Felicity Waite

The focus of my work is to develop more effective and easily accessible interventions for people experiencing distressing delusions and hallucinations. This involves identifying and testing the mechanisms underpinning psychotic experiences. Then using this theorectical understanding to develop effective treatments to enable people to feel safer, to feel happier and to reengage with the world. Finally, harnessing innovations in technology, for example virtual reality, to increase access to effective psychological interventions to patients throughout the NHS.

Two exciting projects I am currently involved in are the Feeling Safe Study and the invention4innovation project. The Feeling Safe Study is a randomised controlled trial of a novel tranlsational psychological treatment for persecutory delusions. The invention4innovation project aims to transform services for patients with psychosis by providing psychological therapies using immersive virtual reality. This project involves collaborations with the Royal College of Arts, the McPin Foundation, NIHR MindTech, OxfordVR, and multiple NHS trusts and universities across the UK.

Previously I worked on the Better Sleep Trial and SleepWell study. Both projects tested psychological interventions targeting sleep: a key factor contributing to distressing psychotic experiences.  

I am an HCPC registered Clinical Psychologist and completed my clinical doctorate at the University of Oxford. Prior to clinical training I worked on studies evaluating CBT for people at ultra-high risk of psychosis and developing approaches to promote recovery in early psychosis.

Oxford Cognitive Approaches to Psychosis