Dr Alison Macdonald is a Senior Lecturer on the Counselling Psychology doctorate at UEL, where she runs the third year of the programme. She previously worked full time in research until 1996 at the Institute of Psychiatry, where she ran the twin registers and co-ordinated projects on many aspects of twin research, completing her PhD on OCD here. After training in Counselling Psychology, she worked as a Senior Lecturer on the Counselling Psychology Programme at City University from 1998 to 2005. She has a long-standing interest in twins and twin research and has worked for many years with the Multiple Births Foundation. Currently, she is working on research projects with Professor Alison Macfarlane in the Department of Midwifery and Child Health at City University. She also works in the NHS, has long experience of psychological work in primary care and is now working in a specialist psychotherapy service. After training in Cognitive Analytic Therapy (CAT), she has provided CAT in various settings and taught on a number of CAT training courses, currently being a trainer on the North London CAT practitioner training.

• Third-year tutor for Professional Doctorate in Counselling Psychology

Cognitive Analytic Therapy: as a CAT-trained therapist, trainer and supervisor I provide teaching in CAT both at UEL and in the NHS.

I have worked for many years on research about twins, initially in the field of quantitative genetics, but more recently focusing on twinship and on the difficulties experienced by families who have twins, twin loss, etc.

• Professional Doctorate in Counselling Psychology

• Advanced Clinical Skills
• PYM 308: Theoretical models
• PYM 309: Professional Practice Issues

Peer-reviewed Journal Articles

1. Linney, Y.M., Murray, R.M., Peters, E.R., Macdonald, A.M., Rijsdijk, F., & Sham, P. (2003). A quantitative genetic analysis of schizotypal personality traits. Psychological Medicine, 33(5), 803–816. doi:10.1017/S0033291703007906
2. Macdonald, A.M. (2002). Bereavement in twin relationships: an exploration of themes from a study of twinship. Twin Research, 5(3), 218–226. doi:10.1375/136905202320227880
3. Cardno, A.G., Marshall, E.J., Coid, B., Macdonald, A.M., Ribchester, T.R, Davies, N.J., ... Murray, R.M. (1999). Heritability estimates for psychotic disorders: the Maudsley twin series. Archives of General Psychiatry, 56, 162–168. doi:10.1001/archpsyc.56.2.162
4. Macdonald, A.M., & de Silva, P. (1999). The assessment of obsessionality using the Padua inventory: its validity in a British non-clinical sample. Personality and Individual Differences, 27(6), 1027–1046. doi:10.1016/S0191-8869(99)00036-7
5. Prince, M.J., Macdonald, A.M., Sham, P.C., Richards, M., Quraishi, S., & Horn, I. (1999). The development and initial validation of a telephone administered cognitive test battery (TACT). International Journal of Methods in Psychiatric Research, 8(1), 49–57. doi:10.1002/mpr.56
6. Thornton, J., & Macdonald, A.M. (1999). Twin mothers, pregnancy hypertension and pre-eclampsia. British Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, 106, 570–575.
7. Barak, Y., Macdonald, A.M., & Levy, R. (1998). Surveying elderly in the community for Alzheimer’s disease. Aging and Mental Health, 2(2), 87–88. doi:10.1080/13607869856759
8. Graham, A.J., Macdonald, A.M., & Hawkes, C.H. (1997). British motor neuron disease twin study. Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery & Psychiatry, 62(6), 562–569. doi:10.1136/jnnp.62.6.562
9. Hawkes, C.H., Macdonald, A.M., & Schapira, A.H.V. (1997). Use of GP computerised records to create a population based twin sample: pilot study based on Parkinson’s disease. British Medical Journal, 315, 1510–1511.
10. Macdonald, A.M., & Hamer, S. (1997). Development of computerised storage facilities for twin data: a relational database system for a twin register. Behavior Genetics, 27(1), 1–13. doi:10.1023/A:1025655023496
11. van Os, J., Fananas, L., Cannon, M., Macdonald, A.M., & Murray, R.M. (1997). Dermatoglyphic abnormalities in psychosis: a twin study. Biological Psychiatry, 41(5), 624–626. doi:10.1016/S0006-3223(96)00498-2

Non-peer-reviewed Journal Articles

1. Macdonald, A.M. (2000). Psychotherapy and counselling with twins. Some reflections on research for discussion and practice. Oxford Psychotherapy Bulletin.

Book Chapters

1. Macdonald, A.M. (2003). Personality and individual differences in OCD. In R.G. Menzies & P. de Silva (Eds.), Obsessive-compulsive disorder. Theory, research and treatment. Chichester: Wiley & Sons.

Conference Papers

1. Macdonald, A.M. (2004). Rising twin birth rates: research on the causes and consequences. Invited discussant at the European Perinatal Epidemiology Meeting, Porto, Portugal.
2. Macdonald, A.M. (2004). The psychosocial consequences of multiple birth children for families — does assisted reproductive technology make a difference? Invited paper at the 11th Congress of the ISTS, Odense, Denmark.
3. Southgate, E., & Macdonald, A.M. (2002). Experiences of psychologists working with clients prescribed psychotropic medication. Paper presented at the BPS Division of Counselling Psychology Conference, Torquay, England.
4. Macdonald, A.M. (2001). Chair of symposium on twinship. Paper presented at the International Society for Twin Studies 10th International Congress, London, England.
5. Macdonald, A.M. (2001). One and one make(s) three: a grounded theory study of twinship and the needs of twins in psychological counselling. Paper presented at the 10th Congress of the ISTS, London, England.

• BPS Chartered Counselling Psychologist
• ACAT accredited practitioner in Cognitive Analytic Therapy
• Fellow of the Higher Education Academy