I am a HPC-registered and chartered counselling psychologist. Since qualifying in 1999, I have had a keen interest in developing the profile, philosophy and identity of counselling psychology as a unique profession. To this end I have been involved in the division of counselling psychology sub-committee for research and practice, where I helped develop the guidelines for good practice, confidentiality and record keeping. Furthermore, as part of my clinical practice in the NHS, I have been actively involved in developing counselling psychology professional development groups and developing the profile of counselling psychology across the full range of NHS mental health specialisms.

My clinical career began with working with vulnerable children and young people. In the last twelve years, I have worked primarily in the NHS within adult mental health. More recently, my work has been within clinical health psychology, working more specifically with chronic disease management. This has involved working within and developing multi-disciplinary intervention programmes with primary care trusts. Incorporating training for nurses, dieticians and GPs on the psychological factors involved in chronic disease management. This has mainly focused on developing group and individual CBT programmes that are aimed at helping people with chronic health problems decrease incidences of relapse and symptom control. More recently, my clinical specialism is based in oncology, where I work with individuals, families and carers.

• Deputy Programme Leader, Professional Doctorate in Counselling Psychology
• Admissions Tutor
• Year-two Tutor
• Member, School of Psychology Quality Standing Committee

In relation to my interest in the continued development of the profession of counselling psychology, as well as delivering a sound programme of clinical skills, I have a keen interest in ensuring that our teaching programme reflects current issues within counselling psychology, including identity, employability, philosophy, ethics and ongoing critical debates about the relevance of research and therapeutic models to clinical practice. My main model of therapy is cognitive behaviour therapy and in recent integrative developments of the model. Since I have a background in psychodynamic thinking, I have a particular interest in the role of the therapeutic relationship in CBT and the impact of this on the process and outcome of therapy.

My research interests are mainly within critical psychology using qualitative methods, exploring the role of psychopathological language and discourse. As well as supervising a number of PsychD research projects, I am actively involved in research activities. This has involved research consultancy work with external partners such as Relate on a funded young people and homelessness mediation project. Furthermore, I have recently been awarded a substantial grant. This has been to develop group intervention programmes to improve the efficacy of young unemployed people and to develop skills based training for unemployment customer advisors.

• Professional Doctorate in Counselling Psychology
• Professional Doctorate in Educational Psychology

• PYM301: Clinical skills
• PYM302: Theoretical models
• PYM303: Clinical Skills
• PYM304: Research and Enquiry 1
• PYM305: Professional, Clinical and Ethical Issues
• PYM306: Research and Enquiry