Aisling McQuaid
Aisling McQuaid
Clinical Psychologist specialising in working with children, teenagers and families
Dr Aisling McQuaid is a Chartered Clinical Psychologist registered with the Health Care and Professionals Council (HCPC) with many years of experience working across NHS community and specialist services. She has experience working with children, young people, and adults experiencing psychological difficulties that are impacting on their quality of life.
Alongside her NHS role, Aisling is offering therapy for young people and their families with Harwood Child Psychology. She is working on Friday afternoons and Saturday mornings at our Kings Cross and Hampstead Garden Suburbs clinics.
Aisling has worked within NHS Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) where she supported families with complex needs and neurodiverse young people, including autism and ADHD. She has worked in family therapy clinics and enhanced support intervention pathways, as well as neurodevelopmental assessment services, providing assessments and individualised support for children with additional needs.
Alongside her private work, Aisling currently works in an NHS secondary care service specialising in complex trauma and emotional dysregulation, supporting individuals with complex mental health difficulties. She leads on a pathway supporting teenagers and young adults to learn skills to manage intense emotions, improve relationships, and make sense of their experiences.
Aisling works with a range of concerns, including anxiety, depression, trauma, self-harm and suicidal thoughts, OCD, and interpersonal difficulties. She has experience supporting people living with dermatological conditions and the impact these can have on confidence, self-image, and social wellbeing.
Aisling draws on a number of evidence-based approaches in her therapy, including Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Compassion Focussed Therapy (CFT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Dialectical Behavioural Therapy (DBT), Schema Therapy, Systemic and Narrative approaches.
Aisling values building a warm and collaborative therapeutic relationship, recognising that it can often be difficult to trust and open up to professionals. She takes a compassionate and thoughtful approach, tailoring therapy to each person’s needs, abilities, and preferences. Her aim is to create a safe and supportive space where people feel heard, understood, and empowered to make meaningful change.
Aisling completed her Doctorate in Clinical Psychology at the University of East London. Her doctoral research explored how psychologists talk about death and dying with people who are terminally ill, and she is experienced in supporting those experiencing grief or facing pre-bereavement.
