Dr Joseph Harris is a Clinical Psychologist, Systemic Practitioner and Research Associate. He has expertise in complex trauma and relational approaches to therapy, and his current research activities primarily centre on the impact of continuous traumatic stress on child development. He is also an expert by experience.

Since 2023, Dr Harris has been involved in the Biomarkers of Neurodevelopmental Outcomes Study, embedded within the international EU-AIMS-2-TRIALS consortium, at King's College London. He utilises large-scale birth cohort data to understand the influences of complex trauma - including continuous traumatic stress (e.g. ongoing community violence) - and resilience on children's psychological and neurological development. Previously, and alongside this, he worked clinically with people experiencing homelessness and complex developmental trauma in an award-winning service at South London & Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust. During this time, he also supervised several qualitative research projects into areas of homelessness psychology, including homeless neuropsychology and the potential of couple's therapy for dual-trauma couples experiencing chronic homelessness.

Dr Harris was awarded his Doctorate in Clinical Psychology in 2023 by the world-renowned Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience at King's College London. His doctoral thesis was titled 'Complex Trauma: A Developmental Perspective'. He also holds a Bachelor of Science (Hons) in Psychology from the University of Southampton, which involved a placement at the University of Western Ontario in Canada focusing on developmental cognitive neuroscience and behavioural pharmacology. He was a 'Highly Commended Winner' of the Global Undergraduate Awards in 2016, held in Ireland, placing his undergraduate research in the top 10% of undergraduates internationally.

He has recently contributed to a textbook on clinical neuropsychology and is currently collaborating with a peer at Oxford University's Department of Zoology to develop interdisciplinary ecological perspectives on psychological difficulty.

Research Interests

• Complex Trauma
• Continuous Traumatic Stress
• Systemic Psychotherapy
• Clinical Neuropsychology
• De-Pathologisation

Expertise and Public Engagement

In 2023, Dr Harris set up the national Comprehend, Cope & Connect Research Network, alongside Dr Isabel Clarke and Dr Simon Riches, to support cross-country collaborative innovation with the trauma-informed 'Comprehend, Cope & Connect' intervention for psychological crises. The network consists of clinicians and researchers across the United Kingdom, with collaborators in Pakistan, aiming to develop and embed the approach nationally and explore international cross-cultural applications.

Teaching

Dr Harris has delivered teaching on alcohol-related brain damage and homelessness to medical students as part of the IoPPN/Maudsley 'Grand Rounds', and has delivered teaching on critical psychology and domestic violence in the perinatal period to students on the MSc in Developmental Psychology & Psychopathology at KCL. He has also previously delivered training workshops on trauma-informed care to various NHS services and third-sector organisations.

Key Publications

Comprehend, Cope and Connect: A trauma-informed holistic approach to address mental health crisis as a team. Harris, J., Clarke, I., Aniceto, P., Baxter, L., Cavieres, M., Courtney, H., Donaldson, C., Draper, M., Farr, A., Gaussen, K., Haworth, E., Hooper, R., Jones, H., Khatun, H., Lennon, L., McNaught, M., Nicholls, H., Pearson, K., Pitt, J., Wilkinson-Tough, M., Wong, D. & Riches, 15th July 2025, In: British Journal of Psychiatry Bulletin, 50, 1, 56-61.

Tracing the paths: A systematic review of mediators of complex trauma and complex post-traumatic stress disorder. Harris, J., Loth, E. & Sethna, V. 6th March 2024, In: Frontiers in Psychiatry, 15, 1331256.

Developing 'Comprehend, Cope and Connect' training for acute and crisis mental health services: Staff, patient and carer perspectives. Harris, J., Clarke, I. & Riches, S., September 2023, In: Journal of Psychiatric Intensive Care, 19, 1, 33-50.