Research groups
Louise Isham
MA MSc DClinPsy DPhil
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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Efficacy of a 6-month supported online programme (Feeling Safer) for the treatment of persecutory delusions: protocol for a randomised controlled trial.
Journal article
Freeman D. et al, (2025), BMJ Open, 15
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Prior Expectations of Volatility Following Psychotherapy for Delusions: A Randomized Clinical Trial.
Journal article
Sheffield JM. et al, (2025), JAMA Netw Open, 8
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Developing a qualitative and quantitative ambulatory assessment-based feedback system within cognitive behavioural interventions for people with persecutory beliefs.
Journal article
Bringmann LF. et al, (2025), Internet Interv, 40
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A six-month supported online programme for the treatment of persecutory delusions: Feeling Safer
Journal article
FREEMAN D. et al, (2025), Psychological Medicine
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A counterweight model for understanding and treating persecutory delusions.
Journal article
Freeman D. et al, (2025), Psychol Med, 55
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Potential research priorities for understanding and treating severe paranoia (persecutory delusions): a priority-setting partnership between patients, carers, mental health staff, and researchers.
Journal article
Sher DA. et al, (2024), BMJ Ment Health, 27