Dr Victoria Bell
Dr Bell holds a Doctorate in Clinical Psychology, complemented by advanced training in Cognitive Behavioural Therapies and Schema Therapy. She also holds a PhD in Developmental Psychology and has an established record in teaching, research, and published work.
Some lives are not contained within a single space. They move across countries, time zones, and responsibilities - often at pace, with little opportunity to step back from day-to-day life. The clients Dr Bell works with are managing complexity and performance under scrutiny, often alongside a mind that remains active beyond immediate demands, making it difficult to fully switch off. Relationships, too, may come to feel more difficult than hoped, particularly where there is limited space to reflect on one’s own experience within them.
Her practice is grounded in the highest ethical standards, with trust, discretion, and professional integrity at its core. For many clients, privacy is a necessity rather than a preference, and the work is structured accordingly, with close attention to confidentiality and boundaries.
Qualifications:
Doctorate in Clinical Psychology, 2013, University of Oxford, UK
PhD Developmental Psychology, 2007, Queen’s University Belfast, UK
BSc Psychology, 2003, Queen’s University Belfast, UK
Approach & practice.
Dr Bell listens closely to how a person is organising their experience - what is being prioritised, avoided, or managed. Sessions are both containing and appropriately challenging, providing a confidential space in which difficult experiences can be spoken about with openness and care. Patterns that sit just outside immediate awareness can be recognised, alongside established ways of coping or relating that are no longer helpful, or situations that are difficult to make sense of from within.
Clinical thinking is adapted to the individual, with particular attention to the nuances of roles involving high responsibility, performance, and visibility. Drawing on experience in national specialist NHS services, she works with difficulties that are not easily captured by standard diagnostic frameworks, holding ambiguity and integrating emerging research through a clinically flexible, formulation-led approach.
A formulation develops over time, as a structured ‘map’ of relevant patterns and processes. It holds different aspects of experience in relation, rather than reducing them to a single explanation. This allows for a clearer understanding and a more considered way forward.
Memberships & clinical experience.
Practitioner Psychologist, Health Care Professions Council (HCPC)
Chartered Clinical Psychologist, British Psychological Society (BPS)
Special Group for Independent Practitioners, British Psychological Society (BPS)
Cognitive Behavioural Therapist, British Association for Behavioural & Cognitive Psychotherapies (BABCP)
Since qualifying as a Clinical Psychologist, Dr Bell has specialised in supporting clients navigating intricate and demanding circumstances, including those for whom previous therapy has felt limited or insufficiently attuned to their needs.
Between 2007 and 2020, within NHS services, she worked in national specialist teams supporting complex presentations such as psychosis, bipolar disorder, and PTSD, where difficulties had persisted despite prior psychological and pharmacological input. This required an approach informed by emerging research and careful adaptation of established models to individual clinical need - an approach that continues to underpin her current work. She established her private practice in 2019.
During her Doctorate in Clinical Psychology, she worked with Prof. Daniel Freeman to develop a novel CBT trial addressing worries about rejection and social scrutiny. Her PhD in Developmental Psychology focused on childhood neurodevelopmental disorders, including ADHD, dyslexia, and developmental coordination disorder. Her research background supports a research-led perspective, alongside the ability to critically interpret and apply findings on a case-by-case basis across both professional and personal contexts.
Academic appointments.
Invited Peer Reviewer - The British Journal of Psychiatry Open / Psychological Medicine
Reviews research submissions for relevance, methodological rigour, and overall quality, contributing to editorial decisions and the refinement of published work.
Previous Roles
Honorary Lecturer, King’s College London.
Research Psychologist & Clinical Lecturer, King’s College London.
MSc Research Supervisor, King’s College London.
Publications.
While clinical practice remains Dr Bell’s primary focus, she is deeply committed to research and the translation of scientific evidence into therapy. She values multidisciplinary collaboration and is privileged to work with esteemed colleagues both in the UK and internationally. Dr Bell has a strong record of published research in leading international journals within the field of adult mental health:
