Dr Philippa Sammons is an experienced Clinical Psychologist, registered with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC), with over 17 years of practice within the NHS. She has a broad and versatile clinical background, having worked across mental health, learning disabilities, and neuropsychology services, and is skilled in delivering psychological support to individuals and carers across the lifespan.
Dr Sammons has particular expertise in trauma-informed care. She integrates trauma recovery models and PACE principles into her work with carers and staff, and has a wealth of experience providing consultation, reflective practice, supervision, and training to support teams in embedding trauma-informed approaches. She has played a key role in embedding trauma-informed principles at an organisational level within the NHS, including the development and facilitation of workforce training and supervision.
Dr Sammons has a interest in research and service evaluation and has supervised practice based research within the NHS. Her doctoral research explored self-determination in adults with learning disabilities using discourse analysis. She continues to cultivate an interest in the role of language in particular examining how language constructs meaning, mediates identity, and shapes the relational dynamics at the heart of therapeutic and systemic work.
In her current role at CCATS, Dr Sammons provides specialist psychological input to children’s residential homes, including direct work with young people, staff consultation, and systemic support for children, families, and carers. Dr Sammons provides clinical supervision to a range of professionals, supporting reflective practice and the application of trauma-informed, evidence-based approaches across teams. She is committed to delivering compassionate, person-centred care and to supporting systems and services to provide psychologically informed, trauma-sensitive environments.
Her clinical practice includes psychological assessment, formulation, intervention, and evaluation, with experience in both brief and longer-term therapy. She draws on a range of evidence-based models, including Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Compassion-Focused Therapy (CFT), and Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT), adapting interventions to meet the needs of diverse populations.
Publications & Research
- Riby, D. M., Brown, P. H., Jones, N., & Hanley, M. (2012). Brief report: Faces cause less distraction in autism. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 42(4), 634-639. [publication here]
- Riby, D. M., Jones, N., Brown, P. H., Robinson, L. J., Langton, S. R. H., Bruce, V., & Riby, L. M. (2011). Attention to faces in Williams syndrome. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 41(10), 1228–1239 [publication here]