2017 Candidates for:
President
David Gillanders
Bio: I am a founding member of ACBS, since 2006. I was on the very first UK & Ireland Chapter Board, and served on the BABCP ACT SIG Committee from its founding in 2006 to 2013, as an Ordinary Member and as Scientific Meetings Convener. I became a Peer Reviewed ACT Trainer in 2011, only the third person in the UK to undertake the Peer Review. The ACBS Board appointed me as Chair of the Training Committee from 2011 to 2015. I was Conference Organising Committee Chair for the successful Edinburgh Conference in November 2017
Platform Statement: My priority on the board would be to establish the chapter’s capacity to raise and hold funds. That money would be used to provide good value training events, particularly in other locations in addition to those in London. Secondly, the board could helpfully develop a strategy for the growth of supervision resources in the UK. This could involve making materials available, but more importantly, helping those that have been practicing ACT for a while to take the next steps and to offer supervision. Training and mentorship could be part of that strategy. Finally, the link between practitioners and basic scientists is a value for me and I would ensure that we maintain and enhance training and CPD opportunities for both practitioners and researchers, as well as providing opportunities for them to come together, such as at Chapter Conferences.
President Elect
Martin Brock
Bio: Martin has 39 years clinical experience mostly within the National Health Service as a Principal Cognitive Behavioural Psychotherapist.
Martin trained in Mindfulness Based CBT, Compassion Focussed Therapy and Acceptance & Commitment Therapy (ACT). Martin obtained his MSc in CBT in 2006 and an MA in Education in 2016.
Martin is based in the Department of Counselling & Psychotherapy in 2016 at the University of Derby delivering the BSc in Counselling and Psychotherapy, Post-Graduate Compassion Focused Therapy and MSc in Cognitive Behavioural Psychotherapy.
Martin has been a recognised peer reviewed ACT Trainer and Supervisor for many years and delivers workshops internationally and within the UK.
Research interests are Compassionate Practice and Psychological Flexibility in Healthcare Settings and Education and developing integrated care pathways for End of Life and Bereavement.
Martin co-founded a very early ACT Interest Group in 2006 and has served as ACBS Membership Committee Chair and BABCP Sig Member.
Platform Statement: Authenticity, Compassion, and Connection is what attracted me to the ACBS and I believe is fundamental to the work of any chapter. Research and Science is important but most of all I believe in connecting and welcoming as broad and diverse a community as possible to advance our work together. If we are to make a difference organisationally and at a community level we need to widen the appeal of ACBS within the UK & Ireland and reach out to all parts of our community in a meaningful way so that all can feel included and be empowered to make a difference. Conferences have value but not all have access, I would work hard to support the Chapter growing and connecting at a deeper level across our rich community and thereby advancing science, clinical practice and understanding of the human experience in line with the mission statement of the ACBS.
Lene Forrester
Bio: I am a Consultant Clinical Psychologist and ACT Therapist working in the North-East of Scotland, with a special interest in intimate partner violence and psychological trauma. I teach ACT to university students and others, offer supervision in ACT and complementary models, and as a Women’s Aid Director I am currently working on the development of a CBS/ACT approach to empower women to leave abusive relationships. I have for the last few years demonstrated my commitment to developing the ACT/CBS community, through serving on the BABCP ACT SIG Committee, and being part of the Organising Committee for the recent 3rd UK&I Conference. I established the now sizeable North British ACT Network group for communicating about relevant developments, and three years ago set up a non-profit training company, offering reasonable events for people in the North of Britain by bringing over international superstars and inviting national leading lights of the ACBS community.
Platform Statement: Having been instrumentaI in calling this election of a new Board, I am committed to invest as much as it takes to make the UK & Ireland Chapter a fully functioning and vibrant part of ACBS. I wish for it to particularly commit to diversity and inclusion, and for the ACBS Community to benefit from the perspectives and skills of a wide range of people with different identities, histories and cultural backgrounds. I wish for the UK&I Chapter to champion the rising stars of people of any genders from every backgrounds, to reach out to embed ACT into all areas of healthcare and teaching, and bring excellent development opportunities to all corners of the UK and Ireland, through the delivery of future national conferences, the hosting of a workable register for ACT supervisors and the development of a strategy for the further inclusion of ACT in evidence-based and clinical guidelines.
Secretary-Treasurer
Richard Bennett
Bio: I work as a clinical psychologist at The University of Birmingham, where I lead the Postgraduate Diploma in CBT and contribute to the professional training of clinical psychologists, social workers, and physiotherapists. My clinical work is conducted through my company, Think Psychology, which offers individual and group therapy, supervision, training, and expert witness services. I have been practicing ACT clinically for a number of years and have extensive experience of delivering ACT training. I am recognised by the BABCP as an accredited therapist, supervisor and trainer, and by ACBS as a Peer Reviewed ACT Trainer.
Platform Statement: I am standing for election for the Board due to a passion for promoting ACT at a national level, and ultimately, influencing national guidelines. In the service of this, I have already served on the BABCP ACT SIG Committee, and thus have been part of a variety of the promotional activities of the SIG, including the running of training events, the production of video demonstration materials, and the organisation of the 3rd ACTCBS Conference in Edinburgh, for which I was part of the organising committee. I believe my enthusiasm, ability, and previous committee experience, and my experience as a company director would be of value to the Board in the role of Secretary/Treasurer.
