Dr Holly Cumbers
Clinical Psychologist
Dr Holly Cumbers is an HCPC registered Clinical Psychologist with experience supporting children, adults and older adults across a range of settings.
Holly has particular interests in chronic pain, trauma and supporting people who receive an autism or ADHD diagnosis later in life. Her experience also includes helping university students access reasonable adjustments so they can reach their potential.
Her approach is compassionate, collaborative and neuroaffirming. Drawing primarily on compassion-focused and acceptance and commitment approaches, she aims to help people feel listened to, understood and accepted for who they are.
Quick profile
- Works with
- Adults and older adults; children and young people through assessment and care-related support; parents, carers, foster carers, schools, community services and professional networks.
- Areas of focus
- Chronic pain, trauma and PTSD, autism, ADHD, later-life diagnosis, anxiety, low mood, emotional regulation, self-esteem, attachment and sensory differences.
- Services offered
- Therapy for adults; children in care, adoption and fostering support; cognitive and neuropsychological assessments; training and consultation; reflective practice and supervision. Autism and ADHD assessment work is subject to confirmation of current training status.
- Approaches
- Compassion-focused approaches, ACT-informed approaches, psychological formulation, trauma-informed and neuroaffirming practice, and PACE / therapeutic parenting.
- Appointments
- Sutton Coldfield and Online
- Registration
- HCPC registered Clinical Psychologist — PYL043183.
About Holly
I am a Clinical Psychologist who graduated from the University of Plymouth in 2023 after completing my Doctorate in Clinical Psychology.
Since then, I have worked with a variety of client groups, including older adults, people living with chronic pain, children and students who need reasonable adjustments to help them reach their potential at university.
I am particularly passionate about working with neurodivergent people of all ages. My interests include supporting people with chronic pain, people who have experienced trauma, and those receiving an autism or ADHD diagnosis later in life.
My approach is compassionate and collaborative. I mainly draw on Compassion-Focused Therapy (CFT) and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), working alongside you to understand your experiences and explore what might help.
I am currently completing a diploma in CFT and training in EMDR, which I hope to integrate into more of my clinical work. I am also developing my skills in autism and ADHD assessment.
I want people to feel that their individual differences are recognised, and that they are listened to, understood and accepted for who they are. For some people, our work may involve exploring who they are—perhaps for the first time—rather than who others want them to be.
An important part of my approach is helping reduce shame, self-blame and self-criticism. We do not choose our early experiences or the circumstances that shape us. Together, we can make sense of their impact while exploring how you want to respond to your thoughts, feelings and experiences going forward.
“It is not your fault, but it is your responsibility.”
Why this quote matters to Holly
This quote reflects Holly’s wish to reduce shame, self-blame and self-criticism. People do not choose their early relationships or the trauma they may have experienced. For Holly, responsibility here means recognising the choices and possibilities available now, with support, rather than taking blame for what happened.
Services offered by Holly
- Therapy for Adults
- Children in Care, Adoption and Fostering Support
- Cognitive Assessments
- Neuropsychological Assessments
- Training and Consultation
- Reflective Practice and Supervision
Qualifications and registration
Professional registration
- HCPC registered Clinical Psychologist — PYL043183
Qualifications
- Doctorate in Clinical Psychology — University of Plymouth, 2023
Additional training listed
- Autism Diagnostic Interview–Revised (ADI-R)
- Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS)
- ADHD Assessment
- Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy (DDP) — Level 1
Training in progress
- Diploma in Compassion-Focused Therapy (CFT)
- Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR) — completion of all three parts expected November 2026
Approaches
- Compassion-focused approaches
- Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)-informed approaches
- Psychological formulation
- Trauma-informed practice
- Neuroaffirming practice
- PACE and therapeutic parenting
A little more about Holly
I am an “extreme walker”, having walked 62 miles in a weekend, and I am hoping to push that to 100 miles over two days!
I am currently learning French and German and also attend acting school part-time. I love travelling and learning about different cultures.
