HCPC-registered Consultant Clinical Psychologist | Qualified in 1996
Dr David Newman is an experienced Consultant Clinical Psychologist who qualified in 1996 and has 30 years of Clinical Psychology experience across NHS and private practice settings.
He offers online psychological therapy for adults, with particular experience in trauma, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), complex mental health difficulties, autism and neurodivergence, and learning disability.
Dr Newman also provides adult ADI-R assessments, medico-legal psychological reports and expert witness work, clinical supervision and consultation, psychological training and service-development advice.
He is registered with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) as a Clinical Psychologist and is a member of the British Psychological Society, Division of Clinical Psychology.
People seek psychological therapy for many different reasons. You may know exactly what you would like help with, or you may simply have a sense that something is not right and would like an opportunity to understand it better.
Beginning therapy can also feel daunting, particularly if you are unsure what kind of therapy you need or find it difficult to put what you are experiencing into words.
You do not need to have a diagnosis, know which type of therapy you need or be able to explain everything clearly before seeking help.
Dr Newman offers a thoughtful and collaborative approach. Psychological assessment and therapy begin by developing a shared understanding of what has been happening, what may be contributing to the difficulties and what you would like to be different.
Dr Newman says:
“I aim to offer a calm, respectful and non-judgemental space where we can make sense of things together and work at a pace that feels manageable for you.”
Dr Newman works with adults experiencing a wide range of emotional, psychological and interpersonal difficulties, including:
This is not an exhaustive list. Psychological difficulties do not always fit neatly into a particular diagnosis or category, and people do not always arrive in therapy knowing exactly how to describe what is wrong.
An initial enquiry can help you explore what you are looking for and whether Dr Newman may be an appropriate Clinical Psychologist for you.
Dr Newman’s approach is person-centred, trauma-informed, culturally sensitive and neurodivergent-affirming.
Rather than assuming one form of therapy will suit everyone, he tailors psychological assessment and therapy to the individual, taking account of their experiences, circumstances, communication preferences, strengths and personal goals.
His integrative approach draws on evidence-based psychological therapies and approaches including:
An important part of Clinical Psychology is psychological formulation: developing a shared understanding of how difficulties may have developed, what may be keeping them going and what could help.
This allows therapy to be shaped around the individual rather than simply applying a standard treatment according to a diagnosis.
Dr Newman has extensive experience helping adults affected by trauma, PTSD and complex trauma, including people whose experiences have had a longer-term effect on their emotions, relationships, sense of safety or understanding of themselves.
Some people know that their difficulties are related to trauma. Others may experience anxiety, low mood, anger, shame, emotional numbness, relationship difficulties, feeling constantly on alert or other patterns without initially thinking of these as trauma-related.
Dr Newman takes a trauma-informed approach that considers both what has happened to a person and how they have adapted in order to cope.
Therapy is individually formulated and may draw on different psychological approaches according to the person’s needs, experiences and goals.
Dr Newman has extensive professional experience working with autistic and other neurodivergent adults, including people with a learning disability.
His approach is respectful, strengths-based and neurodivergent-affirming. He aims to understand each person’s experiences, needs, communication preferences and individual context rather than approaching neurodivergence simply as a collection of symptoms.
This experience includes specialist NHS work relating to adult autism and neurodevelopmental services, learning disability and the development of more accessible and inclusive psychological care.
Dr Newman continues to contribute to the development of inclusive psychological services as well as direct clinical practice.
In 2026, he co-developed GBO-A, an accessible adult version of the Goals-Based Outcomes tool, with speech and language therapist Eve Shulyak, working alongside Professor Duncan Law of University College London, who developed the original Goals-Based Outcomes measure.
GBO-A was developed to make it easier for adults to identify personal goals and communicate their progress through mental health care. It uses simplified language and accessible design principles and was co-produced and tested with service users and clinicians.
The resource was developed particularly with accessibility in mind for people including adults with learning disabilities and neurodivergent adults, while also being suitable for anyone who finds a clearer, more visual format helpful.
Following development and testing within Sheffield NHS services, GBO-A became available nationally for mental health trusts in 2026.
This work reflects Dr Newman’s wider interest in person-centred, inclusive psychological practice and ensuring that psychological approaches are adapted to the needs of the individual.
Dr Newman offers Autism Diagnostic Interview – Revised (ADI-R) assessments for adults where appropriate.
The ADI-R is a structured developmental interview that can provide important information as part of a wider autism or neurodevelopmental assessment. It explores an individual’s developmental history and patterns associated with autism.
Dr Newman aims to make the assessment process thoughtful, respectful and useful, helping people develop a clearer understanding of themselves rather than experiencing assessment as simply clinical or “tick-box”.
Adult ADI-R assessments are currently offered privately by Dr Newman as a sole practitioner. Where additional assessment or multidisciplinary input is required, this can be discussed and appropriate multidisciplinary colleagues accessed where necessary.
