About us

Dr Karen Shannon Associates (DKSA) is a Clinical Psychology service committed to providing individuals, professionals, and organisations with a range of high quality evidence-based services in: expert witness, forensic risk assessment, training, supervision, and psychotherapy.

DKSA is based in Liverpool and specialises in providing services for adults and older adults (18 years+) with complex needs and / or offending behaviour across the UK and Ireland. The Clinical Psychology associates are registered with the Health & Care Professions Council (HCPC) and are chartered members of the British Psychological Society (BPS) and adhere to their codes of ethics.

DKSA aims to provide services that are timely, efficient, reliable, personal, high quality, professional, evidence-based and compassionate.

Our highly qualified and experienced Clinical Psychologists work with individuals in primary care and specialist services in both public and private sectors, providing training and supervision to those who work with adults with complex presentations in the community and in institutional and prison settings.

Dr Karen Shannon and her Associates have extensive experience in the provision of psychological interventions for men and women who have complex psychological problems and/or risky or offending behaviours, with the aim of safeguarding children and members of the public and improving psychological well-being.

Dr Karen Shannon works as a Chartered Clinical Psychologist and is a member of the Health & Care Professions Council (HCPC) and is an associate fellow of the British Psychological Society (BPS). Dr Shannon holds a Doctorate in Clinical Psychology, a B.A. (Hons) degree in Psychology and Computer Studies, a postgraduate diploma in Forensic Behavioural Science and a postgraduate diploma in Cognitive Analytic Therapy (CAT).

Dr Shannon has been employed within the NHS in high, medium, low, and community forensic settings for over 18 years to provide specialist psychological assessment, risk assessment, supervision, and psychological intervention for complex individuals with personality disturbance, mental illness, and offending behaviour.

During this time Dr Shannon developed an award-winning, innovative service for women non-offending partners (NOPs) of offenders, community forensic psychological services and specialist NHS trust-wide, multi-disciplinary team (MDT) forensic consultation services. She has provided consultation and training to health services, social services, and criminal justice agencies in aiding the psychological understanding and risk management of complex individuals and offenders.

Dr Shannon currently provides specialist independent forensic and psychological assessment of offenders and non-offending partners of offenders, and also specialist psychological intervention for men and women who have complex psychological problems and / or risky or offending behaviours. Dr Shannon also provides a national Association of Cognitive Analytic Therapists (ACAT) accredited six-month forensic CAT skills courses within the UK and in-house CAT skills training and supervision for staff in a number of forensic institutions in the UK and Ireland.

Dr Shannon has been an honorary lecturer on doctorate Clinical Psychology courses for the universities of Liverpool, Manchester, and Lancaster. She has previously been a specialist supervisor, providing placements for Doctorate Clinical Psychology trainees from the universities of Liverpool, Manchester and Lancaster in the adult forensic specialty for over twelve years.

Dr Shannon is an invited speaker at national and international conferences on psychological approaches, risk management, and offending behaviour and published in peer reviewed clinical journals.  Dr Shannon has considerable experience as an expert witness in both preparing written reports and in presenting oral psychological evidence in civil and family court proceedings (Click to expert witness page). Dr Shannon remains aware of the duties required within the civil and criminal procedure and practice directions for family court proceedings.

Dr Shannon is widely respected within her field of expertise and continues her long-standing commitment to working with marginalised and ‘hard to help’ clients with offending behaviours, and their partners.

Dr Shannon is an accredited practitioner, supervisor, and trainer in Cognitive Analytic Therapy (CAT) read more. Dr Shannon is committed to using CAT to enhance staff skill set and confidence in the development of relational approaches in the care and management of hard-to-help individuals with ‘complex’ presentations and / or offending behaviour, facilitating collaboration and cooperation of multi agencies. See training

She has extensive knowledge and expertise as a Clinical Psychologist providing services in the UK and Ireland.