Dr Sara Sopena, BA, PGDip, MSc, DClin.
Dr Sara Sopena is a Senior Clinical Psychologist with extensive experience of working with families with children with emotional, behavioural and/or learning difficulties. She has worked both doing psychological research and clinical work in different mental health NHS settings and has contributed to the development of well known neuropsychological assessment test batteries such as the Rivermead Behavioural Memory Test – Third Edition (RBMT-3), the Behavioural Assessment of the Disexecutive Syndrome for Children (BADS-C) and to the standardisation of the new edition of the Test of Everyday Attention for Children (TEAch II).
Dr Sara Sopena is registered with the Health and Care Professionals Council (HCPC) which is the main organisational body monitoring the profession.
Dr Sopena has experience in carrying out complex assessments to help families understand the difficulties they might be facing and develop evidence base interventions to best suit their needs. She can offer general assessments of common psychological difficulties (e.g., anxiety, depression) as well as more specialist services such as diagnostic (Autism Spectrum Disorders and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) and cognitive/learning assessments. She is trained to offer different evidence based therapeutic approaches which are tailor made to the need of the child and family. These include Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Narrative Therapy, Behavioural Therapy and Neurorehabilitation.
Dr Sopena can also offer assessment and therapy to Spanish speaking individuals.
Qualifications
- Bachelor degree in Psychology
- PostGraduate Diploma in Child Neuropsychology
- MSc Cognitive Neuropsychology
- Doctorate in Clinical Psychology
- Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy
- Dialectical Behavioural Therapy
- Eye Movement and Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) Therapy
Professional Accreditations and Memberships
- Registered with the Health and Care Professionals Council (HCPC)
- Chartered Clinical Psychologist, British Psychological Society (BPS)
- Member of the Asociation of Child Psychologists in Private Practice (ACHIPPP)
- Member of the EMDR Association UK
Publications
JOURNAL ARTICLES
Sopena, S., Evangeli, M., Dodge, J. & Melvin, D. (2010). Coping and psychological adjustment in adolescents with vertically acquired HIV. AIDS Care. 16: 1 – 7.
Humphrey, A., Golan, O., Wilson, B.A. &. Sopena, S. (2011). (Chapter 11): Measuring Executive Function in Children with High Functioning Autism Spectrum Disorders: A Clinic Referred Case Study. In: Researching the Autism Spectrum. Roth, I. & Rezaie, P. Cambridge University Press.
Wilson, B.A., Greenfield, E., Clare, L., Baddeley, A., Cockburn, J., Watson, P., Tate, R., Sopena, S. & R. Nannery (2008). The Rivermead Behavioural Memory Test – Third Edition (RBMT – III). Harcourt Assessment.
Wilson, B.A., Rous, R. & Sopena, S. (2008). The current practise of neuropsychological rehabilitation in the United Kingdom. Applied Neuropsychology Journal. 15(4):229-40.
Sopena, S., Dewar, B.K., Nannery, R., Teasdale, T.W. & Wilson, B.A. (2007). The European Brain Injury Questionnaire (EBIQ) as a reliable outcome measure for use with people with Brain Injury. Brain Injury, 21(10): 1063-1068.
CONFERENCE PRESENTATIONS
Sopena, S. (2010). Several presentations at the International Conference in Child Neuropsychology. Equador. South America.
Sopena, S. (2008). Experience of communication about diagnosis and psychological adjustment in children with HIV. Challenges and Dilemmas: Psychosocial Issues for Children Growing Up with HIV. PHP. London. UK.
Sopena, S., Rous, R. & Wilson, B.A. (2007). Neuropsychological Rehabilitation: what is it all about?. Neuropsychological Rehabilitation Conference. San Sebastian. Spain.
Wilson, B.A., Rous, R. & Sopena, S. (2006). The influence of models and theories on the clinical practice of neuropsychologists working in brain injury rehabilitation. Theory, Therapy and Social Outcomes in Holistic Brain Injury Rehabilitation Conference. Oliver Zangwill Centre. Ely. UK.
Wilson B.A. & Sopena, S. (2005). The practice of neuropsychological rehabilitation. Neuropsychological Rehabilitation Conference. Galway. Ireland.
Sopena, S., Wilson, B.A. & Humphrey, A. (2005). Neuropsychological profile and adaptive functioning in children with pervasive developmental disorders. Neuropsychological Rehabilitation Conference. Galway. Ireland.
POSTER PRESENTATIONS
Nannery, R., Greenfield, E., Wilson, B.A., Sopena, S. & Rous, R. (2007). Memory without memory. Assessing the integrity of implicit memory using the implicit memory test. Neuropsychological Rehabilitation Conference. San Sebastian. Spain.
Sopena, S., Dewar, B.K., Nannery, R., Teasdale, T.W. & Wilson, B.A. (2005). Reliability of the European Brain Injury Questionnaire (EBIQ) with relatives of people with brain injury. Neuropsychological Rehabilitation Conference. San Sebastian. Spain.
Sopena, S., Dewar, B.K., Teasdale, T.W. & Wilson, B.A. (2005). Reliability of the European Brain Injury Questionnaire (EBIQ). International Neuropsychological Society Meeting. Dublin, Ireland.
Sopena, S., Dewar, B.K., Greenfield, E. & Wilson, B.A. (2005). Implicit memory assessment and its implication for rehabilitation. Neuropsychological Rehabilitation Conference. Galway. Ireland
Mackay, C.E., Robson, M.D., Clark, G.M., Cugno, S., Sopena, S., Connell, J., Francis, J., Barrick, T.R., Crow, T.J., Roberts, N. (2003). Quantification of cerebral structure, function and connectivity asymmetries using MRI. Human Brain Mapping. New York.
BOOK REVIEWS
Principles of Neuropsychological Assessment with Hispanics: Theoretical Foundations and Clinical Practice. Neuropsychological Rehabilitation 19(3):478 – 479 (2009).
The Neuropsychology of Autism. Edited by Fein, D.A. (2011). Oxford University Press.