Clinical Psychologists

The role is to deliver both individual and group psychological therapy to people experiencing persistent pain and to support the team to consider psychological approaches to pain management.

Dr Phil Simpson

Lead Clinical Psychologist

I have been working with people with health and medical problems within NHS hospitals since I qualified as a clinical psychologist 15 years ago. I have trained in a range of different talking therapies and have spent my career helping people to manage pain and other distressing physical symptoms in order to improve their quality of life. My philosophy is that everyone I meet is the expert on themselves, uniquely shaped by their early experiences and all the things that have happened to them in their lives. My job is to understand the stories that people hold about themselves and their health and to help them to live a fulfilled and meaningful life despite pain and illness. I believe that understanding of psychological and emotional factors is crucial to effective healthcare and that working within a team of different professionals is the best approach for excellent care.

Dr Katie Hodgson

Principal Clinical Psychologist

I joined the Pain Psychology Service in 2023 and was very excited to return to working in the department following a placement with the Neuro-Oncology Psychology Service during my doctorate training at the University of Hull. My previous role was in community mental health services and in my career I have become passionate about supporting people with both the physical and emotional impact of living with long-term health conditions. I utilise a range of person-centred therapy approaches in my work, but tend to draw mostly from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and I am accredited in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) with the BABCP. Sadly many people living with pain report experiences of not feeling listened to or understood.  My first focus will always be to get to know you as a whole person before we can start to explore the impact of pain and find an approach that works best for you. By creating a non-judgemental and supportive environment for you to explore your experience of navigating challenges and living with pain, my hope is that we can work together to reduce the influence of pain and increase experiences of meaning and fulfilment.

Assistant Psychologists

The role is to support qualified psychologists whilst gaining experience in working within an area of psychology after completing a BPS accredited undergraduate degree in psychology.

Matthew Cartlidge

Assistant Psychologist

I joined the Pain Psychology Service in 2024, following a year and a half working as an Assistant Psychologist in Community Mental Health and after completing my undergraduate degree in 2022. I am excited about working within this service as I am passionate about helping people manage the complexities of living with long-term health conditions. I am committed to creating supportive spaces, to providing valuable insights and empowering people to play an active role in shaping the service in meaningful ways.

Trainee Clinical Psychologists

Trainee Clinical Psychologists are psychologists in training who are on placement with the team during their time on the Clinical Psychology Doctorate Training Programme at the University of Hull. Trainee Clinical Psychologists are an asset to our team, and they provide psychological and emotional support to patients, drawing on a range of approaches and varied experience. Trainees may be at different points in their training but all of their work whilst on placement will be overseen by qualified Clinical Psychologists. You may be offered an appointment to see a Trainee for your appointment, and it is your choice whether or not you would like to be seen by them.

Secretarial/Admin Team

The role is to provide complete administrative and secretarial support to the Clinical Psychologists. The secretarial admin team are the first point of contact for enquiries by telephone and deliver service information to health professionals, patients and their families. They are responsible for clinical management from referral to discharge.

Karen Fraser

Senior Administrator

Sue Render

Senior Administrator

Melanie Lowthorpe

Senior Administrator