About my current job
I am a clinician and academic and do research developing, evaluating and implementing evidence-based psychological treatments for mental health disorders across the age range.
Something important I learned during my time at EP
I ended up organising my own tutorials, which taught me the importance of being organised. I also remember the realisation when revising for finals that the different areas - 'abnormal', 'social', 'personality and individual differences' - were all actually connected so I learned about the importance of synthesising information from different sources.
How did my education influence my career path?
My career has been in Psychology so it was a fundamental influence. I had Paul Salkovskis for some of my tutorials and then went into the field of OCD so clearly that was pivotal too!
Fond memories of my time at EP
Being told that if I photocopied things backwards, the pages came out in order. It revolutionised my learning! Thanks to my library buddies Khadj Rouf and Kate Rimes for that!
Did you have a favourite tutor/lecturer/prof, and how did they inspire you?
Three tutors stand out. Usha Goshwami who rescued me and took me on for Developmental Psychology when my previous tutor fell through. It was a kindness that I appreciate to this day. Mansur Lalljee - he had a rare gift as a tutor - he could turn around my self-doubt and somehow allow me to emerge from a tutorial feeling that I had something valuable to contribute. Paul Salkovskis whose passion and commitment to improving people's mental health was truly inspiring.
How did friends made during your time at EP influence your life?
There is a connection between us that remains in our professional lives.
Do you have a lesson or advice that you'd give to current students/researchers at EP?
Be kind to yourself - it's a marathon not a sprint.
Other reflections
I worked as a research assistant abroad after leaving Oxford and it was there that I truly learned the meaning and benefits of partnership and collaboration. In my day, there was relatively little partnership/teamworking. The tutorial system lent itself more to competition than to collaboration, yet working in a team is fundamental to professional success and pleasure.
