About me
I am a Senior Chartered Clinical Psychologist and Associate Fellow of the British Psychological Society with over 10 years of experience in the NHS, in a wide range of clinical settings and with different populations. I have specialised in working with both emotional and personality difficulties and their impact on relationships and overall wellbeing.
I am also a Doctoral Researcher at Nottingham Trent University and an accredited Schema Therapist by the International Society of Schema Therapy. My research concerns the psychological aspects of behavioural addiction, particularly the relationship between early maladaptive schemas and problematic pornography use.
Alongside Psychology, I am an avid reader, with great passion for classic books (Oscar Wilde, Fyodor Dostoevsky, Leo Tolstoy, Albert Camus, and George Orwell among the favourites), music, traveling, and physical exercise.
Clinical and Academic Background
I became qualified as a Psychologist in Portugal in 2010 by the University of Coimbra. After moving to the UK in 2012, I completed further specialist training, including a Master’s Degree in Forensic Psychiatry, accredited training in Schema Therapy and other treatment modalities, including Mentalization-Based Treatment, Cognitive Analytic Therapy, and Dialectical Behavioural Therapy.
I have worked in different clinical settings, including Community Mental Health Teams, Prisons, Forensic Secure Hospitals, Secondary Care Services, and Emergency Departments (A&E). My main interest lies in working with emotional and personality difficulties and in behavioural addictions.
In addition, I have delivered specialist training to different NHS teams and other external agencies, including the Metropolitan Police. I have delivered training on personality disorders, boundaries, violent and sexual offending, schema therapy, trauma, and team dynamics.
Alongside my clinical experience, I also worked as a Visiting Lecturer at the Royal Holloway University of London, lecturing in the Forensic Psychology Masters, contributing to the Young Adults module.
Publications:
Vieira, C., Kuss, D. K., & Griffiths, M. D. (2025). Early maladaptive schemas and online pornography use: A cross-sectional study. International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction.
Vieira, C., & Griffiths, M. D. (2024). Problematic Pornography Use and Mental Health: A Systematic Review. Sexual Health & Compulsivity, 1–41.
Vieira, C., Kuss, D. J., & Griffiths, M. D. (2023). Early maladaptive schemas and behavioural addictions: A systematic literature review. Clinical Psychology Review, 105, 102340.
Vieira, C., Rose, R., Craissati, J., & Campbell, C. (2020). The impact of a community psychological treatment programme on desistance in personality disordered sexual offenders. The Journal of Forensic Psychiatry & Psychology, 31(6), 837-853.
Conferences
British Irish Group for the Study of Personality Disorders (BIGSPD). 2023. Young Adults Transition Service.
Other
Interview – Early Maladaptive Schemas and Behavioural Addictions. Psychology Tools. 2024.
