Sara O’Curry
I am a HCPC registered and British Psychological Society Chartered Clinical Psychologist.
I completed my doctorate in clinical psychology in 1999 and have since worked in paediatrics and maternity, in acute and mental health services, in Cambridgeshire and London. I am also former Director of the Brazelton Centre, UK.
I currently lead psychological services for paediatrics and maternity, across 3 Trusts in Cambridgeshire.
I have trained with the Medical Mediation Foundation, am a BPS accredited supervisor and am an alumnus of the King’s Fund, Top Manager Programme (2019).
Clinical Expertise
As a clinician, I have particular knowledge, experience and skill in:
Trauma, attachment, loss and family adversity
Managing disagreements between families and professionals
Staff teaching, training, consultation and support
Groupwork
I use this experience, knowledge of system and team dynamics, as well as clinical and research skills, to develop and improve services and facilitate systemic and organisational change.
Committee Positions & Representation
British Psychological Society roles
Safe and Sustainable, (Children’s Congenital Heart Services) CIAG
Former Chair of the Paediatric Psychology Network, UK
Former Physical Health Representative on the BPS Faculty of Children, Young People and their Families Committee
Leadership Roles & Consultation
Within my organisations I regularly consult on:
How to mitigate against the psychological impact of trauma on individuals and teams
Responding to critical and major incidents, including Communications
Managing disagreements between families and professionals. This includes either direct work with families and / or liaising with PALS, Complaints, Legal Teams, Workforce and Senior Leaders
I have consulted to the wider NHS on:
Responding to traumatic events
Managing disagreements between professionals and families
The development of psychological services for paediatrics, cardiology, maternity and NICU
I run a private practice providing clinical and professional supervision to consultant psychologist service leads in Adult, Child and Neonatal services in London and the East of England.
Presentations & Publications
I have presented at conferences in the UK, USA and across Europe, on a range of topics from the impact of paediatric diagnoses and treatment on patients and families, to ICU as a traumatic stressor, staff support and supervision. I have published a range of articles on clinical services, supervision and staff support:
O’Curry, S., & Young, E. (2023). Identifying and responding to trauma in children, young people, and families in a hospital setting. The Child & Family Clinical Psychology Review No 8 Autumn 2023 (pp. 47-52).
Pathan, S., Ford, C., Benson, S., Illingworth, C., Jackson, C., Trickey, D., Mallak, L., & O'Curry, S. (2022). The impact of a hospital staff supervision group on well-being, sense-making, and compassion fatigue. Traumatology. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1037/trm0000405
Garfield, H., Westgate, B., Chaudhary, R., King, M., O'Curry, S., & Archibald, S. J. (2021). Parental and staff experiences of restricted parental presence on a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit during COVID-19. Acta paediatrica (Oslo, Norway : 1992), 110(12), 3308–3314. https://doi.org/10.1111/apa.16085
Scott, Z., O'Curry, S., & Mastroyannopoulou, K. (2022). The impact and experience of debriefing for clinical staff following traumatic events in clinical settings: A systematic review. Journal of traumatic stress, 35(1), 278–287. https://doi.org/10.1002/jts.22736
Scott, Z., O'Curry, S., & Mastroyannopoulou, K. (2021). Factors associated with secondary traumatic stress and burnout in neonatal care staff: A cross-sectional survey study. Infant mental health journal, 42(2), 299–309. https://doi.org/10.1002/imhj.21907
Reflections on developing a protocol for pre and debriefs on a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. Archibald, S.J. and O’Curry, S. (2021) Journal of Neonatal Nursing, 26 (4), 192-196. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jnn.2020.01.011
D'Urso, A., O'Curry, S., Mitchell, L., Casey, S., D'Amore, A., King, M., & Broster, S. (2019). Staff matter too: pilot staff support intervention to reduce stress and burn-out on a neonatal intensive care unit. Archives of disease in childhood. Fetal and neonatal edition, 104(3), F341. https://doi.org/10.1136/archdischild-2018-316217
Faulconbridge, J., Gravestock, F., Laffan, A., Law, D., O’Curry, S., Taylor, K., Taylor, J. & Zlotowitz, S. (2016). What good could look like in integrated psychological services for children, young people and their families: Preliminary guidance and examples of practice. Child & Family Clinical Psychology Review, 4.
Mercer, A., O'Curry, S., Donnan, J., Stedmon, J., Reed, J., & Griggs, H. (2015). Paper 5: Delivering psychological services for children and young people with physical health needs and their families. The Child & Family Clinical Psychology Review. https://doi.org/:10.53841/bpscypf.2015.1.3.71