Elizabeth Burnside
Bio: I'm a consultant clinical psychologist, working in a busy CAMHS team, and Academic Director of the North Wales Clinical Psychology Programme, where I deliver and oversee ACT and RFT training for both trainees and supervisors. Since 2008 I’ve also delivered external ACT workshops to a wide range of individuals and services, and am proud to have seen so many ‘trainees’ go on to embrace the model in their professional and personal lives. In my clinical role, I offer ACT consultation, therapy and supervision, as well specialist placements for trainee clinical psychologists. My belief in the approach and its potential usefulness to all of us, has made it an honour to serve as a BABCP ACT SIG committee member for the last 5 years. As such, I’ve contributed to the development of online resources, training events and have been a contributor and committee member for two successful UK and Ireland conferences.
Platform Statement: As a passionate CBS clinician and academic, ACT has been a major influence in how I’ve gone about my personal and work life for the last 15 years. In my academic role, I’ve made headway in North Wales by initiating a programme of ACT training for NHS Clinical Psychologists and colleagues, bringing people together across specialisms. This is set to continue and already a strong cohort of enthusiastic ACT practitioners is developing as a result. I would be well placed and proud to represent Wales on the board. I have an eye for detail, and am good at bringing people and ideas together. I see this role as key to making sure that the Chapter wheels are well oiled and that the pioneering plans of the board come to fruition. It would also be my personal drive to place connection and inclusivity at the heart of our values and activity.
Member at Large
Helen Bolderston
Bio:I began ACT training and supervision with Kelly Wilson in 2005. I have also trained in other CBS approaches during my 27 years as a clinical psychologist: MBSR, MBCT, DBT, CFT. I have presented at every ACBS World Conference but one, since 2006. I have presented at all 3 UK/ Ireland ACT/CBS Conferences, including giving the opening keynote address at the 2016 Edinburgh UK/ Ireland Conference. I have also led ACT training pre-conference workshops at ACBS Conferences. I served as a co-opted member of the original UK and Ireland ACBS Chapter board, and also served as a member of the Programme Committee at the Edinburgh 2016 ACT/CBS Conference. I have extensive experience of ACT with adults with mental health problems, particularly personality disorders. I currently train and supervise health and psychotherapy professionals in ACT and mindfulness, and also lead a programme of ACT/ mindfulness related research at Bournemouth University.
Platform Statement: In my Edinburgh conference keynote, I said I value the development of CBS approaches to contribute to the alleviation of suffering, and, for our community to do this work in the most respectful, inclusive manner possible. These are the values I would bring to the UK/ Ireland ACBS Chapter Board. As a Clinical Psychologist/ academic I have been involved in ACT therapy, training, supervision and research for a decade. I have also trained in other CBS approaches, so represent a broad set of practitioners and researchers. I have contributed to all ACBS UK/ Ireland Conferences and many World Conferences. I was an Edinburgh conference programme committee member, and was a co-opted member of the founding UK/ Ireland ACBS Chapter Board. I also have substantial experience as a committee member in two psychotherapy charities. I am organised, collaborative, and extremely enthusiastic about the development of CBS throughout the UK and Ireland.
Beverly Coghlan
Bio: I have always worked in healthcare, training initially as a general nurse, followed by a bachelor’s degree in Physiology and a master’s degree in Biopharmacy. I worked for twenty years in clinical research, in the pharmaceutical industry and academia. Ten years ago I read for a master’s degree in Health Psychology. I am accredited by the BABCP and have completed many ACT/RFT trainings. I have worked in the NHS, prisons and latterly was Head of a University Counselling Service. Currently I am employed by the national homicide team as well as developing an ACT-based service for children, adolescents and young adults. I hold an honorary lectureship in the psychology department at University of Chichester and regularly teach an experiential ACT group for final year and master’s students.My research interests have focused mainly on placebo healing at the University of Southampton.
Platform Statement: I would bring to the table a wealth of experience in healthcare from clinical work, the pharmaceutical industry and academia. I have experience of board positions in the third sector and pharma and as I am self-employed, now have the time to devote to reading board papers and attending meetings. I am able to read and assimilate large amounts of information and present my views clearly and concisely. I would bring the perspective of an independent practitioner and would promote and uphold the values of the ACBS.
Olivia Donnelly
Bio: I have a longstanding interest in clinical health psychology and the way that acceptance, compassion, and mindfulness-based approaches can nourish individuals with acute and chronic health issues, and the systems that support them. I am the Head of Outlook, a UK specialist NHS service for people experiencing distress in relation to an unusual or changed appearance. I also work across the surgical teams in our acute medical hospital including co-facilitating a comprehensive cancer survivorship programme. As well as direct clinical work, I provide supervision and training to a range of healthcare professionals, run ACT for resilience training for staff across our Trust, and am conducting in a number of ACT studies with colleagues at the University for the West of England. I also have a small private practice alongside a group of clinicians in the Bristol area (The ACT Centre for Wellbeing).