Please contact the National Clinical Psychology Service if you would like to discuss the scope of an ADI-R assessment and whether it may be appropriate for your circumstances.
Since qualifying as a Clinical Psychologist in 1996, Dr Newman has worked with adults experiencing complex mental health difficulties and challenging life experiences across specialist, community and inpatient services.
His clinical experience includes substantial work with autistic and other neurodivergent people and people with learning disabilities, alongside broader adult mental health practice.
Throughout his career, he has focused on person-centred, strengths-based and psychologically informed care, with particular attention to trauma, culture, neurodivergence and individual communication needs.
Dr Newman has also held senior clinical and Director-level management responsibilities, supporting NHS services to develop and deliver effective care pathways for adults with learning disabilities, mental health difficulties and autism, including people with particularly complex support needs.
Alongside his private work, Dr Newman continues to work part-time in the NHS, contributing to specialist services and organisational development.
Dr Newman has extensive experience in medico-legal psychology and psychological expert witness work, including the preparation of psychological reports.
His areas of experience include:
Solicitors and other instructing parties are welcome to contact the National Clinical Psychology Service to discuss individual medico-legal or expert witness requirements and Dr Newman’s availability.
Dr Newman also provides professional psychology services to individual practitioners, teams and organisations.
These include clinical supervision and consultation, reflective practice, psychological consultation, training and service-development advice.
Areas of particular experience include:
Bespoke supervision, consultation or training can be discussed according to the needs of the individual professional, team or organisation.
Dr Newman currently offers his private work remotely.
This includes online psychological therapy, relevant assessment work, clinical supervision, reflective practice and psychological consultation. Training and service-development work can also be provided remotely where appropriate.
For people considering psychological therapy, you do not need to know which therapy you need before making an enquiry. You can briefly explain what you have been experiencing and what you would like help with and consider whether Dr Newman may be a suitable Clinical Psychologist for you.
Profession: Consultant Clinical Psychologist
Qualified: 1996
Qualifications: Psychology BA (Hons); DClinPsy; CPsychol; AFBPsS
HCPC registration: Clinical Psychologist, registration number PYL18504
Professional membership: British Psychological Society, Division of Clinical Psychology
Specialist experience: Adult mental health; trauma and PTSD; complex life experiences; autism and neurodivergence; learning disability
Therapeutic approach: Person-centred, culturally sensitive, trauma-informed, neurodivergent-affirming, integrative and evidence-based
Is Dr David Newman an HCPC-registered Clinical Psychologist?
Yes. Dr David Newman is registered with the Health and Care Professions Council as a Clinical Psychologist. His HCPC registration number is PYL18504. He qualified as a Clinical Psychologist in 1996 and has extensive experience across NHS and private practice settings.
What difficulties can Dr David Newman help with?
Dr Newman works with adults experiencing a wide range of psychological and emotional difficulties. These include anxiety, depression and low mood, trauma and PTSD, difficulties managing emotions, relationship problems, adjustment to major life changes, identity and self-understanding, autism and neurodivergence, learning disability, and longer-standing patterns affecting wellbeing or relationships.
You do not need to know exactly how to describe your difficulties before making an enquiry.
Does Dr David Newman offer online psychological therapy?
Yes. Dr Newman currently offers private psychological therapy remotely. Online appointments allow adults to access psychological therapy from their own location without needing to travel to a clinic.
His other private professional work, including appropriate assessment work, supervision and consultation, is also currently offered remotely.
Does Dr David Newman provide autism assessments or ADI-R assessments for adults?
Dr Newman has extensive experience working with autistic and other neurodivergent adults and offers adult ADI-R assessments where appropriate.
The Autism Diagnostic Interview – Revised (ADI-R) is a structured developmental interview that can contribute to a wider autism assessment. An ADI-R should not automatically be understood as a complete autism diagnostic assessment on its own.
If you are seeking an autism or neurodevelopmental assessment, your requirements can be discussed before proceeding so that the appropriate scope of assessment and any need for additional multidisciplinary input can be considered.
Do I need a GP referral or know which therapy I need before making an enquiry?
No. You do not need to know which psychological therapy would be best for you before getting in touch, and private enquiries through the National Clinical Psychology Service do not normally require a GP referral.
You can briefly explain what has been happening and what you would like help with. The National Clinical Psychology Service can then consider the referral information and, where appropriate, facilitate an introduction to Dr Newman.
Please contact the National Clinical Psychology Service to ask about Dr David Newman’s current availability or to discuss whether his experience may be appropriate for what you are looking for.
You do not need to have a diagnosis, know which therapy you need or have everything worked out before getting in touch.
The National Clinical Psychology Service provides a referral and coordination service and can, where appropriate, facilitate an introduction to Dr Newman as an independent HCPC-registered Clinical Psychologist.
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