Within the field of psychotherapy, I have long
been committed to finding out how psychotherapies can best help
people change, rather than seeking to advance one "school"
or approach over others. Although I believe cognitive and behavioural
therapies are effective, I also believe that psychodynamic and experiential
therapies have been insufficiently studied and may thus be underestimated
by current scientific knowledge.
I
aim to offer the highest scientific and professional standards in
clinical and applied psychology. My core skills and values
are those of the scientist-practitioner.
This brings a blend of scientific rigour and commitment to working
to benefit others. My career has been grounded in teamwork with
excellent colleagues and students, leading me to prize interdependence
with others as key to personal effectiveness. Some of the
best work they and I have done together is summarised in a page
of abstracts of "old
favourite" papers. My good fortune in the quality
of these colleagues is reflected in the fact that all seven British
clinical psychologists who have been part of the group over the
years have all become Professors: Michael
Barkham, Chris
Brewin, Jenny Firth-Cozens,
Gillian Hardy, Glenys
Parry, Shirley
Reynolds, and Mike
Startup.
It
is largely due to these collaborators that I was honoured to receive
in 2000 professional recognition through two awards: a Lifetime
Achievement Award from the UK Chapter of the Society
for Psychotherapy Research; and the M
B Shapiro Award for Eminence in the Profession of Clinical Psychology
from the Division
of Clinical Psychology of the British Psychological Society.
My
work is driven by a strong ethical commitment to using my skills
to help both individuals and organisations to improve the health
and well-being of the people they serve. Although I have worked
as a therapist and counsellor, my distinctive skills are as a researcher
and consultant. I enjoy enabling individuals and organisations to
make use of, or themselves undertake, research that will directly
inform and improve practice. I also find it rewarding to help psychological
services develop in response to policy directions
such as those of the Department
of Health in England.
Since
1999, I have enjoyed the flexibility and autonomy of working independently.
This enables me to focus directly on the requirements of colleagues
and client organisations engaging me, free of the constraints of
an institutional employer. I find it exciting to explore new
ways to share the fruits of over 30 years' scientific and professional
experience.
Much
of my work is done via the internet. When face-to-face and on-site
meetings are needed, I readily travel from my base in Sheffield,
England. Alternatively, my base is readily accessible, being
a short taxi-ride from Sheffield rail station. For your overnight
stay, two hotels are within walking distance: the Westbourne
House Hotel is my favourite, being small, attractive, well-run,
and very local; also nearby is the Rutland.
Whilst visiting, you should be sure to take in the nearby, excitingly-restored
and award-winning Sheffield
Botanical Gardens.
I normally contract to work for no less than a
full day (if travelling) or a half day (if working from my home
office).
My academic links are maintained through research and teaching roles
as Honorary Professor with both the Psychological
Therapies Research Centre (PTRC), School of Psychology, University
of Leeds, and the Clinical
Psychology Unit, Department of Psychology, University of Sheffield. Meanwhile,
I am also actively engaged with health care delivery through part-time
employment in the National Health Service, with the Derbyshire
Mental Health Services NHS Trust.
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