Dr Connor Watkins
Background experience
I am a Clinical Psychologist with experience working across the lifespan in NHS and community mental health settings, supporting individuals and families presenting with complex mental and physical health difficulties. I am currently employed within an NHS neuropsychology service, providing specialist psychological and neuropsychological assessment, formulation, and intervention for adults with neurological conditions and associated cognitive, emotional, and behavioural difficulties.
My role includes the administration and interpretation of standardised neuropsychological assessments, integration of findings within a biopsychosocial framework, and the development and delivery of tailored therapeutic and cognitive rehabilitation interventions. I work collaboratively with individuals, families, and multidisciplinary teams to support psychological adjustment, maximise functional independence, and enhance participation in valued activities. I also provide consultation, supervision, and teaching to multidisciplinary colleagues and trainees.
My clinical approach is trauma-informed and grounded in person-centred, evidence-based practice. I integrate Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT), adapting interventions to accommodate cognitive capacity, emotional needs, and systemic context. Alongside my NHS role, I offer private specialist psychological and neuropsychological assessment and intervention for individuals and families experiencing neurological and complex psychological difficulties. Appointments are available in person or via secure video consultation.
Qualifications
• Professional Doctorate in Clinical Psychology (DClinPsy) – Staffordshire University [2024]
• PGCert – Low-Intensity Psychological Interventions (Enhanced) – University of Sheffield [2018]
• BSc (Hons) [1st] – Psychology – University of Northampton [2014]
Additional Training
• ACT Foundations Training – Reflexion Psychology [2025]
• Introduction to Cognitive Analytic Therapy (CAT) – Staffordshire University (Dr Kate Fox) [2024]
• Using Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT) for Trauma – PESI UK (Dr Chris Irons) [2024]
Membership of Professional Bodies
Registered Practitioner Psychologist with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC; Registration no. PYL044671)
Registered with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) (Ref. No. ZC038728)
Publications
Reilly, J., King, L., Isherwood, A. & Watkins, C. (2025) Developments in a Young-onset dementia (YoD) assessment service: North Staffordshire Neuropsychology (NSN). Presentation to the 8th National Neuropsychiatry conference, Brain & Behaviour, 25th November 2025, Stoke-on-Trent.
King, L., Reilly, J., Isherwood, A., Watkins, C., Staddon, T. and Das, L. (2025). Reducing young-onset dementia (YoD) assessment waiting times in North Staffordshire Neuropsychology (NSN). The Neuropsychologist, 19-20, 42-52.
Staddon, T., Taylor, G., Watkins, C., Sibley, R., Mercer, G. & King, L. (2025). A service evaluation of a training session delivered by North Staffordshire Neuropsychology (NSN), an NHS service, to the charitable sector: Headway, a local branch of the National Brain Injury Charity. The Neuropsychologist, 19-20, 33-41.
Watkins, C., Gordon, K., Mercer, G., & Teager, A. (2025). “A period of limbo”: The experience of being a male family member of a person in a prolonged disorder of consciousness (PDoC); an Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis. Poster presentation at the Ahead Together 2025: Families after brain injury – Reclaiming Hope Conference. Oxford, UK.
Watkins, C., Gordon, K., Mercer, G., & Teager, A. (2025). “A period of limbo”: The experience of being a male family member of a person in a prolonged disorder of consciousness (PDoC); an Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis. Neuropsychological Rehabilitation, 1–24.