consistent with reaching out and always remained patient and understanding. The depth and structure of the sessions was incredible, I’ve never worked with a therapist who has left me feeling like I understand and appreciate who I am to such a level.” Former Client

Dr Kate Watchorn is an HCPC accredited Clinical Psychologist and Cognitive Behavioural Therapist. She completed her Doctorate in Clinical Psychology at University College London (UCL) and has since gained extensive experience working across NHS specialist services, private practice, and family focused settings.

Kate offers therapy for children, adolescents, and adults, with a particular interest in the emotional wellbeing of families during key developmental transitions. Her work is informed by a deep understanding of family systems, developmental psychology, and trauma informed care.

She is a highly skilled clinician who has received further trainings in specialist therapeutic modalities including Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing, Compassion Focused Therapy, and Couples Therapy for Depression. As such, she is able to work in a structured yet flexible way, integrating evidence based models with a strong focus on each client’s individualised goals.

Across all areas of her practice, Kate is recognised for her warm, compassionate, and collaborative style.

Adult Mental Health Specialism

Kate is an experienced adult psychologist who provides therapy for individuals experiencing anxiety, depression, stress, relationship difficulties, low self esteem, and significant life transitions.

Kate’s approach is relational and reflective, helping clients explore the roots of their difficulties and understand how past experiences shape current patterns. Therapy often involves gently exploring the safety strategies that may have helped in the past but may now be keeping things stuck. Alongside this depth focused work, Kate also offers skills based interventions with a focus on developing practical coping strategies in the here-and-now to manage symptoms and move towards meaningful change.

She has a particular interest and expertise in working with the impacts of unresolved childhood trauma, relational difficulties, self criticism, and low self esteem. Her style is warm, collaborative, and grounded in a deep understanding of how early experiences shape adult wellbeing.

“I really valued and appreciated the structure that Kate gave this work – it helped me see that the issues that felt overwhelming could be broken down into more manageable pieces and that by chipping away at each of these I could get results. Kate was always clear at the start and end of sessions about what we were working on, what the work between sessions should be and how we were progressing. This was hugely helpful. I wanted to thank Kate from the bottom of my heart for her empathy, kindness, astute insight and expert. She is brilliant!”
Former Client

Dr Frances Maclennan is a Consultant Clinical Psychologist and has worked for the NHS for more than 20 years.  She has huge experience working with complex presentations in a range of settings.  She has worked in adult mental health settings in the community, hospital and prison.  She has a particular interest in trauma and complex trauma, personality disorder and neuro-developmental presentations including Autism and ADHD.  She is trained in a range of therapeutic models including schema therapy and EMDR.  She provides assessments, formulations and interventions. She teaches and provides training for a number of universities and organisations.

Welcome! Thank you for landing here. The decision to begin or restart therapy is a brave one and finding a therapist you connect to and feel safe with is important.

Dr. Ama Hagan is a skilled HCPC-registered Clinical Psychologist. She has over 9 years of experience working with adults, children and families experiencing a range of difficulties such as depression, anxiety, OCD, PTSD, trauma, psychosis, stress, low self-esteem, relationship difficulties, and personality disorders. She has worked across NHS, local authority, and private settings as well as the charity sector and third sector community organisations. Ama completed her bachelor’s degree in Psychology at University College London and her master’s degree in Clinical & Forensic Psychology at King’s College London. She then completed a doctorate in Clinical Psychology at Royal Holloway, University of London (DClinPsy) where she became a qualified Clinical Psychologist. Ama currently practices within clinical and community settings with marginalised and racialised groups.

Ama focuses on building trusted relationships with clients and creating a protected space to explore their experiences, thoughts, feelings and identities in a safe, non-judgmental environment. She offers a space to be yourself and to explore your difficulties with care, compassion and kindness.

Dr Hagan uses an integrative, holistic, person-centred approach using evidence-based therapies such as Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Compassion Focused Therapy, Narrative, Systemic and Acceptance and Commitment Therapies. She also integrates learning and wisdom derived from lived experiences and our social, cultural and political world. Ama works collaboratively with her clients to make sense of their difficulties, strengths, experiences and personalities arise in the context of their intersectional identity and the culture, family and systems they live in.

Ama can work flexibly either in person or online, to continue to connect with clients who have hectic work and home schedules.

Ama is experienced in working with a range of difficulties including (but not limited to):

• Anxiety Disorders
• Bereavement & Grief
• Depression
• Low Self Esteem
• Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
• Parenting
• Personality Disorders
• Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
• Psychosis
• Relationship Difficulties
• Self-Harm
• Stress
• Trauma

• Anxiety Disorders
• Behaviours that Challenge
• Depression
• Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD)
• Health Anxiety
• Life transitions (including school transitions)
• Low Self-Esteem
• Loss and Bereavement
• Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
• Panic Disorder
• Parental Illness
• Parenting difficulties
• Perfectionism
• Perinatal Trauma
• Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
• Relationship Difficulties
• Self-Harm
• Sexual Abuse and Trauma
• Specific Phobias
• Stress and burnout

Dr Adela Mrkaljevic is a Counselling Psychologist, with over a decade of clinical experience across the NHS, private sector, and third-sector organisations. She works integratively, drawing on Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Psychodynamic Therapy, Person-Centred approaches, and third-wave modalities such as Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT).

Adela completed her Professional Doctorate in Counselling Psychology at City, University of London, alongside an MSc in Health Psychology and a Postgraduate Diploma in Mental Health Practice. Her doctoral research explored the experience of therapy among survivors of childhood sexual abuse, work that continues to shape her trauma-informed and relational approach.

In her most recent NHS role, Adela held a senior position in the Crisis Therapy Service at East London NHS Foundation Trust. There, she provided brief and highly focused psychological interventions for individuals experiencing psychosocial crises. Her work involved complex presentations including suicidality and trauma, and required comprehensive assessment, formulation, and collaborative care planning within multidisciplinary teams.

In addition to her NHS work, Adela has worked in a wide range of settings, including inpatient hospitals, primary care, and specialist services for survivors of trauma. She has delivered both individual and group therapy and has facilitated DBT-informed groups for clients with enduring and complex difficulties. Her clinical practice is rooted in evidence-based models and guided by collaborative, client-centred formulation.

Known for her warm, reflective, and relational therapeutic style, Adela places strong emphasis on building safe, trusting relationships. She supports clients to explore their experiences with openness while developing psychological flexibility, resilience, and the capacity for meaningful and lasting change. Her approach combines thoughtful, depth-oriented exploration with practical strategies tailored to each client’s individual needs and values.

Adela is experienced in working with:
• Anxiety (including GAD, Health Anxiety, Social Anxiety, Panic Disorder)
• Depression and bipolar disorder
• Low self-esteem
• Work stress
• PTSD and complex trauma
• OCD
• Personality Disorders
• Self-harm and suicidal thoughts
• Adjustment difficulties
• Chronic illness
• Bereavement and loss
• Identity concerns
• Relationship and attachment issues
• Survivors of abuse (including domestic violence and childhood sexual abuse)

Adela works flexibly with both short- and long-term models and is experienced in supporting clients from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds, including when working with interpreters.

She is registered with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC), and her clinical work is grounded in current research and aligned with NICE guidelines. She is committed to delivering the highest standards of psychological care and continues to invest in ongoing professional development to ensure her practice remains current, ethical, and effective