Dr Marilena Hadjittofi, Clinical Psychologist
DClinPsy, PGDip, BSc, HCPC Registered
Dr Hadjittofi is a Chartered Clinical Psychologist and the founder and director of The Chester Psychology Clinic.
She has more than 10 years experience working in a range of mental health settings across the NHS. For the past 5 years, Dr Hadjittofi has been working at Alder Hey Children’s Hospital, one of the leading children’s hospitals in the UK, supporting children and families with physical health conditions. She is experienced in service design and delivery, supervision and consultancy.
Dr Hadjittofi is highly skilled in working with a range of emotional difficulties, such as low mood, phobias, trauma, anxiety, bereavement and adjustment. Dr Hadjittofi is respectful of both the child’s and the family’s emotional needs and utilises a variety of therapeutic models to meet their needs, such as CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy), ACT (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy), systemic and narrative approaches as well as CFT (Compassion Focused Therapy). Find out more about the therapeutic approaches our clinic offers here.
Dr Hadjittofi has also delivered lectures on Clinical Psychology Doctoral programs in the North West on a range of topics, including Visual Differences, Paediatric Clinical Psychology, and Mental Health and Childhood. Additionally, she has served as a guest lecturer at Liverpool John Moores University, delivering lectures on the topic of Paediatric Psychology to aspiring nurses.
Marilena is actively involved in research, having spoken at international conferences following publications. Her current research includes exploring how a diagnosis of a long-term health condition affects young peoples’ identity and sense of self.
“In my therapeutic work with children and adolescents, my focus is a comprehensive understanding of their individual needs, as well as building on children’s strengths and interests. By fostering a collaborative, playful, and respectful approach, I aim to empower young people to overcome challenges but also to cultivate newfound strengths, providing an enriching therapeutic experience. I adopt a comprehensive whole-system approach in my therapeutic work. This means that I actively collaborate with various systems around your family, including schools, local authorities, and charities. You can expect a holistic and inclusive approach that extends beyond individual sessions, ensuring a supportive network is seamlessly woven into the therapeutic journey.”
-Dr Hadjittofi
Doctorate in Clinical Psychology (PsychD), University of Surrey
Postgraduate Certification of Psychological Wellbeing Practitioner (PGDip), University of Essex
BSc Psychology, University College London
Qualifications
Additional Training
Supervisor training workshop, University of Liverpool
EMDR Standard Accredited Training & EMDR Child Training Level 1
Power, Privilege and Inclusivity Supervisor Training, Lancaster University
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Trauma (CBT-T), by Dr David Trickey
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy Essentials (Level 2), Association for Psychological Therapies
Compassion Focused Therapy: Advanced Clinical Skills, Prof Paul Gilbert
Systemic Thinking and Practice (Foundation Level), Association for Family Therapy and Systemic Practice
Developing Skills in Motivational Interviewing (MI), Dr Rory Allott
Essentials in Cognitive Analytic Therapy (CAT), Steve Potter & Annalee Curran
Publications
Hadjittofi, M., Gleeson, K., & Arber, A. (2022). The experience of disgust by nursing and midwifery students: An interpretative phenomenological approach study. Nursing Inquiry, 29(2), 12427.
Hadjittofi, M., Gleeson, K., & Arber, A. (2020). The experience of disgust by healthcare professionals: A literature review. International Journal of Nursing Studies, 110, 103720.
M. Mohanna, E. Roberts, L. Whitty, J. F. Gritzfeld, C. E. Pain, H. J. Girschick, J. Preston, M. Hadjittofi, C. Anderson, P. J. Ferguson, A. Theos & C. M. Hedrich. (2023). Priorities in Chronic nonbacterial osteomyelitis (CNO) – results from an international survey and roundtable discussions, Pediatric Rheumatology, 21 (1), 65.
Research Posts
Current scholar in Research Scholars Programme, National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), Clinical Research Networks for the North West Coast and Greater Manchester
Clinical Psychologist member to the Paediatric Rheumatology Clinical Studies Group (CSG) for the NIHR Clinical Research Network.