Shikainah Champion

Name: Shikainah Champion

Title: Consultant Psychological Therapist

Languages spoken: English, Hindi, Urdu and Tamil

Areas of Expertise (conditions): 

Individual therapy

PTSD, Anxiety, Trauma-type symptoms, OCD, Specific phobias, Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD), Social phobia, Health anxiety, Panic disorder and Agoraphobia, Depression, Depression in context of Long -Term Conditions (LTC), Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD) and Bulimia nervosa (BN) or Binge-eating

Main therapy models used: EMDR, Imagery Rescripting (IR) and Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) 

Group therapy

Group therapy to treat depression, anxiety, social phobia and OCD has been proven to be effective. Some advantages of engaging in group work are group cohesion due to shared experiences, interpersonal learning and group members learning to be co-therapists

Main therapy model: CBT and EMDR 

Behavioural Couples therapy (BCT)

The therapy has shown to be an effective treatment when a person’s physical or mental health issues impact their relationship with their significant other. Additionally, if there are issues in the relationship that are contributing to or maintaining someone’s depression, this is also an indication that BCT could be appropriate. 

Behavioural Couples Therapy (BCT) is a type of therapy where a couple is taught certain skills on communication, joint decision-making, problem-solving etc. so that difficult conversations can be had without it escalating into conflict. An additional component of BCT is something called Sensate Focus which particularly is for those couples where sexual intimacy has become minimal or non-existent.

Main therapy model: Behavioural Couples Therapy 

Education:

• Post Graduate Certificate in Behavioural Couples Therapy (Royal Holloway, University of London, UK) 

• Post Graduate Diploma in Behaviour and Cognitive Psychotherapies (Royal Holloway, University of London, UK)

• Eye Movement Densitization & Reprocessing (EMDR) Level 3 (EMDR Academy, UK)

• Masters in Clinical Psychology (University of Pune, India). University first rank and recipient of The Chancellor’s gold medal

• Post Graduate Diploma in Children, Youth & Development (Institute of Social Studies, Den Haag, The Netherlands)

• Bachelors in Psychology (University of Madras, India)

Career History:

Shikainah is a psychological therapist. She works privately and with the NHS in a London-based Primary Care psychological therapies service; where she has been for the last 12 years. Prior to this, for around 10 years, she worked in India in both grass root level charities as well as a training organisation for the third sector. 

Her core training is in Clinical Psychology and later in the UK, she specialised in evidence-based therapies like CBT, EMDR, Behavioural Couples Therapy (BCT) and Narrative Exposure Therapy (NET). She treats clients who present with Depression, PTSD, Childhood Trauma, OCD, Specific Phobias, GAD, Health Anxiety, Social phobia, Panic & Agoraphobia, Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD) and Bulimia nervosa. 

Additionally, she supervises trainee psychologists in her NHS Service; having done her Supervisory training from University College London (UCL) and Royal Holloway University of London (RHUL). She also offers regular workshops for various staff groups across the UK on how to deliver culturally responsive therapy and advises NHS Boards on Diversity in Decision-Making.

Alongside her clinical work, she also leads on projects to make inroads into hard-to-reach Asian ethnic minority communities in certain pockets of London. Essentially, she has been instrumental in designing and delivering bespoke trauma-focussed interventions for Refugees and Asylum seekers like the Sri Lankan Tamil community, the Ahmadiyya Muslim community etc. The clinics she helped establish in their communities have now been cited as an example of best practice in the British Psychological Society (BPS) manual for Community Psychologists.

When she’s not working, she can be found savouring a good book with a cup of Earl Grey tea in hand; occasionally trying her hand at writing too. 

Associations: 

• Fully accredited practitioner of the British Association of Behaviour and Cognitive Psychotherapies (BABCP) www.babcp.com

• Associate Member of the Royal Society of Medicine (RSM) www.rsm.ac.uk

• Member of EMDR Association UK

Published papers / Media:

A selection of publications and presentations

• Guidance for psychologists on working with community organisations (Sep 2018).PDF (bps.org.uk)

• Invited to present at BABCP International Conference in Manchester (Jul 2017) Co-Production: Culturally Adapted CBT Group for Tamil refugees and asylum seekers in South-West London

• Champion Samuel, S. ‘Role of Indigenous Folk Arts in fostering mental and emotional health in children’. Presented at XIV Congress of the International Family Therapy Association at Reykjavik, Iceland (Oct 2006)

• Champion, S, ‘Innovative use of dance and movement therapy to teach specific skills in learning disabled children’. 28th International Congress of Psychology, Beijing, China, (mimeo) Aug 2004.

• Champion, S, ‘Type A behaviour pattern and Triguna in Coronary Heart Disease’, Presented at 27th International Congress of Psychology, Stockholm, Sweden. Jul 2000.

Education