About
Meet Dr Sophie Ann Bafunno-Clifton
(BSc [Hons.], MSc, PGCert, DClinPsych, CPSYCHOL)
Chartered Clinical Psychologist, ASD assessor & EMDR therapist
Sophie has extensive academic and clinical experience in the field of psychology. She has worked alongside people of all ages, from a variety of backgrounds, experiencing a broad range of mental health difficulties. These include depression, anxiety, social anxiety, panic disorder, phobias, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), workplace stress, attachment and relationship difficulties.
Sophie is also experienced in working with fellow members of both the LGBTQ+ and neurodiverse communities, as well as those with co-morbid long-term physical health conditions, such as Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), diabetes, and weight management difficulties.
How she works
Sophie has an empathic and non-judgmental approach to others, and believes that building positive, trusting relationships is central to therapy. She also believes each person, and their difficulties, deserves a psychological approach tailored to their own, personal experience and preferences.
So she takes an eclectic approach, drawing on multiple psychological theories – cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT), acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), compassion-focused therapy (CFT), cognitive analytic therapy (CAT), dialectic-behavioural therapy (DBT), eye-movement desensitisation reprocessing (EMDR), and psychodynamic/relational approaches – to build an individualised and holistic approach, empowering each individual to embark on recovery and achieve their therapeutic goals.
Sophie also believes joy, fun and laughter to be fantastic remedies for distress, encouraging those she works with to inject this back into their lives! As a practising Buddhist, Sophie also enjoys drawing on relaxation, meditation, imagery and mindfulness techniques in her therapy, where appropriate.
Qualifications
Sophie achieved a 1st (with honours) in undergraduate psychology (BSc) from the University of Birmingham, as well as a Masters (MSc) in forensic psychology from the University of Surrey.
She also holds a post-graduate certificate (PgCert) in evidence-based psychological therapies from the University of Reading, which she completed just before the Doctorate in Clinical Psychology (DClinPsych; Coventry and Warwickshire course). Sophie’s specialist psychological interests are forensic psychology and neuropsychology, as well as trauma rehabilitation.
Most recently, Sophie completed her EMDR training through the EMDR Academy, and her ADOS/ADIR training to make her a qualified assessor of ASD in individuals of all ages.
Other interests
Outside of psychological work, Sophie is a practising Buddhist, and has worked as a Buddhist Chaplain in prison settings. Identifying as a homosexual female, she has first-hand experience of difficulties experienced by those belonging to gender diverse and LGBTQ+ communities. In her spare time, Sophie likes to meditate, keep fit, spend time with friends and bake vegan delights!
Empathic and non-judgemental therapy
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