Professor of Counselling Psychology, researcher, supervisor, writer, and educator.
I am Professor of Counselling Psychology at the University of Manchester, Visiting Professor of Counselling at York St John University, and a HCPC-registered Counselling Psychologist. Alongside my academic work, I am involved in research, professional training, supervision, writing, and a range of professional activities.
Over the course of my career, I have worked across a range of settings and have developed particular interests in counselling psychology, psychotherapy, digital mental health, professional training, and the ways people make sense of their experiences. Much of my work sits at the intersection of practice, research, and education, and I remain actively engaged with each of these areas.
My approach is grounded in humanistic values and shaped by ongoing reflection, research, and dialogue. I see psychological work as something that is collaborative rather than prescriptive. People bring different experiences, strengths, challenges, and ways of understanding themselves, and I believe that support works best when it takes account of this complexity.
In recent years, I have become increasingly interested in the relationship between technology and wellbeing, including the opportunities and challenges presented by artificial intelligence. Alongside academic publications and professional activities, I write regularly through my Substack newsletter, Counselling and Psychotherapy Stuff, and am the creator of The Therapeutic Pause, a collection of guided reflections and restorative audio resources.
*Image of me clearly edited by AI
Current Roles
Books & Publications
I have authored and edited a range of books exploring counselling psychology, psychotherapy, research, and professional practice.
Professional Activities
Alongside my teaching, research, supervision, and writing, I have contributed to a range of professional activities intended to support the development of counselling psychology, psychotherapy, and related professions, both nationally and internationally.
This has included involvement in advisory groups, supervision training initiatives, professional standards work, journal and publication activity, external examining, policy and document review, and contributions to professional bodies. Some of this work takes place publicly, while much of it happens behind the scenes through collaboration, consultation, and professional service.
I consider it a privilege to have had opportunities to contribute to the profession in these ways. Many of these activities have been undertaken alongside my primary roles and reflect a commitment to supporting practitioners, trainees, professional communities, and the continued development of the field.
At the same time, I am mindful that professional expertise, experience, and time are valuable. As professional responsibilities have grown, time has increasingly become the limiting factor. I therefore try to contribute where I feel I can be most useful, while continuing to value opportunities that promote reflection, collaboration, learning, and the development of others.
Examples of Activity
- Professional advisory and reference groups
- Supervision training and standards initiatives
- Journal and publication activity
- National and international professional collaborations
- Policy and document review
- External examining and academic review
- Research, training, and practice consultation
Working together
If you would like to discuss a potential collaboration, supervision, consultancy or future therapeutic work, I would be pleased to hear from you.