About
Dr Rachel Megahy
Senior Clinical Psychologist · BSc (Hons), DClinPsych, CPsychol
I've worked as a Clinical Psychologist since 2006, across the NHS and in private practice. My NHS role specialises in eating disorders and obesity alongside general adult mental health, and my private work draws on the same experience.
What that means for you is straightforward: I've sat with a lot of people at difficult points, and very little will surprise me.
What I work with
I work with a wide range of difficulties — anxiety, depression, stress, phobias, OCD, low self-esteem, the psychological impact of physical health problems such as diabetes or chronic pain, long-standing patterns that keep repeating, and the transitions that unsettle us, from retirement to new parenthood.
I have particular expertise in eating disorders — including anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa and binge eating disorder — and in psychological trauma, including childhood sexual abuse and post-traumatic stress disorder.
How I'd describe my approach
Before anything else, I want us to build a shared understanding of what's happening and why. Not a label, but an explanation that makes sense of your experience. From there we build a treatment plan around your needs rather than a fixed protocol.
A safe, trusting and unhurried space matters enormously to what's possible in therapy. I'll always do my best to put you at ease.
Training and registration
I gained both my BSc (Hons) in Psychology and my Doctorate in Clinical Psychology (DClinPsych) at the University of Edinburgh.
I hold Chartered Psychologist status with the British Psychological Society, which reflects the highest standard of psychological knowledge and expertise, and I'm registered with the Health & Care Professions Council (HCPC registration PYL17840) — a legal requirement to practise. I'm also a member of IPT-UK.
I supervise other professionals and trainee clinical psychologists regularly, and I write and teach in my areas of specialism.
Beyond one-to-one work
As well as therapy, I offer clinical supervision, corporate training and consultancy. I'm also the author of Pet Bereavement and Grief: A Clinical Psychologist's Guide to Healing After Pet Loss, and I run a dedicated practice for pet bereavement at petlosspsychology.com.
Self-paced online courses
I've turned the frameworks I use in the therapy room into self-paced courses, so you can work through them privately, at your own pace. Both are built on the same evidence base as my one-to-one work.
- Understanding and Overcoming Binge Eating — an 8-module course built on CBT-E, the approach recommended first-line in UK national guidance.
- Beyond Safe Foods — a self-paced course for adults with ARFID, built on the SAVOUR Method.
See the online courses page for the full list, including CPD for professionals.