Expert understanding from the heart of the UK
Dr Emma Černis
FOUNDER & CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGIST
BA(Hons), MSc, DClinPsy, DPhil
HCPC Registration Number: PYL34827
Dr Emma Černis is a qualified and HCPC-registered Clinical Psychologist. She is also a leading researcher in the field of dissociation and depersonalisation with over a decade of experience in understanding, researching, teaching about, and working clinically with dissociative experiences.
As a supervisor, she creates a containing space to support your work with a deep knowledge of the field and a compassionate stance. As a trainer, she has been described as engaging and enthusiastic. Emma also offers one-off clinical consultation via MDDC: find out more via the ‘For Clinicians’ page.
Prounounced “Churr-niss” | Pronouns: she/her
A mission to make a difference
I first came across depersonalisation over a decade ago when I was working in a research group at the University of Oxford. Immediately, I was curious about how dissociative experiences feel and wanted to know more. Through my first investigations, I was shocked how little research there had been into dissociative experiences.
Naturally, when I went on to train as a clinical psychologist, I focused my research thesis on dissociation. Immediately after I qualified, I went on to complete an entire PhD on the topic.
I now work four days a week at the University of Birmingham as Assistant Professor of Clinical Psychology. In that role, I carry out and supervise research into dissociative experiences.
My mission is to improve the care offered to people experiencing dissociation, and the understanding and confidence of mental health professionals working with it. The Midlands Dissociation & Depersonalisation Centre was built with that mission in mind.
Break free of the bubble, today.
Experience
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Biomedical & Clinical Sciences (DPhil) - Oriel College, University of Oxford
Doctorate in Clinical Psychology (DClinPsy) - Harris Manchester College, University of Oxford
Mental Health (MSc) - Institute of Psychiatry, King’s College London
Experimental Psychology (BA Hons) - St Edmund Hall, University of Oxford
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2023-2024 - Clinical Psychologist, Forward Thinking Birmingham, Birmingham Women’s & Children’s NHS Foundation Trust
2020-2022 - Lead Trial Therapist, SleepWell, Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust
2018-2020 - Honorary Clinical Psychologist, Oxford Early Intervention in Psychosis, Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust
2017-2018 - Trial Therapist, Feeling Safe & SlowMo trials, Oxford Cognitive Approaches to Psychosis, University of Oxford
2016-2017 - Horizon, Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust
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Health & Care Professions Council (HCPC): PYL34827
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Černis, E., Loe, B. S., Lofthouse, K., Waite, P., Molodynski, A., Ehlers, A., & Freeman, D. (2023). Measuring dissociation across adolescence and adulthood: Developing the short-form Černis Felt Sense of Anomaly scale (ČEFSA-14). Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy, 1–15. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1352465823000498
Černis, E., Beierl, E., Molodynski, A., Ehlers, A., & Freeman, D. (2021). A new perspective and assessment measure for common dissociative experiences: ‘Felt Sense of Anomaly’. PLOS ONE, 16(2), e0247037. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0247037
Černis, E., Ehlers, A., & Freeman, D. (2022). Psychological mechanisms connected to dissociation: Generating hypotheses using network analyses. Journal of Psychiatric Research, 148, 165–173. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpsychires.2022.01.049
Černis, E., Freeman, D., & Ehlers, A. (2020). Describing the indescribable: A qualitative study of dissociative experiences in psychosis. PLOS ONE, 15(2), e0229091. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0229091
