Before starting university, Tim taught English in China, and had the opportunity to visit Tibet, where he became interested in Buddhism. He graduated with an MA (Hons) in Psychology from Edinburgh University in 2002 and completed an MSc by Research in Psychology in 2005, also at Edinburgh. For his MSc dissertation, he integrated his interests in Buddhism and Psychology by exploring a model of coping based around acceptance. From 2003 onwards, he also worked as a nursing assistant in a psychiatric hospital in Edinburgh, mainly on a neurobehavioural rehabilitation ward.

Between 2008 and 2012, Tim undertook a PhD, funded by the Institute of Health and Wellbeing at the University of Westminster. His thesis was entitled, Journeys towards wellbeing: men, meditation, and mental health. The research explored the impact of meditation on men’s wellbeing, using a mixed-methods design comprising narrative interviews, cognitive testing, and EEG measurement. During the final year of the PhD, Tim also worked as an associate lecturer at the University of Chichester, and as a research assistant at the University of Warwick (exploring men’s experiences of infertility). Tim joined the University of East London in 2013.

• MSc Applied Positive Psychology (MAPP)

• PYM710: Advanced Positive Psychology (Module Leader)