Louisa Shirley

I am a teaching-focused Clinical Senior Lecturer with a teaching portfolio across the BSc Psychology programme and the MSc Clinical and Health Psychology programme. I provide a specialist session for the Division of Nursing, Midwifery and Social Work on Working with behaviour that challenges in dementia care settings.

I supervise undergraduate research projects, MSc dissertations and ClinPsyD doctoral research.

I am a practising Clinical Psychologist and have worked predominantly in older people and neurorehabilitation settings.

Having recognised the need for undergraduate students to gain knowldge and experience about the clinical psychology career path, I have developed a Clinical Psychology Club - an extracurricular activity running 3 times each semester. The club has been well supported by local clinicians and assistant psychologists and has received excellent feedback from students, enhancing the employability of UG aspiring clinical psychologists.

I am committed to decolonising the psychology curriculum and am working with colleagues across the school to address curriculum content and design through awareness raising, research, and the development of resources.

Senior Fellow HEA and Honorary Fellow of the Institute of Teaching and Learning

I am unit lead for our busiest third year option - Clinical Psychology (250+ students each year). With the seminar lead for this unit, I have developed the unit to bring EDI issues to the front of student's thinking with a specific emphasis on practicing culturally responsive therapy.

I also lead a unit on the MSc Clinical and Health Psychology programme. This unit lays the foundation for their understanding of working in the field of clinical psychology. The newly developed assignment requires students to formulate a case study taking into account cultural differences and intersectionality.

I provide sessions into other MSc and BSc units as well as providing a session for BNursing students using my clinical experience in working in dementia care.

Previous roles as

• Teaching Contribution Lead and Second Year Tutor for BSc Psychology
• Programme Director MSc Clinical and Health psychology

Currently in role as Director of Education, Division of Psychology and Mental Health

Advocate for 'decolonisation' of HE curricula through -

• award of funding from the British Psychological Society to develop a decolonising resource website for psychology educators;
• hosting and supervising student research interns and work placement students to complete research to hear the voices of UoM students regarding a colonised curriculum;
• scoping for best practice in decolonising the curriulum; nominated as Team Decolonise for the Teaching Excellence Awards 2024. 
• raising awareness through university and national conference presentations

Chartered Clinical Psychologist with British Psychological Society (BPS) No. 133098

Member of the Division of Neuropsychology, BPS

Member of the Division of Clinical Psychology, BPS

Member of the Faculty of Psychology of Older People (FPOP), BPS

Registered HCPC Practitioner Psychologist No. PYL 19952

Professional Qualifications

2018 – Bristol University: PG Diploma in Clinical Neuropsychology, Distinction

2016 – Northumbria University: PG Certificate in Family and Systemic Therapy

2003 – Teesside University: Doctorate in Clinical Psychology. Dissertation: Validation of an attributional questionnaire for nurses working in dementia-care settings

Academic qualifications

2021 – University of Manchester: New Academics Programme & Fellow of Higher Education Academy

2000 - Durham University: PhD Sex-Typed Preferences in Infants aged 3-18 months

1996 – Durham University: BSc Hons (Dunelm) Psychology, 2i