Dr Nomsa-Sandra Wayland

Lecturer / Clinical Tutor in Clinical Psychology (DClinPsy), University of East London
Senior Lecturer in Counselling Psychology and Psychotherapy (ProfDoc), Metanoia Institute
Chartered Counselling Psychologist | HCPC, BPS, BACP

Dr Nomsa-Sandra Wayland is a Chartered Counselling Psychologist, Lecturer/Clinical Tutor (DClinPsy) at the University of East London, and Senior Lecturer in ProfDoc Counselling Psychology and Psychotherapy at Metanoia Institute.

She has more than ten years of clinical experience in National Health Service (NHS) mental health services and private practice, alongside extensive experience in higher education, including teaching, clinical training, supervision, assessment and research supervision. She has taught across undergraduate, master's and doctoral programmes and has supervised research at all three levels.

Her research focuses on race-based traumatic stress, racial microaggressions, decolonisation, epistemic justice, culturally responsive practice, and the diversification of therapeutic knowledge and services. Her doctoral research explored therapists’ experiences of working with Black clients presenting with race-based traumatic stress.

Nomsa is particularly interested in bridging Western and non-Western psychological traditions, diversifying the curriculum, and developing inclusive, socially just and culturally attuned therapeutic practice.

Contact information

Research interests

Dr Wayland's research interests include:

  • Decolonisation and epistemic justice in psychology and psychotherapy
  • Race-based traumatic stress and social justice
  • Culturally responsive, anti-racist and anti-oppressive therapeutic practice
  • Black clients’ experiences of therapy and mental health services
  • Diversifying therapeutic knowledge, training, supervision and service provision
  • Integration of Western and non-Western psychological perspectives
  • Ubuntu, relationality, community and collective approaches to healing
  • Social justice, mental health and therapeutic education
  • The role of culture, identity, power and lived experience in psychological practice

Publications

  • Bager-Charleson, S., McBeath, A.G., Wayland, N., Abex, C. and Chacin, M. (2026). Improving the experience of doctoral research: A relational 4C approach to research supervision with student and staff mental health, well-being and social justice in mind. CPR Journal, Vol. 2, Issue 2, e70144. Read publication

 

  • Wayland, N. (2024). Understanding Therapists’ Experiences of Working with Black Clients Presenting with Race-Based Traumatic Stress: A Qualitative Study. Doctoral dissertation, University of East London. View dissertation
  • Evans, G. and Wayland, N. (2018). Growing Together evaluation. View publication

 

Forthcoming publications

  • Bager-Charleson, S., Chacin, M., Abex, C., McBeath, A.G. and Wayland, N. (In press). Holding the researcher: Relational supervision and researcher well-being in emotionally demanding psychotherapy research.


Conference presentations and speaking engagements

  • 2026 – Encounters with Difference: Rupture and Repair in Psychotherapy and Counselling
  • 2026 – Innovative Insights: Creative Approaches to Psychotherapy Research
  • 2024 – Transforming Race Conversations
  • 2023–2024 – Therapy in Colour


Academic and professional activities

  • Lecturer / Clinical Tutor on the Professional Doctorate in Clinical Psychology at the University of East London
  • Senior Lecturer on the Doctorate in Counselling Psychology and Psychotherapy at Metanoia Institute
  • Teaching across undergraduate, master's and doctoral programmes
  • Research supervision across undergraduate, master's and doctoral levels
  • Internal research examiner and viva chair
  • Internal viva examiner and moderator
  • Personal tutor and clinical placement support
  • Contributor to curriculum development, quality assurance and equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) initiatives
  • Member of the Mental Health and Social Change Research Group
  • Contributor to Creating a Village reflective space
  • Member of the North Thames NHS Supervisor Training Committee
     

Her forthcoming work continues to develop her commitment to decolonisation, epistemic justice, culturally responsive therapeutic practice and curriculum diversification. She is particularly interested in research and practice that centre the voices of racially minoritised clients, bridge Western and non-Western psychological traditions, challenge dominant assumptions within psychology, and support more inclusive, equitable and diverse training and service provision.