Doctorate in Clinical Psychology (University of Oxford, UK), PhD in Psychological Medicine (University of Glasgow, UK), Honorary Research Fellow (University of Glasgow), MSc Psychology & BSc Psychology (Federal University of Espirito Santo, Brazil).
Dr Tiago C. Zortea, DClinPsy, PhD, CPsychol
Clinical Psychologist
Key Info About Tiago
Qualifications:
Therapy used:
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Acceptance & Commitment Therapy, Dialectical Behavioural Informed Therapy, Compassion-Focused Therapy, Attachment Informed Therapy.
Ages worked with:
Adolescents & Adults
Clinics at:
Oxford (in person), Online.
Languages:
English, Portuguese
Health insurance coverage:
All major private medical insurance companies
Accreditation:
Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC), British Psychological Society (BPS), The British Association for Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapies (BABCP).
Hi! I’m Tiago and I’m a Clinical Psychologist.
Can you tell me a bit about your background?
I’m a Brazilian-Italian Clinical Psychologist and have made the UK my home since 2012—a country and community I’ve grown to love deeply. My journey began in Brazil, where I trained as a psychologist, worked clinically, and carried out research in child psychology.
I later moved to the UK to complete a PhD, exploring how attachment-related experiences can increase vulnerability to suicidal thoughts and behaviours. Since then, I’ve continued to work across clinical and academic settings, including a role as a scientific advisor to the Scottish Government, helping shape suicide prevention policies based on the best available evidence. Throughout, what has remained constant is my belief in working closely with people—patients, communities, and colleagues—with compassion and respect.
During the pandemic, I made the decision to retrain in the UK to become a British-qualified Clinical Psychologist, enabling me to support people more directly through the NHS. I now work full-time in A&E, providing psychological care to individuals in suicidal crisis or after episodes of self-harm. My work is grounded in the values of compassion, psychological safety, humility, and clinical excellence. I aim to create safe, validating spaces where people feel genuinely heard and understood.
I am committed to delivering high quality, evidence-based care and to working collaboratively with other professionals to offer holistic support. Alongside clinical work, I remain actively involved in research to help improve mental health services and promote learning across the system. Whether through therapy, teamwork, or research, my focus is always on fostering meaningful wellbeing and human connection.
What will it be like when I meet you?
Meeting me in therapy, you can expect warmth, curiosity, and genuine care. I aim to create a safe, respectful space where you can feel comfortable sharing what’s important to you—at your own pace, and in your own words. In our first session, I’ll take time to understand what brings you here and what you hope to gain from our work together.
I see therapy as a collaborative process, rooted in trust, compassion, and mutual understanding. I’ll be attentive to your values, culture, and lived experiences, and we’ll think together about how to navigate difficulties and move towards what matters most to you.
What therapies do you use and what kind of difficulties do you help people with?
There’s no one-size-fits-all approach in clinical psychology, and I believe that therapy should be as individual as the person seeking it. I work in a collaborative, client-led way—drawing on a range of psychological approaches to find what best fits your needs, goals, and preferences.
My practice is integrative, grounded in evidence-based models including Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Dialectical Behaviour Therapy-informed approaches (DBT), Compassion-Focused Therapy (CFT), and Attachment-Informed Therapy.
Over the years, I’ve supported people from all walks of life, across a wide range of ages, cultures, and identities. I have experience working with many different types of emotional and psychological distress, including anxiety, depression, phobias, personality-related difficulties, psychosis, suicidal thoughts and behaviours, self-harm, and relational or interpersonal challenges. Whether you’re feeling overwhelmed, stuck, or unsure where to begin, we will work together to make sense of your experience and find ways to support meaningful change in your life.
What are your interests outside of psychology?
Outside of psychology, I have a real passion for travel and experiencing different cultures, places, and cuisines. I love learning about how people live around the world and often find inspiration, warmth, and connection through those encounters. Cooking is one of my greatest joys, especially Italian food, which has a special place in my heart having grown up in an Italian family. I find real comfort and creativity in the kitchen.
I also enjoy going on long walks, particularly in nature, where I can unwind and recharge. Photography is another hobby of mine: I like capturing little moments of beauty in everyday life. And when I really want to relax, there’s nothing quite like live jazz, especially a good jam session where you can feel the spontaneity and emotion in the music.
Publications:
You can find my scientific publications at:
https://scholar.google.co.uk/citations?user=juDVsDAAAAAJ&hl=en