Dr Maria Griffiths

Since qualifying as a clinical psychologist in 1997, having trained on the Salomons programme, I've worked in a range of service contexts with a particular interest in working with adults given a diagnosis of psychosis, and their families. I'm a member of the BPS Division of Clinical Psychology, with active membership of the Psychosis and Complex Mental Health Faculty and the Group of Trainers in Clinical Psychology. I'm keen to bring more family inclusive ways of working to routine adult mental health care, in recognition of the central role played by social networks in peoples' recovery, as well as the impact on the well-being of relatives and friends when someone close is in distress.

My last NHS post in South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, was Consultant Clinical Psychologist, in a specialist role leading on the development of Family Interventions for Psychosis.

As Partnerships Director on the DClinPsych, I am keen to develop and sustain relationships with all our stakeholders, particularly in the context of our recent course expansion. I am currently involved in developing new clinical placement opportunities in the third sector, with a particular focus on homelessness charities and local authority rough sleeper initiatives. My role also involves the coordination of our programme of supervisor training and support  

I have a long history of delivering training to NHS colleagues and am a trained trainer and supervisor in Behavioural Family Therapy. For several years I coordinated the DClinPsych first-year teaching on Clinical Skills. I am the current unit lead for teaching across all three years on Risk and Ethics.

My other teaching interests include adult experiences of psychosis, family and carer involvement, clinical supervision and indirect approaches for clinical psychologists in the NHS.

My research interests include experiences of different family approaches, family and carer involvement, therapies for psychosis, parental mental health and clinical supervision.

I am currently supervising trainees' major research projects in the areas of: the inclusion of children in family interventions for psychosis; boundaries and self-disclosure in family interventions for psychosis; experiences of homelessness and temporary accommodation, trainees' development of ethical identity, and best practice for joint-working in clinical supervision.

Recent publications include:

• Webb, H., Neild, P., Lawrence, V., Schmidt, U. & Griffiths^, M. (2026) “They should understand that the anorexia drives me to do anything”: Exploring how individuals with anorexia nervosa make sense of the experience of medical admissions. European Eating Disorders Review https://doi.org/10.1002/erv.70152
• Tompkins, L. & Griffiths, M. (2026) ‘Intentionally’ homeless? Why some street homeless people decline housing. Journal of Community and Applied Psychology. 36,4, https://doi.org/10.1002/casp.70303
• Fischera, W., Lucas, A. and Griffiths, M. (2025) “Peeling Back Another Layer of Yourself”: An interpretive phenomenological analysis of disclosures about maladaptive daydreaming Acta Psychologica, 259, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actpsy.2025.105313
• Webb, H., Griffiths, M. and Schmidt, U. (2024) Experiences of intensive treatment for people with eating disorders: a systematic review and thematic synthesis. Journal of Eating Disorders 12, 115. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40337-024-01061-5
• Griffiths, M.,Holmes, S. and Burbach, F. (2021) Adaptations for different family groups. Chapter in J. Allen and S. Livingstone (Eds). Family Interventions in Psychosis: Guidelinesfor psychologists and practitioners supporting families and social networks. BPS Publication https://doi.org/10.53841/bpsrep.2021.rep151
• Griffiths, M. (2021) Measuring outcomes for families. Chapter in J. Allen and S. Livingstone (Eds). Family Interventions in Psychosis: Guidelines for psychologists and practitioners supporting families and social networks. BPS Publication https://doi.org/10.53841/bpsrep.2021.rep151

I am the CCCU Project Lead for the Homelessness Workforce Project, in a collaboration with three other clinical psychology training programmes in the southeast region; Southampton; Surrey and Oxford.

This project has been funded by Health Education England with the aim of contributing to the development of the psychological workforce in homelessness.