Dr Harriet Hockaday

Clinical Psychologist, DCIinPsy, MSc, MA (Hons)

My name is Dr Harriet Hockaday, and I am a HCPC registered qualified Clinical Psychologist. I have worked in various mental health services within the NHS since 2014, including in adult mental heath, older adult psychology, child and adolescent mental health and neuropsychology services. I have also worked in private practice since 2022. I currently offer online and telephone based therapy to adults (18+) across the UK. I also offer face-to-face appointments in comfortable surroundings in Beith, North Ayrshire.

I provide a warm, welcoming, compassionate and non-judgmental space for you to explore your thoughts and feelings, to make sense of your life experiences, and to consider goals to improve your wellbeing. I draw from a number of evidence-based modalities including CBT, Acceptance & Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Compassion Focussed Therapy (CFT). I help people with a range of difficulties including anxiety, depression, trauma, OCD, complex grief, panic, relationship difficulties, low self-esteem, PTSD, complex trauma, and also people who are feeling stuck or unhappy and would benefit from understanding, help and support to make the progress they want to in life.

I have extensive therapeutic training in all common mental health difficulties, and work with adults of all ages. I also have a particular specialism in working with clients who are facing difficulties relating to the ageing process (such as adjusting to health changes, retirement, grief/loss, and role transitions), and also in working with adults of all ages who are facing difficult changes / transitions in life. I access regular clinical supervision and engage in continuing professional development opportunities, so as to ensure I am providing the best possible service to my clients. I work in accordance to GDPR guidelines and have a strict confidentiality policy - more information about this is available by request.

In addition to being a Clinical Psychologist I am also a parent to a young son and 4 strong willed but delightful sausage dogs. I am originally from London but live and work in North Ayrshire and enjoy the peace and access to green space and the coast that can be found here.

I offer a free 15 minute initial telephone consultation prior to commencing therapy, so that we can discuss your needs and goals and answer any questions you might have. I look forward to hearing from you.

Qualifications

DClinPsy (Doctor of Clinical Psychology), University of Edinburgh, 2018

MA Health Psychology, University of Stirling, 2011

MSc (Hons) Psychology & History, University of Glasgow, 2009

Publications

Hockaday, H., Teh, Y., & Stewart, H. (2023). A third sector outreach project to increase knowledge of psychological wellbeing, psychological therapies and how to access mental health services for older people in a Scottish health board. FPOP Bulletin Number 164.

Griffiths, H., Duffy, F., Duffy, L., Brown, S., Hockaday, H., Eliasson, E., & Schwannauer, M. (2019). Efficacy of Mentalization-based group therapy for adolescents: the results of a pilot randomised controlled trial. BMC psychiatry, 19, 1-13.

Hockaday, H. (2018). Psychological correlates of mental health outcomes in looked after preschool children. Doctoral Thesis, University of Edinburgh.

Pritchett, R., Hockaday, H., Anderson, B., Davidson, C., Gillberg, C., & Minnis, H. (2016). Challenges of assessing maltreated children coming into foster care. The Scientific World Journal, 2016(1), 5986835.

Hockaday, H. (2013). The Sprit of New Orleans. Article in Children in Scotland Magazine, March 2013.

Kočovská, E., et al. (2012). Neurodevelopmental problems in maltreated children referred with indiscriminate friendliness. Research in Developmental Disabilities, 33(5), 1560-1565.

Dr Craig Mackay

Clinical Psychologist, DClinPsy, MSc, BA (Hons)

My name is Dr Craig Mackay and I am a HCPC registered clinical psychologist. I have been passionate about psychology since I was a child as I have always been interested in individual differences and human behaviour. I am motivated by helping others to develop strategies to enable them to improve their quality of life.

I began my undergraduate studies in psychology in 2010, completing a BSc (hons) at the University of Stirling in 2014, before finishing my masters degree at the University of Dundee in 2016. Following postgraduate study, I travelled around Australia for a year, gaining work experience abroad. Since then, I have worked in learning disability and sexual health services, supporting those living with HIV. I have also worked as a play therapist supporting pre-school autistic children to develop functional language skills.

I completed my Doctorate in Clinical Psychology at the University of Edinburgh in 2023. My doctorate thesis involved investigating the link between self- stigma and quality of life in people with Multiple Sclerosis (MS). I continue to be interested in research which explores factors which influence quality of life in people living with physical health conditions. I also have a particular interest in both trauma related research and mindfulness study and practice.

In recent years, I have worked in a variety of NHS settings including adult mental health, CAMHS, neuropsychology and older adult services. I currently work full time within a clinical health service in the NHS, supporting individuals affected by physical health conditions.

In addition to my full time NHS role, I work in private practice part-time. I offer online therapy services to individuals aged 18 or over. This allows flexibility to engage with support from the comfort of your own surroundings. I deliver psychological therapy through a compassionate lens, whilst holding the view that there is nothing ‘wrong with an individual’, rather that difficult events happen in life which can shape our experiences and affect our well-being. I believe that therapy can offer an opportunity to promote our awareness of behaviour that we engage in during difficult times and allow space to develop techniques in order to promote our wellbeing.

During therapy, I am keen to support clients to develop goals that are in line with their values, in order to help to enhance their quality of life. This is achieved through providing a safe, supportive and nurturing therapeutic space in order to help clients to achieve their tailored goals. I help individuals to make sense of their life stories and reflect upon what matters to them. I draw from a variety of approaches in practice including Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT) and Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing Therapy (EMDR). I utilise regular clinical supervision with an experienced clinical psychologist in order to ensure that I continue to deliver high quality practice.
Thank you for taking the time to read my profile and I look forward to hearing from you.

Qualifications

DClinPsychol (Doctor of Clinical Psychology), University of Edinburgh, 2023

MSc Psychology of Mental Health, University of Dundee, 2016

BA (Hons) Psychology, University of Stirling, 2014

Testimonials

As someone who suffers with severe OCD, perfectionism, depression and possible ADHD my journey with Mental Health has been far from straightforward. When I initially attended North Ayrshire Psychology I was at my wits end, I didn’t see any possible way out as my OCD was so bad. Harriet has been very empathetic, she has helped me to learn to be more compassionate towards myself and to act more like a co-therapist towards myself meaning in my difficult days I can manage them more easily. I’m excited to continue on my journey with her. For anyone out there’s who’s struggling with Mental Health I definitely recommend Harriet at North Ayrshire Psychology, she’s fantastic Thanks again.

Mr S

Remembering how I felt when I first met Harriet. I was physically and mentally exhausted. I was sceptical in how I thought our sessions would go, but knew I needed the support. Very quickly, Harriet put me at ease. It soon became clear that she had the compassion and understanding I needed to work through an extremely difficult time in my life. All my old feelings of vulnerability and poor self-worth had resurfaced. We met weekly in the beginning over Zoom and, as time went on and I became stronger, our meetings were in person every 4 to 6 weeks. All this happened at my pace when I felt ready. Harriet was able to help me see that I was worthwhile and worthy of kindness from myself and others and for that, I will always be grateful.