About
Lauren is a HCPC accredited clinical psychologist. During her clinical training at University College London, her specialist interest was neuropsychology and she was granted access to the specialist pathway. This led to extensive experience in supporting people with physical health conditions such as stroke, traumatic brain injury, neurodegenerative conditions, and encephalitis. In addition, Lauren’s training focused on supporting people with complex, longstanding psychological distress and trauma. Modalities utilised include trauma-focused cognitive behavioural therapy, compassion-focussed therapy, acceptance and commitment therapy, dialectical behavioural therapy, systemically-informed therapy, and psychodynamic psychotherapy.
Lauren also undertook a PhD at Swansea University, whereby she studied the impact of non-clinical patient factors on mental health clinical decision making. Lauren’s academic and clinical background allow her to take a holistic, person-centred therapeutic approach to the care of those she works with.
Position at Priory
Lauren is a clinical psychologist within the therapy team at Priory Hospital Woking. She joined the team in March 2026 as a full-time, permanent member of staff. She has her own 1:1 inpatient and outpatient client list, supports the team through running group sessions, and manages risk.
Training
- Doctorate of Clinical Psychology (DClinPsy) – University College London
- Doctorate of Philosophy in Clinical Decision Making (PhD) – Swansea University
- Master of Research Methods in Psychology and Cognitive Neuroscience
- HCPC Accredited
Research interests
Lauren’s academic and research background has generated a passion for research and integrating research into practice. Her particular research interests are:
- Clinical decision making and management in mental health
- Neuropsychology
- Adult mental health
- Complex, enduring mental health
- Qualitative and quantitative research
- Service development projects
Links to clinical articles/research papers
Current publications include (more publications are currently underway):
- Kerr, K., Burns, L. … Bell, V. (2025). Unpacking Neuropsychiatry and Behavioural Neurology Training: A Scoping Review of Core Syllabus Components. BJ Psych Bulletin
- Burns, L., da Silva, A., & John, A. (2020). Shared decision-making preferences in mental health: does age matter? A systematic review. Journal of Mental Health
- Marchant, A., Hawton, L., Burns, L., Stewart, A., & John, A. (2020). Images on the internet: A systematic review of studies on the impact of on-line sharing and viewing of self-harm related videos and photographs in young people. Journal of Medical Internet Research