Qualifications

Doctorate in Clinical Psychology (Oxford)
Masters in Cognitive Neuropsychology (Oxford Brookes)

Personal Profile / Teaching Experience

I teach on the following modules:

• Developmental Psychopathology (Msc Clinical Child Psychology - module lead)
• Psychopathology (Year 2)
• Psychological Therapies (Year 3)
• Issues in the Professional Practice of Psychology (Year 1)

Research Interests

My main area of interest is in the role of compassion in mental health and wellbeing, specifically in unravelling the emotional and cognitive consequences of acquired brain injury and interventions which might alleviate these problems. I aim to make more sense of the emotional experiences (such as shame) and psychological responses to brain injury (such as self-criticism) and whether interventions with a compassion focus are likely to be a useful tool to alleviate these difficulties. I have a particular interested in the application and utility of Professor Gilbert's compassion focussed therapy with people with acquired brain injuries and their relatives. This is one of my main areas of research although my interest in the role of compassion in wellbeing extends beyond brain injury and into other mental health groups as well as non-clinical groups. I am interested in the role of compassion in adolescents with potential mental health problems. My interests not only span psychosocial aspects but also biological and neural substrates. For example, I am interested in exploring hormonal responses to stress in people with acquired brain injury.

Consultancy and other Professional Activity

• Teaching on the Oliver Zangwill Centre courses for clinicians working with people with acquired brain injury
• Honorary Clinical Psychologist in the Evelyn Community Head Injury Service, Cambridge Community Services
• Registered Clinical Psychologist, Health Professions Council UK
• Chartered Clinical Psychologist, British Psychological Society
• Associate Fellow of the British Psychological Society
• Reviewer for Neuro-disability and Psychotherapy
• Reviewer for Stress and Health

Publications

Books
Wilson, B, Winegardner, J., & Ashworth, F. Life after brain injury: survivors stories. Psychology Press (submitted).

Book Chapters
Wilson, B, Ashworth, F, & Winegardner, J. (May 2013). Holistic Neuropsychological Rehabilitation after Traumatic Brain Injury: Two cases influenced by a theoretical model. In Muenchberger, H, Kendall, E, & Wright, J.J; Health and Healing After Traumatic Brain Injury (in press).

Journals
Ashworth, F., Gracey, F. & Gilbert, P. Compassion Focused Therapy After Traumatic Brain Injury: Theoretical Foundations and A Case Illustration. Brain Impairment. 2012; 12(2):138-149. (invited submission for special issue).
Ashworth, F, Pringle, A, Norbury, R, Harmer, CJ, Cowen, PJ, Cooper, MJ. Neural responses to angry and disgusted facial expressions in bulimia nervosa. Psychological Medicine. 2012; 41(11):2375-2384.
Ashworth, F. Book Review: Psychotherapy after Brain Injury Principles and Techniques. Neuropsychological Rehabilitation.2012; 21(3):428-429.
Pringle, A, Ashworth, F, Harmer, CJ, Norbury, R, Cooper, MJ. Neural correlates of the processing of self-referent emotional information in bulimia nervosa. Neuropsychologia. 2011;49(12): 3272-3278.
Bhagwagar, Z, Wylezinska, M, Jezzard, P, Evans, J, Ashworth, F, Sule, A, Matthews, PM, Cowen, PJ. Reduction in occipital cortex GABA concentrations in medication free recovered unipolar depressed and bipolar subjects. Biological Psychiatry.2007;61(6): 806-812.

Conference Preceedings
Ashworth, F, Clarke, A & Longworth, C. (2012). Soothing the Injured Brain with Compassion: Is the compassionate mind approach an effective intervention for psychological difficulties after acquired brain injuries within a holistic neuropsychological programme? Poster Presentation at the Compassion Conference in Manchester; October 2012. Conference Award: greatest contribution to the development of the field of compassion
Ashworth, F, Clarke, A & Corfield, J (2012). 'Learning to be compassionate to my tricky brain': A case illustration of the compassionate mind approach after stroke. Poster presentation at the Compassion Conference in Manchester; October 2012.
Ashworth, F, Clarke, A & Longworth, C. (2012). Using the Compassionate Mind approach with people with psychological difficulties after acquired brain injury. Conference Program and Abstracts of the 9th Annual Conference of the Special Interest Group in Neuropsychological Rehabilitation of the World Federation for NeuroRehabilitation (WFNR). Brain Impairment, 13, pp 132-195.
Conference Award: commendation for presentation
Ashworth, F, Clarke, A & Corfield, J (2012). 'Learning to be compassionate to my tricky brain': A case illustration of the compassionate mind approach after stroke. In Brain Injury 12. Proceedings of the International Brain Injury Association's 9th World Congress on Brain Injury; 2012 March 22-24; Edinburgh, Scotland: 2012. P.724-725.
Ashworth, F, Bauch, E, Bateman, A. (2012).Construct Validity of the Forms of Self- Criticism/Self-attacking and Self Reassurance Scale in an ABI population using Rasch Analysis. In Brain Injury 12. Proceedings of the International Brain Injury Association's 9th World Congress on Brain Injury: 2012 March 22-24; Edinburgh, Scotland. P.719.
Ashworth, F, & Gracey, F. (2012). Using a Compassionate Mind Approach After a Traumatic Brain Injury: A Case Study. In Brain Impairment 09. Proceedings of the 6th Symposium on Neuropsychological Rehabilitation: 2009 August; Talinn, Estonia. Brain Impairment. 10(2). P. 238.
Clarke, A, Ashworth, F, Jones, L, & Jennings, C (2012). Understanding survivors of brain injuries' perspectives on the compassionate mind approach. Poster Presentation at the Compassion Conference in Manchester; October 2012.
Winegardner, J, & Ashworth, F. (2012). The health economy of holistic rehabilitation: four case studies. Conference Program and Abstracts of the 9th Annual Conference of the Special Interest Group in Neuropsychological Rehabilitation of the World Federation for NeuroRehabilitation (WFNR). Brain Impairment, 13, pp 132-195. Conference Award: commendation for presentation
Winegardner, J, Ashworth, F & Jennings, C. (2012). The benefits of a therapy dog in holistic neuropsychological rehabilitation. Conference Program and Abstracts of the 9th Annual Conference of the Special Interest Group in Neuropsychological Rehabilitation of the World Federation for NeuroRehabilitation (WFNR). Brain Impairment, 13, pp 132-195.
Gracey, F, Palmer, S., Malley, D., Keohane, C., Cooper, J., Prince, L, Brentnall, S., Ashworth, F., Cope, J, O'Dell, J, Threadgold, C, Rous, B, Bateman, R, Evans, J & Wilson, B.A. (2008). Cases Illustrating a "-Shaped" Model of Identity and Participation Change Processes in Holistic Rehabilitation of Brain Injury. Paper presented at the Fifth Satellite Symposium on Neuropsychological Rehabilitation, The Neuropsychological Rehabilitation Special Interest Group of the WFNR, Foz do Iguaçu, Brazil, on 7-8 July 2008.

Symposiums
Ashworth, F (2011). Organiser, Presenter and Chair for Symposium on: Soothing the injured brain with compassion: Recent developments in the application of Compassionate Mind approach to survivors of acquired brain injury.
Ashworth, F. (2010). Chair and Presenter for Symposium on: Advances in Psychological Therapy for Emotional Disorders following Acquired Brain Injury presenting 'Compassion Focused Therapy after Brain Injury' at the BABCP Annual Conference, Manchester, July 2010.