About Us

Director:

DR AOIFFE KILCOMMONS

B.Sc.(Hons.), M.Phil., D.Clin.Psych., PG.DipCAT., C.Psychol. AFBPsS.

Aoiffe Aoiffe is the founding director of Happiness in Mind – a leading provider of independent Psychology & Well-being Services since 2006. A strong advocate of prevention is better than cure, Aoiffe aims to creatively apply her extensive knowledge and skills to develop services that alleviate suffering and promote resilience, lasting happiness & well-being.

More recently, she established the Resilience in Mind Centre as a result of her work with elite athletes in the professional sports arena. In association with the Bridgewater Hospital, Aoiffe designed the innovative ‘Mind of a Player’ Resilience Training Programme to help professional athletes stay mentally tough under pressure to maximise their sports performance. This training was delivered to several Premier League Football Clubs in 2012/13. She continues to work with top athletes (current and retired), coaching staff/teams in various sports such as gymnastics, football, rugby, boxing – to name a few – to help them fulfil their sporting potential and ability to win.

Working in psychological health since 1998, Aoiffe is a chartered Consultant Clinical Psychologist, accredited Cognitive Analytic Therapy Practitioner, Accredited Cognitive-Behavioural Therapist, Reiki Master, Voice Dialogue facilitator, Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) Practitioner and qualified fitness instructor. She is passionate about healing and uses what works to help you achieve your full potential and a satisfying life.

Aoiffe’s comprehensive training as a Clinical Psychologist spanned nearly ten years. She completed an undergraduate degree in Psychology (University of Manchester) and then attained a Masters Degree in Psychology (University of Manchester), whilst working as an assistant psychologist. Subsequently, she completed the Doctorate in Clinical Psychology (University of Liverpool). Post-qualification, she has completed a two year Post-graduate Diploma in Cognitive Analytic Therapy (University of Sheffield and ACAT Northwest) and the Advanced Compassion Focused Therapy Training, alongside other trainings to keep abreast of innovative developments in the field.

Clinically, Aoiffe has experience of delivering highly specialised psychological assessment and therapy to adults, older adults, children and families, people with intellectual disabilities, people with substance misuse, early psychosis and at high risk of developing psychosis – all presenting with a wide range of difficulties. Her clinical training enables her to work across the lifespan. She also takes a lead role in the expansion of Happiness in Mind Clinical Psychology service.

Dr Aoiffe Kilcommons is dedicated to supporting different professional groups, organisations and sporting communities through consultation, training and supervision.

Aoiffe also has a keen background in research and has published work in peer-reviewed journals in the areas of stress, trauma, psychosis, PTSD, early intervention and prevention, risk management and learning disabilities (see below).

After fifteen years of working as a psychologist in the NHS, Aoiffe left in 2014 to dedicate her time and energy to independent practice. She is an accredited therapist with the British Association of Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapies (BABCP) and the Association of Cognitive Analytic Therapists (ACAT). Aoiffe is registered with the Health Care Professions Council (the UK regulatory body for health professionals) and abides by the British Psychological Society Code of Ethics and Conduct as a Chartered and Associate Fellow member. She is a registered treatment provider with all major health insurance companies. Aoiffe has served as an examiner for the Doctorate of Clinical Psychology Training Programme at the University of Liverpool and has presented her work at the ACAT and BABCP annual conferences.

Alongside Aoiffe’s traditional psychotherapy training, her fascination in holistic approaches to healing led her to qualify as a Reiki Master/ Teacher in the traditional Usui system of Reiki where she has witnessed many amazing benefits of Reiki. Being highly committed to her own personal and professional development, Aoiffe is also a certified Voice Dialogue Facilitator Level 3 and an Emotional Freedom Techniques Level II Practitioner.

Outside work, Aoiffe loves to spend time with her family, has a specialist interest in energy psychology, meditation and is a fully qualified fitness instructor.

Publications:

Kilcommons, A., Withers, P. & Moreno-Lopez, A. (2012) Do service users with intellectual disabilities want to be involved in the risk management process? A Thematic Analysis. Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities February Issue.
Kilcommons, A., Morrison, A. P. & Knight, A. & Lobban, F. (2008)Psychotic experiences in people who have been sexually assaulted. Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology, 43, 8, 602-611.
Parker, S., French, P. & Kilcommons, A. & Shiers, D. (2007). Report on Early Detection and Intervention for Young People at Risk of Psychosis. In association with CSIP, NIMHE, BPS, RCGP, RCPSYCH. www.earlydetection.csip.org.uk.
Kilcommons, A. & Morrison, A. P. (2005). Relationships between trauma and psychosis: an exploration of cognitive factors and dissociation. Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica, Vol 112, 5, 351-359. Results were presented at the Annual BABCP conference, July 2003.
Kilcommons, A. & Bowley, J. (2004) Stress and Coping in Assistant Psychologists. Clinical Psychology, 41, 41-44.
Morrison, A. P., French, P., Walford, L., Lewis, S.W., Kilcommons, A., Green, J., Parker, S. & Bentall, R. P. (2004). Cognitive therapy for the prevention of psychosis in people at ultra-high risk: randomised controlled trial. British Journal of Psychiatry, 185, 291-297.
Morrison, A. P., Bentall, R., French, P., Walford, L., Kilcommons, A., Knight, A., Kreutz, M. & Lewis, S. (2002) A randomised controlled trial of early detection and cognitivetherapy for preventing transition to psychosis in high-risk individuals: Study design and interim analysis of transition rate and psychological risk factors. British Journal of Psychiatry, 181: 78 – 84.