Dr Yvonne Melia

• HCPC-registered Clinical Psychologist (registration number PYL16788)
• Fellow of the Higher Education Academy 
• Co-Chair, Academic and PPD and Well-Being Subgroups, Group of Trainers in Clinical Psychology (GTiCP)
• Steering Group Member, West Midlands Therapy Network
• External Examiner, University of Sheffield Doctorate in Clinical Psychology, 2022 - present
• External Examiner, University of Southampton Doctorate in Clinical Psychology, January 2019 – January 2023
• Ad hoc DClinPsy viva examiner (University of Bath, 2019; Teeside University, 2020; Lancaster University, 2024)
• Member of the College of Reviewers, University of Staffordshire

• Doctorate in Clinical Psychology, University of Sheffield 
• PgDip Psychoanalytic Observational Studies, University of East London (completed at the Tavistock Centre, London) 
• PgDip Psychological Research Methods, Open University
• PgDip Clinical Neuroscience, University of Surrey
• PgCert Higher Professional Education, University of Staffordshire
• BSc (hons) Applied Psychology, Liverpool John Moores University 

• Clinical psychology
• Mental health of children in care and adopted children
• Assessment of attachment insecurity including the Story Stem Assessment Profile (SSAP), Child Attachment Interview (CAI), and Attachment Style Interview (ASI)
• Intervention for attachment difficulties with a focus on children in substitute care or who have experienced developmental trauma, using approaches such as Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy (DDP), theraplay and DBT
• Consultation, training, reflective practice and group supervision related to children in care
• Child and adolescent mental health
• Harmful sexual behaviour

• Attachment relationships
• Developmental trauma 
• Applications of clinical psychology in social care contexts
• Psychological issues pertaining to children in care and adopted children, including: improving the screening of mental health difficulties; improving psychological outcomes for children and young people; developing relevant measures to assess carer coping, parenting and well-being; diagnostic complexities and concerns; appropriate placement matching; trauma and strengths in sibling relationships; psychological impact of contact on young people.
• Complex mental health difficulties in adolescents and young people, including self-harm, Eating Disorders, personality and relational difficulties, and aspects of diversity that may impact mental health such as gender identity
• Systemic factors in mental distress and recovery e.g., how identity influences recovery and change in respect to mental health and the role of possible peer identification and group processes on emotional well-being
• Trauma in organisations
• Qualitative research methodologies especially IPA and thematic analysis

My own doctoral research examined the impact of social contagion on self-harm in adolescents. 

Postgraduate

• Module lead for three modules on the Professional Doctorate in Clinical Psychology; Assessment, Formulation, Intervention and Evaluation 2 (AFIE2), Assessment, Formulation, Intervention and Evaluation 3 (AFIE3) and Leadership, Organisational and Systemic Influence (LOSI). I contribute to teaching sessions across all of the modules I am module lead for.

Additional teaching on the Professional Doctorate in Clinical Psychology

• Foundations of therapeutic practice
• Attachment and relationship dynamics in therapeutic practice
• Therapeutic skills workshops
• Introduction to assessment and formulation
• Impact on the self of practice and learning
• Self-care
• Second year specialist workshop on assessment and intervention for attachment difficulties with a focus on children in care
• Lived experience days
• Service evaluation
• Single case experimental design

Undergraduate

• Psychological interventions to improve the well-being of children in care
• Pathways in Clinical Psychology

Young, H. Melia, Y. & Chance-Lawton, L. (2024). ‘I had my guard up for a long time and that probably didn’t help’: Exploring care leavers’ experiences of the barriers to accessing mental health support during adolescence using photo-elicitation and Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis. Adoption & Fostering, 48(3-4), 302-325.
https://doi.org/10.1177/030857592412926.

Lovatt, S. Das, L. King, L. Isherwood, A. & Melia, Y. (2024). Evaluation of a new long-COVID telephone triage service within clinical neuropsychology. Clinical Psychology Forum, 380, 36-43. https://doi.org/10.53841/bpscpf.2024.1.380.36

Cucciniello, C. & Melia, Y. (2024). Effectiveness of parent-infant psychotherapy for infant development, parenting, parental mental health and the attachment relationship: A review of the literature. Journal of Child Public Welfare, 1-35. https://doi.org/10.1080/15548732.2024.2343685

Cucciniello, C. & Melia. Y. (2024). A fight to work with families, rather than against them: exploring social workers’ experiences of working within the Family Safeguarding Model; an IPA analysis. Journal of Child Public Welfare, 1-24. https://doi.org/10.1080/15548732.2024.2324899 

Coleman, J. & Melia, Y. (2023). Me, My Tics and I: An Exploration of Self-Identity and its Implications for Psychological Wellbeing in Young Women with Tourette’s Syndrome. Journal of Developmental and Physical Disabilities, 36, 367-389 https://doi.org/10.1007/s10882-023-09911-x

Young, H. Melia, Y. & Chance-Lawton, L. (2023). I had my guard up for a long time and that probably didn’t help’: Exploring care leavers’ experiences of the barriers to accessing mental health support during adolescence using photo-elicitation and Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis. Adoption & Fostering. Accepted for publication on 11th December 2023.

