Hello, I’m Caroline - a Chartered Clinical Psychologist, author and mother.
I am a Chartered Clinical Psychologist, HCPC registered, with over 10 years’ experience working in the NHS and mental health settings. I specialise in supporting parents perinatally - from pregnancy to childbirth and all aspects of the transition to parenthood. Birthing a new identity as a mum can be as demanding as birthing a baby – whether it’s your first or fifth. We know that dads can really struggle too. I offer a safe, non-judgmental space for you to make sense of changes to your multiple, intersecting identities. So you can honour and accept the kind of mum or dad YOU want to be.
"Compassionate and powerful tools are delivered in such an accessible way. I hope this book finds its way into the hands of every new mum." - Anna Mathur
As seen in
Empowering parents. Reclaim your identity
I have experience in adult, child and parent-infant NHS mental health settings, and in inner-city schools. I am a BPS member, and I trained at University of East London. I am fully trained in Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR), an effective approach for working with difficult memories and traumatic events. I’m also trained in the Solihull Approach, drawing on psychodynamic, child development and behavioural ideas.
My Style
I offer talking therapy over video-link or by phone. This means I am completely accessible to busy parents, juggling competing demands and sometimes, a new baby! Sessions are usually 50 minutes long and I tailor therapy to fit your needs: I might work with you in the short term (3 - 6 sessions), or longer term depending on your concerns and hopes.
I draw on Compassion Focused Therapy, Mindfulness and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, as well as Systemic, Narrative and attachment models. I work with mind and body, focusing on emotional regulation to support personal healing and parent-infant attunement.
Click below to read more:
“I had sessions with Dr Boyd after giving birth to my second boy. I was very raw, emotional, grieving just stopping b-feeding and there were unresolved childhood traumas. We forged a path forward together, out of the difficult darkness and into a place where I felt more confidence and understanding of my internal thought processes, more gratitude and acceptance, and even love for my young self.
I’ll never forget our sessions. Caroline made me feel safe. I trusted her. I knew she was truly listening. She had excellent knowledge, experience and understanding of what it means to be a new mother and a mother in general. Her expertise around rage has been life-changing for me. I adopt the things I’ve learnt from her to this day -
I couldn’t recommend her enough.”
Increasing connection to yourself - and your child(ren).
Dispelling myths of motherhood. Supporting you to open your heart to the paradox of parenting: embracing both the highs and the lows.
Parenting (Def.):
“Messy, a marvel, muddling through”
My research
My published doctoral research explored mothers ’ experiences of intrusive, unwanted harm thoughts about the baby. Knowledge is power: I write about harm thoughts and parenting on Instagram @_drboyd, to help mums & dads feel less ashamed and less alone.
““Thank you for your work and the research you do. Finding you, your articles, your Instagram…has made me feel like a normal Mum. My baby is 9 months now and I still experience intrusive harm thoughts but I am working with a psychologist regarding this. Without your work I would not have had the strength to speak to her about what I was experiencing. So a huge thank you from a new Mum.”
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For my qualitative study, I conducted eight in-depth interviews with women about how they understood, managed and shared these thoughts. Infant-related harm thoughts are common but remain taboo. The unique findings highlighted their intense emotional impact and womens’ fears around sharing harm thoughts due to stigma and shame. Results also showed ways in which the powerful ideology of motherhood (which shapes ideas of the ‘good’ mum in Western society) informed how mums made sense of their harm thoughts.
For more info on my research, and free tips and resources to manage these thoughts, click below:
Click below to read more about therapy I offer
