Catherine is a Senior Lecturer in Psychology, teaching mainly on the Counselling Psychology Professional Doctorate as well as contributing lectures to Psychology BSc (Hons). She is a Chartered Counselling Psychologist, a Health Care Professionals Council (HCPC) practitioner psychologist and an associate fellow of the British Psychological Society (BPS).

Catherine Athanasiadou-Lewis
Catherine is an accredited British Association for Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapies therapist and an experienced integrative psychological therapist and supervisor. Her clinical work is informed by psychodynamic and relational principles while encompassing cognitive-behavioural interventions in an eclectic manner that idiosyncratically corresponds to her clients’ needs.
Catherine has over 15 years of clinical experience in primary and secondary care services within the NHS, the private sector and within charities in London and Bristol. She is also a placement clinical and counselling psychology supervisor within the NHS, and has been involved in service evaluation research projects in the past. Guided by a post-modernist epistemology and continuously informed by research outcomes, Catherine adopts a multifaceted approach to counselling psychology that attempts to mediate the polarities between the medical model and phenomenology, in understanding and alleviating psychic distress and conflict.
Catherine's teaching interests in the clinical domain include: advanced psychological theory and practice, psychodynamic psychotherapy, cognitive behavioural psychotherapy, pluralism and integration, developmental pathology, gender and sexuality, ethical practice, difference and diversity, complex trauma and PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder), mood and anxiety disorders and personality disorders (disorders of the self).
Catherine's teaching interests in research methods include: interpretative phenomenological analysis, grounded theory and thematic analysis.
Catherine is also a research supervisor and she regularly undertakes external examining roles. Her research interests include:
- clinical outcomes
- complex trauma
- identity formation
- psychopathology in a sociocultural context
- attachment and sexuality
- interpersonal processes in psychotherapy
- somatization and embodiment
- pluralism and integration
- dreams and psychoanalytic technique
- medically unexplained symptoms
- 'cold cases': unresolved, unexplained and untreated psychological conditions
Authored
- Athanasiadou, C and Halewood, A (2011). A grounded theory exploration of therapists’ experiences of somatic phenomena in the countertransference. European Journal of Psychotherapy and Counselling, 13,3, 247-262.
- Athanasiadou, C (2012). Pluralism as a forerunner for integration? A reflective account. Counselling Psychology Review, 27, 4, 18-27.
- Athanasiadou, C (2013). Dynamic Interpersonal Therapy and short-term Cognitive Behavioural Therapy: a service evaluation. Paper presented in the Integrated Service Meeting, BEH NHS, London.
- Athanasiadou-Lewis, (2016). ‘My subdued ego: a psychodynamic case study of Borderline personality disorder following relational trauma. Psychodynamic Practice, 22, 3, 223-235.
- Athanasiadou-Lewis, C (2015).Tο φαινομενο και η θεωρια του (The phenomenon and its theory). Reflections on the foci of positivist and constructionist grounded theories. Paper presented in the Applied Psychology and Research local symposium, Thessaloniki.
- Hovris, A and Athanasiadou-Lewis, C (2016). Exploring the psychological processes of lone parenthood: A grounded theory analysis. Poster presented in DCoP Conference, Brighton.
- Banbury S, Lusher J, Lewis CA (2016). Grief, After Death Communications and Childhood Abuse: Two Substance Use Case Reports. J Addict Res Ther 7: 265.
- Athanasiadou-Lewis C (2017). A critical evaluation of the conceptual model and empirical evidence for current cognitive behavioural approaches to post-traumatic stress disorder from a counselling psychology perspective. Edorium J Psychol; 3:1–9.
- Banbury S, Lusher J, Athanasiadou- Lewis C (2017). The Use of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy on Two Case Reports of Paraphilic Infantilism, Substance Misuse and Childhood Abuse. MOJ Addiction Medicine and Therapy.
- Torchia, K and Athanasiadou-Lewis, C (2017). An exploration of a traceur’s experience of lack of progression in Parkour: A Grounded Theory study. Paper submitted to the QMiP conference, Aberystwyth University.
- Kohl D and Athanasiadou-Lewis, C (2017) Examining the relationship between health behaviours and mental health in a Luxembourg sheltered work environment: a quantitative study. Paper submitted to the DCoP Conference, Stratford upon Avon.
Auditor
- Leonidaki, V (2015). Critical Appraisal in the Context of Integrations of Qualitative Evidence in Applied Psychology: The Introduction of a New Appraisal Tool for Interview Studies, Qualitative Research in Psychology, 12:4, 435-452.
In preparation
Athanasiadou-Lewis, C, Willig, C and Loulopoulou, A (in prep). Psychologists’ experiences of protocol-driven therapies: An interpretative phenomenological analysis.
Leonidaki, V and Athanasiadou-Lewis, C, et al (in prep). Facilitating and hindering aspects of psychodynamic/psychoanalytic psychotherapy from a patient’s perspective: A meta-synthesis of qualitative studies.
Dr Catherine Athanasiadou-Lewis
Senior Lecturer in Counselling Psychology Prof Doc
E: c.athanasiadoulewis@londonmet.ac.uk