Meet Michele Unwin

Michele is the Lead Psychologist at Make Sense Psychological Services and Head of Psychological Services at HMP Oakwood. With over 17 years of experience in forensic settings, she brings a wealth of expertise in assessment, treatment, supervision, and service development for individuals with complex needs. Michele specialises in working with those convicted of sexual and violent offences, with a particular focus on intimate partner violence and personality disorder.

  • Lead Psychologist at Make Sense Psychological Services & Head of Psychological Services at HMP Oakwood

  • HCPC Registered Forensic Psychologist; Chartered Member of the British Psychological Society (BPS)

  • Over 17 years working with individuals serving custodial sentences; extensive leadership in prison psychology departments

    • Assessment and treatment of sexual and violent offenders

    • Intimate partner violence assessments

    • Personality disorder services for sexual offending

  • Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT), Schema Therapy

    • Structured risk assessments: HCR-20v3, RSVP, SARA v3, ERG22+

    • Cognitive and neurodevelopmental assessments: WAIS-IV, WMS, ADI-R, ADOS, IPDE, PCL-R

    • Academic Supervisor, Cardiff University Postgraduate Diploma in Forensic Psychology

    • Clinical Supervisor for BPS Stage 2 Qualification in Forensic Psychology

Michele is the lead psychologist for Make Sense Psychological Services and as part of that role she is the Head of Psychological Services at HMP Oakwood.

Michele is a HCPC registered Forensic Psychologist and is a chartered member of the BPS. Michele has over 17 years of experience working with clients serving sentences in the prison system and has managed psychology departments in other prisons. Prior to leaving the Public Sector Prison Service she was the Senior Psychologist involved in the development of a Personality Disorder Service for those that have committed sexual offences.

 Michele has a range of experience in the assessment and treatment of sexual and violent offenders, with particular expertise and interest in the assessment of intimate partner violence. Michele also has a vast range of experience in the implementation, delivery, supervision and treatment management of accredited Offending Behaviour Programme.  

 Michele is trained in and has delivered a range of therapies including DBT and Schema Therapy.  She is proficient in the use of structured risk assessment tools, including HCR-20v3, RSVP, SARA v3, ERG22+, and structured psychological, cognitive and neurodevelopmental disorder assessments, including the WAIS-IV, WMS, ADI-R, ADOS, IPDE and PCL-R.

 Michele is an academic supervisor for Cardiff University’s Post Graduate Diploma in Forensic Psychology and offers clinical supervision for those engaging in the BPS stage 2 qualification in Forensic Psychology.