Dr Laura Simonds
About
Biography
Dr Laura Simonds has been training clinical psychologists since May 2003 firstly at the Salomons Centre for Applied Social and Psychological Development and subsequently at the University of Surrey from January 2008. She is currently Senior Lecturer and Clinical Examinations Officer for the PsychD Clinical programme. She has previously been Academic Director and Admissions Tutor for the Programme. She has been external examiner for several clinical psychology doctoral programmes.
Areas of specialism
University roles and responsibilities
- PsychD Clinical Examinations Officer
My qualifications
PhD in Psychology
Postgraduate Diploma in Higher Education
Affiliations and memberships
Associate Fellow of the British Psychological Society
Fellow of the Higher Education Academy
ResearchResearch interests
My research interests focus on the therapeutic relationship, cultural humility, intersectionality, disclosure and help-seeking, marginalisation, oppression and stigma, and structural inequalities impacting on the healthcare, educational, and occupational opportunities of marginalised populations.
Research interests
My research interests focus on the therapeutic relationship, cultural humility, intersectionality, disclosure and help-seeking, marginalisation, oppression and stigma, and structural inequalities impacting on the healthcare, educational, and occupational opportunities of marginalised populations.
Supervision
Postgraduate research supervision
Laura is predominantly responsible for supervising Trainee Clinical Psychologist's doctoral research projects. Laura is an experienced examiner having externally examined for UCL (retained), Liverpool University (retained), Leicester University, University of Essex, City University, Royal Holloway, UEA, University of Southampton (retained), University of Staffordshire (retained), and the University of Adelaide, South Australia
Completed postgraduate research projects I have supervised
Last two years:
- Behind the curtains: Understanding Young Black Men’s expression of distress through the lens of a Dramaturgical framework. Chamagne Martin, PsychD Clinical, 2024
- A narrative exploration of employing family scripts for overcoming adversity in racially marginalised second-generation immigrants in the UK. Taneesha Jones-Seale, PsychD Clinical, 2024
- "Girls don’t do that”: A qualitative study exploring how professionals make sense of young females with harmful sexual behaviour. Abi Watkinson, PsychD Clinical, 2024
- 'They held it when I couldn’t hold it myself’: A Qualitative Study Exploring Refugees’ Experiences of Disclosing Past Trauma to their Therapist. Alice Storey, 2024
- Exploring Self-concept in Men Diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder: A Critical Narrative Analysis. Georgie Jones, PsychD Clinical, 2023
- Military veterans’ experiences of trust in the therapeutic relationship: an Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis. Marya Hicks, PsychD Clinical, 2023
- Trust is doing, not saying: A qualitative study exploring practitioner psychologists’ experiences of developing trust in therapeutic relationships with refugees and asylum seekers. Alex Chamberlain, PsychD Clinical, 2023
- Barriers to accessing Clinical Psychology training in the United Kingdom for people from racially minoritised groups: A Q-methodology study. Kate Englefield, PsychD Clinical, 2023
- Disclosing Racial Trauma in Psychological Therapy: Exploring the Experiences of Racially Minoritised People in the UK. Nicole Samuel, PsychD Clinical, 2023
- An interpretative phenomenological analysis of therapists’ experience of the therapeutic alliance when working remotely with clients with a diagnosis or traits of a personality disorder. Victoria Woollard, PsychD Clinical, 2023
- Transitioning to Online Therapy in the Home Environment: Therapist and Client Experiences. Iona Bird, PsychD Clinical, 2023
- “We’re not all white middle class people”. Understanding the experience of working class clinical psychologists. Oliver Lovick, PsychD Clinical, 2023
Teaching
Critical Social Issues in Clinical Psychology
Personal and Professional Development in Clinical Psychology
Research Methods and Data Analysis in Applied Psychology
Research Supervision of Clinical Psychology Doctoral Trainees