Louise Isham
MA MSc DClinPsy
Research Clinical Psychologist
I am a research clinical psychologist within O-CAP. The overall aim of my research is to improve psychological treatments for people experiencing severe mental health problems, with a particular focus on developing the psychological understanding and treatment of harmful grandiose delusions. I have worked as a trial therapist on several of the O-CAP trials including the Feeling Safe Study - a clinical trial investigating a novel psychological intervention for persecutory beliefs, and the OWLS trial - a pilot randomised controlled trial of a sleep intervention designed specifically for psychiatric inpatients.
In addition to my role within O-CAP I also work as a consultant clinical psychologist for the Oxford Cognitive Therapy Centre, which provides specialist CBT training and supervision. My area of specialism is CBT for psychosis and I am the course lead for the OCTC/University of Oxford PGCert in Enhanced CBT: Psychosis and Bipolar. I am an HCPC registered Clinical Psychologist and BABCP accredited CBT practitioner.
Recent publications
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The Difficulties of Grandiose Delusions: Harms, Challenges, and Implications for Treatment Engagement.
Journal article
Isham L. et al, (2023), Schizophr Bull
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Formulating psychosis: a thematic analysis of CBTp trainees’ experiences
Journal article
Newman-Taylor K. et al, (2022), Cognitive Behaviour Therapist, 15
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The meaning in grandiose delusions: measure development and cohort studies in clinical psychosis and non-clinical general population groups in the UK and Ireland.
Journal article
Isham L. et al, (2022), Lancet Psychiatry
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Comparison of a theoretically driven cognitive therapy (the Feeling Safe Programme) with befriending for the treatment of persistent persecutory delusions: a parallel, single-blind, randomised controlled trial.
Journal article
Freeman D. et al, (2021), Lancet Psychiatry, 8, 696 - 707
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Understanding, treating, and renaming grandiose delusions: A qualitative study.
Journal article
Isham L. et al, (2021), Psychol Psychother, 94, 119 - 140
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Psychological processes mediating the association between developmental trauma and specific psychotic symptoms in adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Journal article
Bloomfield MAP. et al, (2021), World Psychiatry, 20, 107 - 123