Platform Statement: The nomination came in part from conversations I had with a friend and colleague about how to promote and empower women to feel confident to 'lean in' and step forward to opportunities within psychology, particularly within areas of training and leadership. This dynamic is something that has been relevant to me as a female psychologist working within the generally male dominated field of surgery. In light of this I am very interested in, and committed to, promoting ways to to make ACT and contextual approaches even more accessible to individuals from a wide range of backgrounds. The ACBS community has been hugely influential to the course of my professional and personal development and it would be a real honour to join the board of an established organisation that holds values such as generosity and inclusivity so close to its heart.
Ross White
Bio: I am a Reader in Clinical Psychology at the University of Liverpool. I am an ACBS peer-reviewed trainer, and have been a member of the ACBS since 2009. I have experience of conducting randomised controlled trials of ACT for emotional recovery following psychosis. I also have research interests in the role that social, cultural and linguistic factors play in the manifestation of mental health difficulties, and how psychological interventions can be adapted to accommodate these factors. I was the founding Director of the MSc Global Mental Health programme at the University of Glasgow, and have recently edited the ‘Palgrave Handbook of Socio-cultural Perspectives on Global Mental Health’. Since 2011 I have been a member of 'commit and act' a non-governmental organization that trains people in ACT and the PROSOCIAL approach in Sierra Leone. I assisted in organising the BABCP/ACBS UK & Ireland ACT/CBS conferences in Dublin (2014) and Edinburgh (2016).
Platform Statement: I have experience of working in mental health services in 3 of the 4 countries making up the UK (Northern Ireland, Scotland and most recently the North West of England), and have access to important networks in each of these countries. My research and scholarly activities are focused on enhancing knowledge about Contextual Behavioural Science in the UK, as well as low- and middle-income countries. As an ACBS peer-reviewed trainer, I appreciate the importance of enhancing the capacity of the ACBS to deliver high quality training in the UK. My commitment to developing the profile of the ACBS in the UK has been evidenced by my involvement in organising BABCP/ACBS UK & Ireland ACT/CBS conferences. I look forward to the possibility of furthering these efforts by being a member of the ACBS UK Chapter Board.
Student Representative
Sam Ashcroft
Bio: Sam Ashcroft is a PhD student at the University of Chester, UK. He is studying behavioural and physiological responses to coherence from a Relational Frame Theory (RFT) perspective. Sam has held several representative positions in the past: BPS Student Representative at the University of Nottingham (UoN); Faculty of Science – Education Representative (UoN); Postgraduate Research Representative for the University of Chester (UoC); and Faculty of Social Science Postgraduate Representative (UoC). In each of these roles he has developed student communities and made lasting positive changes, such as increasing training opportunities and social media integration. Sam is a key member of the UoC CBS Lab. He mentors and supports undergraduate, Master’s and PhD students interested in CBS and runs an Advanced CBS study group fortnightly. Although focused on RFT, Sam is also a Research Assistant and/or collaborator on several Applied-RFT and ACT projects. He recently helped develop the ACBS Student-Reviewer scheme.
Platform Statement: Our Chapter has a strong ACT/RFT student researcher community, but Student Webinars are largely ACT-focused. I would aim to increase the amount of RFT related Student Webinars and develop a video series of RFT researchers explaining RFT concepts. This would not only be extremely useful for ACT/RFT students within our Chapter, but would also be beneficial to the whole of ACBS and further. Additionally, it is challenging for students in this community to meet each other, so dialogue, support and collaborations can’t take place. I would set up dedicated Student UK/Ireland ACBS Chapter social media channels. I will also list students in the Chapter and their research topics so that students can easily contact and identify each other. Likewise, I would aim to develop a monthly video/blog series that highlights individual students and their research. These things would bring our community together and promote interest in our work.
Lynn Farrell
Bio: Lynn Farrell is a doctoral research student in University College Dublin (UCD). She received her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Maynooth University, Ireland and has worked as a research assistant for the School of Psychology there and in UCD. Lynn’s research focuses on gender bias, particularly bias towards women in STEM fields at an implicit and explicit level. She has published papers on this topic in the Journal of Contextual Behavioral Science and presented her research at the UK & Ireland ACT/CBS annual conferences. Lynn is interested in the malleability of bias and developing interventions for gender-STEM bias. She has received postgraduate funding from the Irish Research Council to pursue this research in UCD where she is an active member of the UCD CBS lab.
Platform Statement: I have had wonderful experiences at the UK & Ireland conferences and would love to be a student representative of this Chapter. While interested in all aspects of CBS I am particularly interested in RFT research. As reflected in my research, cultivating equality is of great personal importance to me. I do not claim to be an expert in this regard, rather I am an avid learner interested in the experiences and knowledge of others, adding my own voice of support and ideas where I can. In line with its values this community aspires to be one in which all voices feel heard and valued at all levels. As student representative I would hope to encourage a spirit of continued learning and support. We are students developing our skills and finding our footing. This process should be encouraged and supported as ACBS itself continues to learn and develop with us.