A wealth of experience

I am a principal lecturer in psychology, co-director of the Centre for Arts and Wellbeing at the University of Brighton and principal investigator for the AHRC Everyday Creativity Research Network. I have contributed widely to the literature on critical social science, creative research methods and spoken word scholarship.

My work focuses on participatory and arts-based research innovations, applications of the arts in enhancing health and wellbeing, and exploring spoken word communities and practices.

With over 20 years’ experience as a spoken word artist, I have a unique perspective in my field. My work extends beyond research, with active contributions to academic citizenship, community-university partnerships, public engagement, and consultancy. 

It’s a pleasure to be able to serve as a BPS committee member. I’m a graduate member of the BPS, and member of the Division of Coaching Psychology. I work independently as a coaching psychologist practitioner. My background includes over 35 years’ international experience focused on leadership development and supporting individuals, teams and organisations to thrive and be at their best. 

Prior to working independently, I worked within international organisations based in Washington DC, USA, South Africa and Kenya, responsible for career development, talent management, mentoring and leadership development. Before this, I worked as a manager in an international consulting organisation based in Jamaica, supporting donor-funded projects in the Caribbean focused on organisation design and public sector reform.

I'm Lauren and I am an educational neuroscientist, specialist teacher and assessor. I provide private educational services to neurodivergent students and families across the South East and internationally online. I have worked in both state and private schools for 15 years but now mostly work with students 1:1 in alternative settings or the home. Currently, I work with children and young people of all ages with mild to moderate learning needs by providing assessment, tutoring and consultancy.

I graduated as a teacher in 2010 and in 2019, I completed my Masters of Science at Birbeck University in educational neuroscience. Since then, I have continued my Masters studies into specialist teaching & assessment and am a registered psychometric test user with the BPS. In 2024, I completed a level 3 training course is SEND law to better support families through EHCP applications and other local authority matters. 

My name is Sophiia and I am a researcher and mental health professional who’s passionate about making complex health information easy to understand and useful. With a background in psychology and health science, I focus on turning research into practical, engaging resources for different audiences. I am currently a PhD candidate specialising in eating disorders, with a strong skill set in research methods, data analysis, and insight generation. 

I run deFaia Mentoring Services, where I support neurodivergent individuals with academic and wellbeing challenges, creating accessible resources tailored to their needs. On top of that, I co-head research & policy, and senior research at Youth Advantage UK, supporting research teams which focus on projects delving into issues like mental health stigma and the challenges young people face.