Dr Emma Černis BA, MSc, DClinPsy, DPhil

DPhil Biomedical & Clinical Sciences, Oriel College, University of Oxford

DClinPsy Doctorate in Clinical Psychology, Harris Manchester College, University of Oxford

MSc Mental Health Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, King’s College, London

BA Experimental Psychology, St Edmund Hall, University of Oxford

Before taking up the post of Assistant Professor of Clinical Psychology at the University of Birmingham, Dr Emma Černis spent ten years in various roles in Professor Daniel Freeman’s ‘Cognitive Approaches to Psychosis’ research team at the University of Oxford. As a result, Emma has experience of translational and applied psychological research including co-ordinating clinical trials, and delivering trial-standard therapy, including cutting edge CBT interventions for adults with psychosis and young people with At Risk Mental State. 

Emma’s research focuses on dissociation: chronic subjective sensations of ‘strangeness’ or detachment that can cause significant distress and impairment, but which remain largely under-recognised in clinical settings. In her Wellcome Trust-funded Clinical Doctoral Fellowship programme of research, Emma defined a discrete subset of dissociative experiences (‘felt sense of anomaly’ (FSA) dissociation), demonstrated its links with common mental health problems and psychotic experiences, and began identifying its underlying psychological factors. Emma intends to build on this work by developing a cognitive model of FSA-dissociation and piloting a psychological intervention. She is also interested in exploring dissociation transdiagnostically, within adolescents, and determining the role dissociation may play in emerging mental health problems.

Clinically, Emma’s practice and supervision style is primarily influenced by CBT and related ‘third-wave’ approaches. She has expertise in working with psychotic symptoms across the lifespan, and with children, young people and families affected by sexual harm.

Dr Černis contributes to teaching and supervision across the undergraduate and postgraduate courses within the School of Psychology and Centre for Applied Psychology.

Dr Černis is open to co-supervising PhD research that falls within the areas of her expertise and research interests.

Please enquire by contacting the Postgraduate Research (PGR) Programme Administrator at the School of Psychology, or the Institute Operations Officer at the Institute of Mental Health.

I am currently undertaking an online survey study of the causes of dissociation in young people (aged 16 to 25 years): The “Sources of Stress” (SOS) Study. This will be advertised via social media in late 2022 and early 2023. Please email dissociation@contacts.bham.ac.uk for more information.

PRIMARY

• Dissociation:
  • Psychosocial causal and maintenance factors
  • Dissociative experiences in adolescence
  • Transdiagnostically
  • As a risk factor for other mental health problems
  • Evaluation of plausible intervention techniques
  • Experimental paradigms and methods related to elucidating its mechanisms

SECONDARY

• Complex mental health, particularly psychosis and trauma.
• Preventative interventions and early intervention.

Committees, networks & advisory groups:

• National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Mental Health Incubator for careers in mental health research: member of advisory group (2020 – Present)
• DIS.connected: international network for early careers researchers in the field of dissociation: co-founder (2019 – Present) 

Public engagement and non-academic writing:

Please see entries on UoB Pure: https://research.birmingham.ac.uk/en/persons/emma-cernis