O’Sullivan-Hayes, S. Melia, Y. & Nazir, F. (2023). A heavy weight, yet empowering: Grandparent Special Guardians’ lived experiences of the role and family dynamics - An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA). Adoption & Fostering, 47(4),, 434-452.  https://doi.org/10.1177/03085759231211611

Hall, S. & Melia, Y. (2023). What is known about the role of friendship in adolescent self-harm? A review and thematic synthesis. Child & Youth Care Forum, 52, 285-310. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10566-022-09686-w

Scott, L. Dolan, E. Baker, N. & Melia, Y. (2023). Exploring attitudes of healthcare professionals towards those with fibromyalgia: A Q-methodological approach. British Journal of Pain. 17(4), 352-365. https://doi.org/10.1177/20494637231159502

Hall, S. & Melia, Y. (2022). I Just Pulled Myself Together and Realised I had to be Responsible: Adolescents’ Experiences of Having a Friend Who Self-Harms. Child & Youth Care Forum, 51(2), 291-311. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10566-021-09629-x

Wormald, C. & Melia, Y. (2021). How effective are interventions for enhancing empathy in service users with an Intellectual Disability who engage in sexually abusive behaviour? A Review of the Literature. Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities. 34(6), 1373-1392. https://doi.org/10.1111/jar.12883

Balmain, N. Melia, Y. John, C. Dent, H. & Smith, K. (2021). Experiences of receiving Cognitive Analytic Therapy for those with complex secondary care mental health difficulties. Psychology and Psychotherapy: Theory, Research and Practice. 94(S1), 120-136. https://doi.org/10.1111/papt.12326

Vandewalle, K. & Melia, Y. (2021). Psychosocial and behavioural factors associated with self injurious behaviour (SIB) in individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD), Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders, 81: 101713 – 101713. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rasd.2020.101713

Balmain, N. Melia, Y. Dent, H. & Smith, K. (2021). A systematic review of service user’s experience of Cognitive Analytic Therapy (CAT). Psychology and Psychotherapy: Theory, Research and Practice, 94(S1), 36-63.  https://doi.org/10.1111/papt.12305.

Woodward, K. Melia, Y. & Combes, H. (2021). Exploring Carers’ Experiences and Perceptions of Special Guardianship Orders (SGOs) over Time, from the Point of Applying to Now. The British Journal of Social Work, 51(6), 1963-1982. https://doi.org/10.1093/bjsw/bcaa086. 

Carlson, L. Hutton, S. Priest, H. & Melia, Y. (2020). Reunification of looked-after children with their birth parents in the United Kingdom: A literature review and thematic synthesis. Child & Family Social Work, 25(1), 192-205. https://doi.org/10.1111/cfs.12663. 

Melia, Y. (2016). Feminine and masculine personality traits: reflections on opportunities and challenges to a career in clinical psychology. Clinical Psychology Forum, 285, 20-24. https://doi.org/10.53841/bpscpf.2016.1.285.20

Worthington, A. Matthews, S. Melia, Y. & Oddy, M. (2006). Cost-benefits associated with social outcome from neurobehavioural rehabilitation. Brain Injury, 20(9), 947-957. https://doi.org/10.1080/02699050600888314

Worthington, A. & Melia, Y. (2006). Rehabilitation is compromised by arousal and sleep disorders: results of a survey of rehabilitation centres. Brain Injury, 20(3), 327-332. https://doi.org/10.1080/02699050500488249

Conference papers

Workshop presentation: Children and Mental Health Nursing Conference, 16th August 2019, Staffordshire University ‘Working with hard-to-engage young people: insights from Attachment Theory’

Panel member, Special Event: Fostering Focus “Team Parenting for Children in Foster Care: A Model for Integrated Therapeutic Care by Jeanette Caw & Judy Sebba” An exploration of this book and the issues raised. Northern LAC Forum, Leeds, 23rd May 2014.

Melia, Y. & Nattrass, A. Routine Evaluation and Research in Practice: experiences in a LAC CAMHS Service, Northern LAC Forum, Leeds, 15th February 2013.

Melia, Y. & Eaden, T. ‘Preventing Placement Breakdown among Looked After Children with Complex Mental Health Needs,’ Looked After Children Matter. Delivering Excellent Services for Children in Care, 3rd July 2012, ICO Conference Centre, London.

Melia, Y. & Nattrass, A. ‘Case study: Improving Mental Health Services for Looked After Children – Developing a New Model of Care,’ Inside Government Conference: Looked After Children: Improving the Outcomes for Young People in Care, 14th March 2012, 1 Wimpole Street, London.

Posters

Callaghan, A. Melia, Y. Rutterford, N. Hussain, I. and Worthington, A. (2003) Ascertaining needs and levels of psychological symptoms of family members of brain injured individuals in a residential setting: implications for service development (conference poster), Brain Injury – the Quality Agenda, The Jury’s Inn, Birmingham, 27-28 February 2003.