Ballot closes 5 April 2024.
Please vote here.
You will be able to vote for two candidates for Member at Large and one candidate for Director of Equity, Diversity & Inclusion.
Member at Large
Joseph Lavelle
As a lecturer and researcher in psychology at Dublin Business School (DBS; and previously at University College Dublin), I've been engaged in Contextual Behavioural Science (CBS) and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) research for over a decade, and have been a member of ACBS & the UK and Ireland Chapter since 2018. I am committed to enhancing access to CBS and ACT-informed interventions, particularly for individuals with health and developmental conditions that have been underexplored in the literature. As such, my research focuses on investigating the efficacy of ACT for individuals with conditions such as Inflammatory Bowel Disease and neurodevelopmental conditions like Spina Bifida. In my outreach work, I co-founded the "FEELING better project," a free workshop series in collaboration with the UCD CBS Lab, aimed at providing free and accessible CBS & ACT interventions to students. Additionally, I co-founded the "Escape Procrasti-nation" YouTube series with Dr. Alison Stapleton, further expanding avenues for free access to these interventions. I am deeply committed to addressing and fostering conversations about stigma experienced by individuals with health conditions and autistic individuals & I take pride in the lectures I have contributed to raise awareness of these issues. Outside of academia, I enjoy experimenting with coffee gadgets, consuming media related to the RMS Titanic (the last conference in Liverpool was additionally enjoyable for me), and supporting the Mayo Gaelic football team—a pursuit that continually gives me opportunities to practice my acceptance skills.
Platform Statement: I am continuously struck by the openness, warmth, and connection I have experienced and witnessed within this community, strengths & values, which I hope to make best use of to facilitate further conversations and action to foster equity, diversity, and inclusion for all within our group & in our work. I hope, through my own personal and research experiences, to make contributions to conversations about and reflection on issues relevant to neurodiverse folks, those who experience disabilities, and those with health conditions within our community, research, and practice. I also hope to harness & support the exceptional work being done at the wider ACBS level by members of our group to support equity, diversity, and inclusion. As such, I’d wholeheartedly appreciate your consideration and vote.
Ross McIntosh
I am an organisational and coaching psychologist specialising in the application of CBS, particularly ACT, in the workplace. For the past 8 years I have been part of a Researcher/Practitioner Partnership with Dr Paul Flaxman at City, University of London. My clients include over 20 NHS Trusts, HM Treasury, Ministry of Justice, Teachers, Hedge Fund Managers, Global Tech, Diageo and professional ballet dancers. I am also the creator and host of the award-winning People Soup Podcast which aims to unlock workplace potential with expert insights from CBS. As a member at large, I would seek ways to promote all of our specialties and encourage collaboration.
Rhian Thorne
Hi! My name is Rhian (she/her) and I am a Behaviour Analyst working for Skybound Therapies supporting individuals with additional needs. I have had an interest and passion for supporting individuals with additional learning needs from an early age as my younger brother has Down's Syndrome. I discovered the field of Applied Behaviour Analysis in 2009, and was immediately captivated by the impact that the compassionate application of the science of human behaviour had for the individuals that I served. I embarked on my RFT/ACT journey while I was completing my MSc in ABA and attended an ACT Bootcamp for Behaviour Analysts in Reno, Nevada in 2018. I have since been applying RFT and ACT into my practise as a Behaviour Analyst, from teaching students to dervie relations, to using acceptance and values based activities with parents; from using language interventions based on the DNA-V with adolescents to being involved in organising company wide ACT interventions for colleagues.
Platform Statement: I would love to become more involved with the ACBS community and serve on the board as a Member at Large. As a UKBA and BCBA I am passionate about the dissemination of RFT and ACT to the behaviour analytic community, to individuals with additional needs, their families and support teams. I have attended and presented at the ACBS World Conference where I had the opportunity to connect with others and discuss these ideas, and am excited about the possibility of building on this as a member of the UK/ROI board. The introduction to ACT and the ACBS community has been life changing for me both personally and professionally, and as a result I feel strongly about disseminating this knowledge to others both within the field of behaviour analysis and beyond. I thrive on creating and completing projects, and in bringing people together in the pursuit of shared values. As a member at large I will strive to bring these qualities to the ACBS community to support our chapter to grow and contribute to the overall vision of ACBS to alleviate human suffering.
Director of Equity, Diversity & Inclusion
Dr Lynn Farrell
Bio: I am currently an Assistant Professor in Psychology at National College of Ireland. As part of the UCD CBS lab, my PhD explored the nature and malleability of implicit bias towards women in STEM. I received the ACBS Student Spotlight award for my work and served as a student representative on the Women in ACBS SIG. As a Research Fellow at QUB, I explored how to improve STEM gender equality efforts as part of the Inclusion Matters project. My research interests include understanding and influencing stereotypes and bias particularly related to gender and applying RFT to address social issues.
Platform Statement: This position aligns with values that I hold dear and it’s an honour to be nominated. I am committed to listening to and trying to honour the needs of the Chapter membership to foster a collaborative and inclusive environment. Gathering members’ perspectives is vital to help develop processes and initiatives that centre EDI principles and address the Chapter’s specific needs. Additionally, I would seek to promote education around EDI issues drawing on relevant work being conducted by the membership and amplifying diverse and marginalised voices. I hope to support the Chapter in ensuring every member feels valued and respected.