Dr Crina Ene

Hi! I’m Crina and I’m a Clinical Psychologist.

I became interested in psychology as a teenager, when I first started learning about personality. I remain fascinated by the intersections between psychology, mental health, philosophy and literature, and the different angles these disciplines bring to questions about life, meaning, what makes us who we are.

During my clinical psychology training, I became increasingly interested in how insights from neuroscience and neuropsychology can deepen and enrich therapeutic interventions. To this end, I am currently undertaking a postgraduate diploma in Clinical Neuropsychology at University of Bristol.

I grew up in Romania and moved to the United Kingdom when I was 18 to study psychology at university. I feel fortunate to call the UK my new home. I completed my undergraduate and master’s degrees at University of Exeter and then my doctorate in clinical psychology at University of East Anglia.

Prior to clinical training, I worked in Exeter in addictions and complex trauma services, as well as in a psychopharmacology research lab. I undertook all my doctoral clinical placements in Cambridge, where I worked in community mental health teams, paediatric and neurodevelopmental services, psychiatric inpatient wards and an outpatient neuropsychology service.

Since qualifying as a clinical psychologist, I have worked in both the NHS and private sector. In the NHS, I have worked in neuropsychology services. In the private sector, I worked for a clinic where I undertook medico-legal instruction as a treating clinician in neuropsychology cases alongside providing more general psychological therapy for people with a range of mental health difficulties.

My aim in the first session is to start to get to know you and develop a shared understanding of what has brought you to therapy. As part of this process, I will ask you questions about yourself and your circumstances, and in turn will invite you to ask me questions about what therapy might involve.

By the end of the session, we will have a sense of what you would like support with and how we might work together, including practical aspects regarding number of sessions, frequency, and format. I may also suggest that you complete some questionnaires to help me better understand the nuances of your difficulties.

I work integratively, which means that I use ideas and techniques from a variety of therapeutic modalities, depending on the individual and their specific difficulties, whilst also accounting for their preference and what they want to gain from therapy.

My doctoral training placed most emphasis on Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and Systemic Therapy. Alongside these modalities, I integrate other approaches including Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT), and Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT). I also have a growing interest in psychoanalytic psychotherapy and psychodynamic approaches and the depth this lens can bring to the therapeutic process.

I work with a range of psychological difficulties, including depression, anxiety (in its various forms), OCD, trauma, as well as difficulties relating to burnout and stress. I am also interested in working with people who are adjusting to or living with health conditions, particularly of a neurological nature.

My approach is always guided by psychological formulation, which is a process of using knowledge of psychological theory to make sense of the individual’s difficulties and what may be maintaining them. Formulation is a fluid and constantly developing process throughout therapy, as new information and insights come to light.

It is important for me that therapy is also a reflective space where you can think about aspects of your life that are most important to you. Alongside using specific therapeutic techniques, I will listen carefully to what you tell me, ask questions to support your reflections, and highlight potentially important themes and patterns.

Over the years, my enduring passion has been the piano, something that gave me a lot of meaning in my teenage years and continue to enjoy both playing and going to recitals.

I have recently started to learn to paint with watercolours and I am very much enjoying it. Clouds and flowers are my specialism! Since moving to London, I have felt the need to go out in the countryside more and, within my fairly narrow tolerance levels for rain, I enjoy going on hikes with loved ones.

Ene, C. G., Gracey, F., & Ford, C. (2025). A feasibility randomized-controlled trial of an executive functioning telerehabilitation intervention for stroke survivors. Brain Injury, 1-12.

Ene, C.; Gracey, F.; Ford, C. (2024). Trainee tips for conducting a clinical trial during the Clinical Psychology Doctorate. Clinical Psychology Forum, 377.

Ottaway, G., Ene, C., Gracey, F., & Broomfield, N. M. (2024). Investigating the reporting of participant characteristics relating to health equity in randomised controlled trials of non-pharmacological interventions for post-stroke anxiety and/or depression: a scoping review. Disability and Rehabilitation, 1–12.

Carlyle, M., Rockliff, H., Edwards, R., Ene, C., Marsh, B., Hartley, L., Karl, A., & Morgan, C. (2019). Investigating the Feasibility of Brief Compassion Focused Therapy in Individuals in Treatment for Opioid Use Disorder. Substance Abuse: Research and Treatment, 13.