Dr Melissa Hoban
DClinPsy, Bsc

HCPC PYL38867

Melissa completed her doctorate in clinical psychology at UCL, where she specalised in complex trauma. She is a chartered specialist clinical psychologist and registered with the HCPC and Compassionate Mind Foundation. She has worked in the NHS since 2014 across inpatient, community, and specialist trauma and addiction services.

She is currently the Clinical Lead of a dual diagnosis service working in homelessness, addiction and mental health. Melissa is an honorary lecturer at University College London on the first year of the doctorate, and she works with the University of West England and Bath University in adhoc roles.

Melissa is the creator of Myndoodles (My Mind Doodles), a mental health illustration site that shares psychological information in accessible formats These have been used across NHS settings in trainings and clinical groups. As a client you will have access to Melissa’s Patreon during your time together.

You can follow her content here:

Melissa’s Approach

Melissa is a trauma psychologist. She has worked across NHS and charity practices that specalise in youth violence, complex PTSD, asylum seeker and refugee PTSD. Being a trauma specialist means she focuses on what has happened to you, how you learnt to survive, and whether those survival strategies still serve you now that you are safe. Her focus is supporting our minds and our bodies to relearn safety in the here and now. In therapy, Melissa will build a relationship that feels safe for you, non-judgemental, compassionate and responsive to you, whatever you are experiencing.

Melissa has completed post-doctoral training in Compassion Focussed Therapy, and it is her main model of practice. Compassion is the motivation to acknowledge suffering in ourselves and other people, and be committed to alleviate it. It focuses on the relationship we have with ourselves, and can help re-address the balance when we may have developed a critical, persecutory inner voice or are carrying the burden of shame towards ourselves.

Melissa’s Therapy Models:

Melissa is trained in:

  • EMDR (eye movement desensitisation and reprocessing therapy), completed part one and two.

  • Trauma Focussed CBT, Narrative Exposure Therapy (NET) and Imagery Rescripting.

  • Compassion Focussed Therapy

  • Acceptance and Commitment Therapy

  • Cognitive Behaviour Therapy

Melissa has experience working with:

  • PTSD, cPTSD and relational trauma

  • Addiction difficulties

  • Loss and bereavement

  • Anxiety, panic or OCD

  • Depression

  • Self-esteem or self-identity difficulties (I provide queer affirmative therapy)

  • Shame

  • Anger

  • Relationship Difficulties

  • Feeling disconnected from our values or meaning

  • NHS staff support