Profile

I live in the countryside in Wiltshire with my dog, Murphy a 10 year old Labradoodle. A happy, scruffy dog who loves muddy walks and food. When I’m not working I am either dog walking, gardening or scuba diving. Last year I dived with seals off Lundy Island which was great, they come and play with you underwater, one chewed my fins and then tried to steal my camera. Diving with sharks is my absolute favourite way to relax!

I work as a social scientist, I teach social work students lectures in psychology & the life course, attachment theory, child development, child observation, communication skills, group work skills, social work with children & families and different therapeutic techniques. When I am not teaching I meet students for tutorials and discuss their essays and research.

I work on my PhD on Climate Change most weeks, but it is part time, so I fit it in around my other work. At the moment I am interviewing children about their attitudes and feelings about climate change. I use a method called Narrative Free Association Interviewing, which means we talk about climate change and its impact on animals/nature that they like and how climate change will impact on these animals/nature; we can then talk about their own feelings about climate change through thinking about their relationship with these animals and the natural world.

I am also part of a group called Climate Psychology Alliance – we are keen to increase how psychology and psychotherapy can help in tackling climate change

You can watch a Tedx talk I did on this here https://youtu.be/5yXDHazepUw

I am also writing a chapter for a book on research into climate change, and also writing a book on relationship based social work with children & families. Again, I fit this in around my teaching.

I also work with a local charity that places children with foster carers, I work as a psychotherapist with the children and the foster carers to help them heal from their difficult starts in life. Mostly I try to help them to develop better family relationships with their foster carers and their new families.

I do lots of things!

No two days are the same, which I like, my work is varied and interesting. Most days start with me walking my dog (Murphy) and my neighbours dog (Tara) in the woods next to my house before work, there are woodpeckers and deer and squirrels.

My typical day includes a bit of everything in my work. I teach students most days, do some tutoring, talk through their essays with them, and I do some research and writing.

As I am a social scientist I’m mainly interested in relationships, between people, families, between people and the natural world, and society. Most of my work involves helping people to develop better relationships.