Dr Danielle Gaynor is a thoughtful and dedicated Clinical Psychologist who completed her doctoral degree at the University of East London (UEL). At the core of her therapeutic approach is attention to building a trusting relationship. She aims to offer a compassionate, non-judgemental space for clients to explore their difficulties as well as their strengths, hopes, and desires. Dr Gaynor is committed to working together with clients to better understand the origins and nature of their difficulties, which can lead to finding new ways of doing things that enable greater flexibility, choice and wellbeing. She is experienced in working with people of all ages, either individually or together with important others.

Dr Gaynor transitioned into Clinical Psychology in 2005 from an early career in HR. Before completing her doctoral degree in Clinical Psychology at UEL in 2016, she studied and worked in Ireland. This is where she completed her Higher Diploma in Psychology (at University College Dublin) and Masters in Applied Psychology (at Trinity College Dublin). She also held a range of clinical and research posts in both the public and private sector in settings such as, cardiac rehabilitation, adult primary care, adult inpatient, primary schools, and residential settings for Looked after Young People.

During her clinical training at UEL, she worked across a range of NHS and social care settings including work with children and families, adults and older adults in community mental health teams, specialist paediatric, and learning disability teams. Her clinical experience spans the spectrum from mild to moderate distress to complex and enduring problems. In addition to work in the private sector, Dr Gaynor has been working with older adults in the NHS since completing her doctoral training. She engages in individual therapy, family and indirect work, as well as specialist assessment (e.g., neuropsychological assessment) and a range of group work. Additionally, Dr Gaynor engages in supervision of colleagues during their doctoral training and remains involved in other aspects of academic training courses and research pursuits, as well as attending to her own continued professional development.

In her therapeutic work, she offers a client-centred approach, which means that she draws on a number of psychological models to ensure her approach fits with the client, taking into account their preferences, needs and nature of the difficulties. In particular, she integrates ideas from third-wave/mindfulness approaches like Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) and the Compassionate Mind approach, as well as depth and relational approaches (e.g., psychodynamic ideas) and post-modern approaches like systemic and narrative therapy. Dr Gaynor also takes a particular interest in critical psychology; she believes it fundamental to understand problems in context - taking into account ideas from the wider society that influence how we understand and experience distress and wellbeing.