Lecturer
I first joined the University of Sunderland as an Academic Tutor in 2015 and I'm currently working as a Lecturer in the School of Social Sciences.
Following the completion of my BSc (Hons) in Psychology at Manchester Metropolitan University, I gained a PGCE from the University of Leicester and taught Psychology, Health and Social Care and Media Studies at a sixth form college for 20 years.
I have also worked as an A level examiner and have a certificate in counselling skills from Durham University. I undertook my MSc in Psychology Research Methods with the Open University before completing my PhD here at Sunderland.
My research focuses on the salutogenic potential of places that individuals perceive as having a positive impact on their wellbeing. I have presented my research at BrEPS (British Environmental Psychology Society) conferences in 2016, 2017 and 2018 and the 2018 AMPS (Architecture, Media, Politics and Society) conference which was co-convened by the World Health Organisation. I am a chartered member of the British Psychological Society.
I have worked in both Psychology and Social Science schools, delivering on modules in environmental, media and health psychology, qualitative research methods, social problems, life course approaches to health and aging, practical applications in Sociology, counselling skills as well as supervising dissertation students.
I am also Programme Leader for FdSc Health and Social Care and I'm on the steering committee of Sociology NORTH.
Teaching and supervision
I currently teach on:
- SOC233 Researching Society with Placement
- SOC232 Researching Society: Private, Public and Third Sector Organisations.
- HSC205 Counselling Skills: Theory into Practice
- HSC203 The individual and Society Across the Lifecourse
I am module lead on:
SOC232 Researching Society: Private, Public and Third Sector Organisations
SOC233 Researching Society with Placement
HSC205 Counselling Skills: Theory into Practice
Research
In my MSc, I explored the relationships people have with the beach in their north-east coastal community, including their use of place, perceptions of other users and the wellbeing outcomes from time spent near blue spaces.
My PhD research used mixed methods to investigate the way in which places provide people with a range of hedonic and eudaimonic wellbeing outcomes. I explored the types and characteristic of place that individuals associate with wellbeing outcomes and consider the role of person-place relationships, specifically place attachment.
I am also interested in the barriers and facilitators that mediate people's access to place.
- Person-place relationships
- Place, health and wellbeing
- Barriers to accessing place
- Qualitative research methods