Dr Liza Morton, Counselling Psychologist

13/01/2026

Trauma informed healthcare is simply not enough.

While recent trends promoting trauma informed healthcare are welcome trauma is far from the only risk factor to patient and practitioner wellbeing.

Healthcare can increase vulnerability to a complex range of psychological and emotional risk factors.

To name a few, this can include disruptions to secure early attachment; multiple losses; any impact on self-esteem and body image; disempowering aspects of care; the ‘patient burden’ of juggling appointments, dealing with invasive medical procedures, waiting, coping with chronic symptoms and difficult news; issues accessing compassionate, specialist, age-appropriate, culturally informed, neuro-affirmative care in a context of wider social exclusion whist navigating the impact of living with a health condition on relationships, education, finances and life choices.

This is why we need Psychologically Informed Healthcare to truly meet the emotional and psychological wellbeing of patients and practitioners.

My latest book, ‘Beyond the Medical Gaze: Practicing Psychologically Informed Healthcare’, provides an evidence-based approach to understanding psychological and emotional health drawing from my lifelong experience of depending on pioneering cardiac care and research, clinical work and teaching as a Counselling Psychologist grounded in the core principles of R.E.S.P.E.C.T. –

☑️ Relational safety
☑️ Empowerment
☑️ Soothing Presence
☑️ Psychological Safety
☑️ Environments (healing)
☑️ Culturally Sensitive
☑️ Trauma Informed

For more information check-out:

📔 See : https://global.oup.com/academic/product/beyond-the-medical-gaze-9780197804964

📽️ Watch back my free author’s talk, hosted by : https://youtu.be/zwHTlPANs94

Please share and help to promote a Psychologically Informed approach to Healthcare for patients and practitioners.

08/01/2026

My first Amazon review for my new book ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

31/12/2025

Overall, 2025 has been a good one but seeing the book I’ve been writing in my head, since I was a little girl on a cardiology ward, in print was a definite highlight and a dream come true ❤️

I only hope it makes even a tiny difference to any other little kids who find themselves regularly needing care in hospital and those having to juggle life while managing a long term health condition.

Thank you for all the support. I’m blessed to have so many amazing connections.

Happy Hogmanay, lang may yer lum reek, and all the very best for 2026!

23/12/2025

Thank you Neil Gray, Cabinet Secretary for Health & Social Care at The Scottish Government. A nice personal note to end the year on 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

09/12/2025

Thank you to everyone who came along to my author talk about my new book 'Beyond the Medical Gaze: Practicing Psychologically Informed Healthcare' hosted by the Polyvagal Institute.

For anyone who missed it they have kindly uploaded it to their YouTube channel, open access, see below and feel free to share.

Polyvagal Institute

In this Author Talk, Liza Morton, PhD, discusses her newest publication: "Beyond the Medical Gaze: Practicing Psychologically Informed Healthcare."In "Beyond...

08/12/2025

When you dedicate your book to your dog and this is the thanks you get 🐶

Guess what finally arrived in the post today?

📕 📖 📘 📕 📖 📘 📕 📖 📘 📕 📖 📘

03/12/2025

Thanks so much to everyone who came to my online book launch/ authors talk. So grateful to Jerry & Mac from the for hosting, all the encouraging comments & wee lass for agreeing to be quiet in exchange for cheese. 🧀 ❤️



Order your copy here - https://global.oup.com/academic/product/beyond-the-medical-gaze-9780197804964

02/12/2025

Still a little bit of time to sign up for my FREE online book launch 🚀 tomorrow night at 5pm.

Thanks to everyone who has shared and helped spread the word with students, colleagues and friends. We had well over a 100 people signed up at last check, which was a week ago.

If you can’t make the time, sign up anyway and you will get a link to watch it back within 48 hours!

Relevant to anyone interested in the intersection between contemporary psychology and modern healthcare delivery.

Drawing from my research, practice, teaching and perhaps most importantly dependence on pioneering cardiology since I was a small pupper.

❤️❤️❤️

Redefining Healthcare Through Psychology Join Liza Morton, PhD with the Polyvagal Institute on for a free webinar on her latest publication, Behind the Medical Gaze: Practicing Psychologically Informed Healthcare. This work presents an innovative framework for healthcare professionals, policymakers,...

29/11/2025

Have you ever felt that healthcare could be made easier for patients, especially those living with long term conditions? For children, families & those delivering care?

Come and join us this Wednesday (5pm UK time) to hear more at my author’s talk about my new book ‘Beyond the Medical Gaze: Practicing Psychologically Informed Healthcare’ which draws from my lifelong experience of living with a congenital heart condition, advocacy, research, teaching & practice as a Counselling Psychologist.

If you can’t make it live, you can sign up for a link to watch it back within 48 hours📚

📗Hosted by Polyvagal Institute
📕Published by Oxford Academic (Oxford University Press)
📘Foreword by Stephen Porges

Sign up link & more info👇🏻

Please share & spread the word. There is so much we could be doing to improve healthcare experiences for all ❤️

Join PVI for a free Author Talk with Liza Morton, PhD, about her newly published book, "Beyond the Medical Gaze-Practicing Psychologically Informed Health Care" on December 3 from 12pm-1pm EST.
The book provides an innovative and comprehensive framework for anyone working in healthcare practice, policy or education, grounded in the latest evidence base and the author's unique lifelong experiences, health advocacy, research and psychology practice. It also embeds contemporary understanding in psychological and emotional health into healthcare practice.

Come hear more from Dr. Morton in this free community event at PVI.
Your registration includes access to the event recording that is emailed out within 48 hours of the live event.
Register now at:
polyvagal.org/events

25/11/2025

Join PVI for a free Author Talk with Liza Morton, PhD, about her newly published book, "Beyond the Medical Gaze-Practicing Psychologically Informed Health Care" on December 3 from 12pm-1pm EST.
The book provides an innovative and comprehensive framework for anyone working in healthcare practice, policy or education, grounded in the latest evidence base and the author's unique lifelong experiences, health advocacy, research and psychology practice. It also embeds contemporary understanding in psychological and emotional health into healthcare practice.

Come hear more from Dr. Morton in this free community event at PVI.
Your registration includes access to the event recording that is emailed out within 48 hours of the live event.
Register now at:
polyvagal.org/events

12/11/2025

Really enjoyed presenting my book at Psychology Professions week to Sussex Community NHS Foundation Trust. Thank you Dr Marianne Seabrook , Senior Psychologist, SHCP Trauma Informed Care Clinical Lead for SCFT for the invite ❤️

(Although Wee Lass the Scottie was staring at me the whole time.)

Interested in reading or hearing more? Check out the article below & sign up for a free author talk hosted by

https://www.bps.org.uk/psychologist/beyond-medical-gaze-practicing-psychologically-informed-healthcare

https://events.zoom.us/ev/AidUjJ9wgieCipwnvJHuvBpiUUL6t4tFO4gesikqnJg2SJu3gZun~AjWBkeK5hVTpxEc3vl1Zb0ZjMMyOaDFUgXA841iejJ5dlOQDYOToRs9V0g

11/11/2025

Thanks Jon Sutton for publishing this piece at The Psychologist online about my new book 📕

If you’d like to know a little more about my book check it out this short article & please share.

We need to be talking about how we can make healthcare more psychologically informed for patients & healthcare providers.

Beyond the medical gaze: Practicing Psychologically Informed Healthcare
Dr Liza Morton calls for a little ‘R.E.S.P.E.C.T’…

Includes details of free author talk hosted by the Polyvagal Institute



https://www.bps.org.uk/psychologist/beyond-medical-gaze-practicing-psychologically-informed-healthcare