Clinical psychologist Dr Jessamy Hibberd (MSc Health Psychology, 2005) is passionate about making psychology accessible to everyone. Her expertise has been shared across mainstream media outlets and podcasts, and in her latest book, The Overthinking Cure: How to free your mind and focus on what really matters, Jessamy wants to help readers improve their wellbeing by ridding themselves of overthinking.
“Overthinking is the problem that disguises itself as the solution. I want people to see that there is nothing good about it – in fact, it should come with a health warning,” clinical psychologist Dr Jessamy Hibberd (MSc Health Psychology, 2005) says.
Jessamy’s new book, The Overthinking Cure: How to free your mind and focus on what really matters (Octopus Publishing Group, 2026), is published in February this year, following Jessamy’s bestselling book, The Imposter Cure, published in 2024.
According to Jessamy, overthinking causes unnecessary problems, and research clearly shows that those who don’t overthink are happier.
“One of the key things that is important to understand is that when we’re stuck overthinking, we actually think differently, and this changes our reality!”
To illustrate the problem, she gives the example of a theatre lighting technician who controls the spotlight and decides what the audience sees.
“You can use a broad beam and light the whole stage and all the actors, or narrow the beam to just one person. Now imagine your mind is the stage, and the spotlight is your attention.
“We only see the problem. We notice the things that fit with our view, and any counter ideas fall out of awareness. It shifts our focus of attention to all that’s wrong in our lives, and when we fixate on one part of our life, it starts to look like the whole truth.”
Although Jessamy always had a “verging on nosey” interest in people’s lives, her family nudged her towards medicine.
“Thankfully, I didn’t get the grades, so I took a gap year and applied for psychology. It wasn’t until I discovered psychology that I was actually interested in a subject – it’s one of the best decisions I’ve made!” Jessamy says.
Jessamy completed her undergraduate degree in psychology at Newcastle University, fell into a job that didn’t compel her and jumped at the chance to complete a part-time MSc in Health Psychology at City St George’s while continuing to work.
“I loved City and was so happy to be back learning again. It was during my MSc that I did a module in Clinical Psychology, and then I knew what I wanted to do. Two years later, I got a place on the doctorate course.”
Jessamy gained her doctorate in Clinical Psychology at Royal Holloway, University of London, and completed her accreditation in CBT at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London.
“I am passionate about making psychology accessible to everyone,” Jessamy says.
“I realised that the ideas I was learning about were really useful, not just if you were experiencing mental illness, but to feel your best more of the time. They were simple to do and easy to put into practice, but it was only because I was training as a psychologist that I knew about them. That’s how my first books came about – to share the ideas more widely. Since then, I have tended to follow what I’m interested in or learning about at the time, which is why my books span a range of topics.”
In addition to writing, sharing her expertise across mainstream media outlets and podcasts, and speaking at a TEDx event, Jessamy also runs her own clinic.
“I feel so fortunate to have a job that I love – I get to work with some amazing people and it’s incredibly rewarding seeing them work through a difficult period in their life and come out the other side. Many people imagine that being a psychologist is depressing, but it’s the opposite, it fills you with hope and shows you how remarkable people are.”
Jessamy values the relationships she forges through her work, but is also aware of the challenges.
“I’ve never followed the advice to be a blank slate, so I’m invested in the relationships. I’ve had two people I’ve worked with die, one from old age and one from cancer, and it’s been a huge loss,” she explains.
“Fortunately, I have regular supervision, and I count it as a privilege to have known them both.”
Asked about her favourite achievements, Jessamy reflects on being accepted onto the doctoral programme on her second try, grateful she didn’t give up after the initial rejection, and becoming an author, which wasn’t an expected career move. She also appreciates a less obvious aspect of her work – the work-life balance it offers.
“It’s probably not what you were thinking of but being intentional about how I choose to spend my time and balancing family life alongside work also feels like a real success – and learning to ride a road bike just before I turned 40 – you’re never too old to try new things!”
What advice would Jessamy offer current psychology students and recent graduates?
“I think working in psychology is one of the best jobs you could do, but you don’t have to follow a conventional pathway to get there and don’t be put off if people don’t think you’ll be able to do it. When I was studying for my undergraduate in my final year, I spoke to my tutor about clinical psychology, and he told me I’d left it too late. It did delay me starting as I listened to his advice, but luckily in the long run it didn’t deter me.”
And what advice does she have for any chronic overthinkers in our alumni community?
“In the book, I outline 5 steps to cure overthinking,” Jessamy says and generously shares more tips and strategies than we, unfortunately, can include here.
The five steps are:
1. Notice the thought. Freedom comes from increasing your awareness, so you begin to recognise your repetitive thoughts and see them for what they are – overthinking.
2. Choose your response: Make an intentional choice not to overthink and instead choose a new, healthier response to boost your mood using mindfulness, the mind-body link or doing something you enjoy.
3. Challenge your thinking: Remind yourself that thoughts aren’t facts, there’s always more than one perspective, especially when it comes to overthinking.
4. Accept the reality of how life is: Once you release your expectations, you’re free to enjoy things as they are, rather than as you think they should be.
5. Face your fears: Action is the antidote to overthinking. It’s only when you face your fears that you can overcome them.
“Trying to be happy is what makes us unhappy: One of the biggest problems for overthinkers is the idea they should always feel good or happy, but the research shows that if we are judging how happy we are and are concerned we’re not happy enough, it’s associated with lower overall life satisfaction and psychological wellbeing, as well as greater depressive symptoms,” Jessamy explains.
“Instead, it’s important to develop emotional flexibility. Good mental health means being able to cope with the difficulties you encounter in life.”
Between work and family, Jessamy is content with her own life but naturally hopes the new book will do well.
“I have seen firsthand how freeing yourself from overthinking can have dramatic results. Which is why I want to share these ideas with more people – it’s like letting go of a heavy weight: you will feel lighter and more confident.”
A big thank you to Dr Jessamy Hibberd for sharing her story and advice. If you would like to hear more, you can sign up to Jessamy’s newsletter. Jessamy also shares her thoughts on Instagram and YouTube.