About
I'm grateful to be able to support people to become unstuck and move towards a life they value.
My work as a clinical psychologist focuses on helping individuals with OCD and other persistent life challenges that create feelings of being stuck on repeat. I provide specialised treatments for OCD. I also provide Schema Therapy for other longstanding issues. My clinical work is in private practice from consult rooms in Kiama, NSW.
Qualifications
Doctor of Philosophy (Clinical Psychology)
Master of Psychology (Clinical)
Bachelor of Psychological Science (Honours)
Bachelor of Behavioural Studies (Psychology)
Professional Development
My experience has been shaped by many wonderful opportunities, including:
Clinical internships that allowed me to work with people dealing with severe and complex OCD
PhD research exploring how to improve treatment for OCD (using imagery re-scripting as an add-on)
Numerous professional workshops, specialised supervision consults, and conferences funded by UNSW’s Scientia PhD Scholarship
Ongoing consultation with colleagues and peers with expertise in these areas
Developing and delivering training on treating OCD
Currently undertaking advanced accreditation program in Schema Therapy
Affiliations & Registrations
Adjunct Lecturer, Discipline of Psychiatry and Mental Health, UNSW Sydney
Fellow of the Clinical College of the Australian Psychological Society
Professional Member of the International OCD Foundation
Approved Supervisor for Clinical Registrar program with Psychology Board of Australia
Endorsed Clinical Psychologist with AHPRA
Contributions
With the generous support of colleagues and previous supervisors, I have:
Developed the Australian OCD Clinician Directory to connect people with clinical expertise
Developed an Exposure and Response Prevention treatment manual for outpatient groups
Delivered professional training in Exposure and Response Prevention and Inference-based CBT
Contributed to scientific research (see output below) with further input in ongoing related projects
Research output
Cooper, D. D. J., Stavropoulos, L., Grisham, J. R. (2024). Variants in Imagery Rescripting for OCD: Memories versus Future, Attachment versus Mastery. International Journal of Cognitive Therapy. https://doi.org/10/gt47bt
Stavropoulos, L., Cooper, D. D. J., Champion, S. M., Keevers, L., Newby, J. M., & Grisham, J. R. (2024). Basic processes and clinical applications of mental imagery in worry: A systematic review. Clinical Psychology Review. https://doi.org/10/gtqtm9
Cooper, D. D. J., Wong, S. F., & Grisham, J. R. (2024). Testing an imagery rescripting exercise targeting fear of self. Journal of Cognitive Psychotherapy. https://doi.org/mp5s
Cooper, D. D. J., & Grisham, J. R. (2023, October). Studying imagery rescripting online: Learnings from three experiments. [Conference presentation]. Australian Association of Cognitive Behaviour Therapy National Conference, Sydney.
Cooper, D. D. J., & Grisham, J. R. (2023, October). Who to see for OCD? Reducing a barrier to effective care. [Poster]. Australian Association of Cognitive Behaviour Therapy National Conference, Sydney.
Cooper, D. D. J., & Grisham, J. R. (2023, June 03). Experimentally testing variations in an imagery re-scripting protocol for obsessive-compulsive disorder. [Conference presentation]. 10th World Congress of Cognitive and Behavioural Therapies, Seoul.
Cooper, D. D. J., Popovic, G., Grisham, J. R. (2023, June 03). Testing an experimental paradigm for rescripting for obsessive-compulsive prospective imagery. [Poster]. 10th World Congress of Cognitive and Behavioural Therapies, Seoul.
Perkes, I. E., Cooper, D. D. J., Grisham, J. R., Dyason, K. M., Farrell, L. J., & Manning, E. E. (2023, March 29). Obsessive compulsive disorder is more common than you think. But it can take 9 years for an OCD diagnosis. The Conversation. https://theconversation.com/obsessive-compulsive-disorder-is-more-common-than-you-think-but-it-can-take-9-years-for-an-ocd-diagnosis-196651
Cooper, D. D. J., Perkes, I. E., Lam-Po-Tang, J., Farrell, L. J., Brakoulias, V., & Grisham, J. R. (2023). Finding help for OCD in Australia: Development and evaluation of a clinician directory. Australian Psychologist. https://doi.org/10.1080/00050067.2023.2189003
Cooper, D. D. J., Popovic, G., & Grisham, J. R. (2023). A novel experimental investigation of online imagery rescripting for obsessive-compulsive prospective imagery. Journal of Obsessive-Compulsive and Related Disorders. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jocrd.2023.100799
Cooper, D., Popovic, G., Grisham, J. R. (2022, October 14). Rescripting Prospective Obsessive-Compulsive Imagery Online. [Conference presentation]. AACBT National Conference, Melbourne.
Cooper, D., Perkes, I. E., Lam-Po-Tang, J., Farrell, L. J., Brakoulias, V., Grisham, J. R. (2022, May 17). Development of a clinician directory for OCD [Conference presentation]. RANZCP Congress, Sydney.
Cooper, D., Champion, S., Stavropoulos, L., Grisham, J. R. (2021). How technology can enhance treatment: A scoping review of clinical interventions for anxiety and obsessive-compulsive spectrum disorders. British Journal of Clinical Psychology. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjc.12279
Cooper, D., Yap, K., O’Brien, M., Scott, I. (2020). Mindfulness and empathy among counseling and psychotherapy professionals: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Mindfulness. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-020-01425-3
Cooper, D., Yap, K. (2019, October 1). Difficulty disengaging attention from contamination-related threats in a high-contamination-fear sample [Conference presentation]. 8th ACU Psychology Research Conference, Strathfield.
Cooper, D., Yap, K., Batalha, L. (2018). Mindfulness-based interventions and their effects on emotional clarity: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Affective Disorders. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2018.04.018