Heather Sequeira

I specialise in OCD, trauma, PTSD, and complex presentations where previous therapy may not have led to lasting change. Many people come to me after trying established approaches but still feeling stuck in cycles of checking, monitoring, reassurance-seeking, rumination, avoidance, or intrusive thoughts. I work across the full range of OCD, including harm OCD, relationship OCD, POCD, shame-based OCD, checking, reassurance-seeking, and more common presentations. My approach combines evidence-based CBT for OCD, including ERP, with trauma-informed and ACT-informed methods where these are clinically useful. I also draw on specialist techniques and newer developments in OCD and trauma treatment that are not always part of standard therapy training, particularly for complex or treatment-resistant presentations. For some people, compulsive patterns are not only about intrusive thoughts. They are also linked to earlier trauma, chronic stress, shame, or a long-learned need to prevent things going wrong. I tailor therapy carefully to the person, rather than applying a one-size-fits-all protocol. The aim is not temporary relief, but lasting, meaningful change.

PhD

Dr Heather Sequeira is a chartered consultant psychologist and leading specialist in OCD, PTSD, psychological trauma, and complex stress-related presentations. She is internationally recognised for her work at the intersection of obsessive-compulsive disorder and trauma, particularly in complex and treatment-resistant cases where standard approaches may not be sufficient.

She has over 20 years’ experience across NHS, private practice, academic, and training settings. Her work combines advanced clinical expertise with a strong academic background, including a PhD in psychological trauma from St George’s Hospital Medical School.

Dr Sequeira led the OCD Service in her NHS Trust for 26 years. She now runs a private practice and provides specialist therapy to high-functioning individuals in the UK and internationally. She has particular expertise in trauma-related OCD, shame-based compulsive patterns, intrusive thoughts, PTSD, complex trauma, dissociation, and presentations where anxiety, threat, responsibility, and control have become deeply linked.

Through her clinical work, she has developed an approach known as Trauma-Linked Compulsivity, which helps explain why some compulsive patterns become shaped by trauma, chronic stress, shame, and the need to regain safety or control.

She is the founder of PTSDTraumaWorkshops, where she provides advanced training for psychologists and organisations on PTSD, complex trauma, dissociation, OCD, and trauma-related compulsive patterns. She is also an Honorary Senior Research Fellow at the University of Birmingham’s School of Psychology, a visiting lecturer, doctoral supervisor, and mentor to early-career psychologists.

Dr Sequeira is currently writing a trauma handbook with the British Psychological Society and Routledge, bringing together contemporary evidence and real-world clinical practice. She is a regular contributor to national media, including the BBC and Sky News, and is known for translating psychological science into therapy that is precise, practical, and deeply humane.