PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES

I have been in private practice since 1995. I was one of the first psychologists on the register. Most of the people I see are not self-funding. Quite a few organisations, especially big ones, have insurance to cover their employees if they desire assistance for one reason or another. Victims of road traffic accidents often benefit from seeing a care professional, which will be paid for by the insurance company liable. I have some background (more research than clinical practice) in neuropsychology, which can be particularly useful here. Seekers of asylum in the UK are one category of those who can use a psychological assessment report in support of an important life-task. I am willing of course to take direct (i.e. self-funding) clients. My normal fee for an assessment is £60, and for a treatment session £40. At present I see clients at my home address, though I am willing to do the travelling myself where preferred, subject to reimbursement of mileage. Besides this, I also teach and examine psychology, both face-to-face and through distance providers.

My teaching experience within Psychology has been diverse.  Having taught at a University in Northern Ireland for eleven years, it has more recently been in further education - on a supply basis, but I have also been an assistant examiner for several boards and for numerous years. In between (1990-94), I worked at the North Essex Institute for Health Studies (now part of Anglia Polytechnic University). My teaching there covered the whole gamut of Psychology (at an introductory level), for staff, nurses and nursing students of all ages and seniorities.  My more specialised teaching was mainly in the area of mental health. This was not classroom-based only, since I acted as a link tutor between the Institute and placement areas for student mental nurses.  I also acted as a personal tutor and a group tutor.  I had some administrative responsibilities for student mental nurses on placement. I participated actively in a curriculum review for the Nursing Registration Diploma, and began development of several modules within the English National Board Framework for Higher Awards for registered nurses.

At the University of Ulster (1979-90), I specialised in my teaching in Social and Environmental Psychology, though with some input to Cognitive, Neuro-, Human-experimental, Abnormal and Introductory Psychology.  From my site in Coleraine I helped to start Psychology at a new one: the City of Derry campus of the University. .  I gained valuable experience of organisational change when the New University of Ulster expanded fourfold on assimilating the Ulster Polytechnic in 1984, and during my work at the Institute for Health Studies too. In particular, this involved an unusually large amount of administrative work such as planning new courses. I supervised and examined doctoral research students.