About us
Cognition Clinical Psychology
Cognition Clinical Psychology was founded during the challenging times of the COVID-19 pandemic.
As online assessments became the norm and many people faced shorter, less thorough evaluations, we recognised that individuals and families were not receiving the comprehensive assessments they deserved. This inspired us to create an assessment service dedicated to restoring depth, accuracy, compassion and connection in psychological assessment.
We specialise in providing detailed assessments and diagnoses for children, teenagers, and adults, focusing on Autism, Learning Disabilities and ADHD which take place in person and in the comfort of your home.
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Dr James Winkworth
Co-Founder & Consultant Clinical Psychologist
Dr James Winkworth
Co-Founder, Partner & Consultant Clinical Psychologist
Dr James Winkworth is Co-Founder and Consultant Clinical Psychologist at Cognition Clinical Psychology. With a passion for neuro-affirming, trauma-informed care, James leads on the clinical direction and quality of our services, ensuring that every assessment and interaction reflects our core values.
James has extensive experience working with children, teenagers, and adults with neurodevelopmental differences, including Autism, Learning Disabilities and ADHD. He plays a key role in overseeing our diagnostic processes and ensures each formulation is rooted in both clinical integrity and real-world understanding. His approach is relational, person-centred, and focused on identifying strengths—not just difficulties.
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A passionate advocate for systemic change, James trained in the National Autism Trainer Programme (NATP) with NHS England and the Anna Freud Centre. Since completing this advanced training, he has been instrumental in rolling it out across Bedfordshire and surrounding regions—delivering training and consultation to families, schools, health services, and local authorities. Through this work, he champions a shift away from deficit-based narratives and toward a culture of neuro-acceptance: one that recognises, respects, and celebrates neurodiversity.
James is also at the forefront of evolving thinking around the application of DSM-5 criteria for Autism, advocating for interpretations that move beyond rigid deficits focused diagnostic criteria to embrace the complexity and diversity of neurodevelopmental profiles. This approach encourages clinicians to focus on individual strengths and challenges in context, rather than narrowly defining people by diagnostic thresholds, helping to reduce stigma and promote more personalised, respectful care where the emphasis is on understanding, validation and environmental change, rather than locating problems and difficulties within an individual.
Alongside his work at Cognition, James holds a part-time role as the Lead Clinical Psychologist within the NHS Neurodevelopmental Team (NDT) in CAMHS, where he works with neurodivergent children, teenagers, and their families to provide ongoing psychological support post diagnosis. His ongoing work within the NHS helps bridge the gap between public and private services, allowing him to bring a broad and balanced perspective to his clinical practice.
James is also an Honorary Associate Professor at the University of East Anglia (UEA), where he lectures on the Doctorate in Clinical Psychology programme. He also provides supervision and mentorship to Trainee Clinical Psychologists from other doctorate programmes. His academic involvement reflects his commitment to shaping the future of the profession and ensuring that new clinicians are equipped to practice in inclusive and socially responsible ways.
At Cognition, James brings together clinical expertise, academic leadership, and a deep personal commitment to making services more inclusive, accessible, and empowering. His work is driven by a belief that everyone deserves to be seen, heard, and supported as their authentic self.
Jessica Abbott
Co-Founder and Partner
As Co-Founder and Assessment Coordinator at Cognition Clinical Psychology, I play a central role in shaping the vision and direction of our practice.
Working closely with our Consultant Clinical Psychologist, I lead a service that is committed to providing high-quality assessments whilst ensuring that every individual and family we support receives a service that is clinically robust, person-centred, compassionate and grounded in dignity and respect.
My role is focused on both the strategic development of our service and the day-to-day operations that ensure we consistently deliver a person-centred service. I oversee our client journey from the first point of contact through to post-assessment advice and signposting, making sure that every individual and family feels heard, understood, and respected throughout the process.
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My professional background spans more than a decade in health and social care, including significant leadership experience as a Registered Manager with the Care Quality Commission. Where I have managed care homes, facilitated support groups, and worked closely with individuals and families living with Autism and Learning Disabilities. I also bring personal lived experience—as a family member of individuals with disabilities—which gives me a grounded, empathetic perspective on the real-world challenges families face.
An experience that deeply shapes my understanding of the challenges neurodivergent individuals and their families often face. This lived experience is central to my passion for creating services that are not only clinically effective but also compassionate and inclusive.
Everything I do at Cognition is underpinned by our core values: professional integrity, excellence, compassion and inclusion. I’m proud to play a part in building a service that not only supports individuals and families, but actively works to shift the conversation toward understanding, empowerment, and acceptance.
Jessica Abbott
Co-Founder and Assessment Coordinator
Our Approach
Our approach is rooted in our core values:
Professional Integrity
We uphold the highest standards of professional integrity in every aspect of our work at Cognition Clinical Psychology.
Our work is grounded in ethical practice, objective evaluation, and respect for the dignity and confidentiality of every individual we serve. We speak truthfully, honour our commitments, and take responsibility for our decisions, even when faced with difficult choices.
We commit to delivering accurate, evidence-based assessments, free from bias or external influence, and to communicating results with honesty, clarity, and compassion. By maintaining transparency, always delivering what we say we will do, and never promising something we cannot deliver, we ensure that trust remains at the heart of every interaction and clinical decision.
Excellence
We strive for excellence in every aspect of our service. From the way we approach each assessment to the clarity of our reporting, we are committed to delivering work of the highest professional and clinical standard. We continually engage in training, research, and reflective practice to stay at the forefront of neuro-affirming practice. By combining clinical expertise with rigorous attention to detail, we ensure our assessments are accurate, insightful, and meaningful, empowering people with the knowledge they need to make informed decisions.
Compassion
We approach every assessment with empathy, sensitivity, and genuine care. We understand that seeking an assessment can be an emotional experience and the assessment process itself can have a huge impact on a person’s relationship and identity with any subsequent diagnosis. We are committed to creating a safe, respectful space for everyone we assess. We will listen without judgment and tailor each assessment process to the individual’s needs and context. By practicing compassionately alongside clinical expertise, we ensure that every person feels seen, heard, and supported throughout their assessment.
Inclusion
We are dedicated to fostering an inclusive practice where diversity is not only respected but actively valued. Our assessments are designed to be culturally responsive, equitable, and accessible to individuals of all backgrounds, identities, and abilities. We continually reflect on and adapt our practices to reduce bias and promote fairness. By embracing inclusion as a core value, we strive to ensure that everyone we serve feels welcomed, understood, and empowered.
At Cognition Clinical Psychology, we are passionate about empowering individuals and their families through clear, comprehensive assessments, delivered with care and respect, because everyone deserves to be truly understood.
The assessment with M was perfect, it really was such a lovely, reassuring, effective and supportive assessment for all of us.
MI
Parent
Your very comprehensive report was included in the EHC Needs Assessment form, and I was wondering whether you would be happy for me to reference it in my report. Thank as always for your ongoing assistance.
Bedford Borough Educational Psychologist
Ready to Take the Next Step?
Book a free, no-obligation call with Dr James Winkworth
We’ll talk through your needs, answer your questions and help you decide if an assessment is right for you or your child.