Career, Training and Approachaining and Approach

Stuart began studying for psychology A-level in 1972. This course included the opportunity to volunteer at a local psychiatric hospital, and from there, he went on to work in a paid role in the occupational therapy department for one year. Alongside formal studies, he explored humanistic psychology and the personal growth movement and started a meditation practice, which he has kept going, on and off, since then. He maintained these interests whilst studying for a psychology degree, and he volunteered and then worked as a Social Therapist at another hospital. After this, Stuart worked as a Psychology Technician in a Special Hospital for one year before entering formal professional training as a clinical psychologist in 1979.

Following qualification, Stuart took a post in a mixed rural and industrial health district. There was only one other psychologist who was just a few years ahead of him. Together they covered all the different psychology specialties: adult, child, older people, health, addiction and learning difficulties. As well as seeing individuals and families for therapy, Stuart developed community projects, engaging with local people and service users. These included establishing day centres, a mental health housing project, a volunteer counselling service and stress management classes. He was also part of the early move to offer easier access to clients by basing himself in GP surgeries,

After ten years, Stuart had become a team manager and the psychology service had grown to eight psychology staff and he moved to a large inner city NHS location, where he has remained ever since. Initially, Stuart was responsible for the outpatient treatment service based at a local hospital and in primary care. He became a clinical lead for a borough IAPT service, training and supervising therapists in CBT for anxiety and mood disorders. Latterly, he was the Head of a specialist multidisciplinary Complex Depression, Anxiety and Trauma Team, and Head of Psychology for the borough. He has worked clinically in most areas of adult mental health.

A significant element of his career has been suicide prevention and risk management. He developed nationally used assessment protocols and British Psychological Society guidance. Alongside clinical practice he has contributed to mental health research, particularly in the development and evaluation of digital psychological interventions.

Stuart has been on the Senior Manager on Call rota and held budgetary responsibility for specialist teams and overseen and approved funding applications for out-of-area referrals for specialist psychological therapies.

Stuart’s interests in psychology have always been very broad, and he has taken up many opportunities for further training and personal development – ranging from formal courses in specific therapies, workshops and specialist supervision to intensive experiential training in different traditions. His approach reflects this; it is fundamentally person-centred, and the starting place is to bring his experience to bear on helping a person understand and formulate their difficulties. But it’s important not to go around in circles, and that is where he brings in his training in evidence-based approaches - particularly in applying CBT in a flexible and supportive way that makes sense to the individual.