Yr Athro Andrew Thompson

Professor of Clinical Psychology (Hons.), Programme Director (DClinPsy)

: thompsona18@cardiff.ac.uk

Programme Director & Consultant Clinical Psychologist - Cardiff & Vale University Health Board & Professor of Clinical Psychology Cardiff University

HCPC Registered Clinical Psychologist & HCPC Registered Health Psychologist

Accredited Practitioner in Cognitive Analytic Therapy

Research expertise - 1. long-term conditions affecting appearance and body-image (particular expertise in the psychosocial aspects of skin conditions); secondary interests - 2. global mental health; 3. psychosocial aspects of autism. Theoretical interests include mindfulness, ACT, and self-compassion.

Summary of external activity:
Visiting Professor of Clinical Psychology - University of Sheffield - 2021 -

Former visiting Professor of Clinical Psychology - University of Hull - 2014-2017

Trustee to Changing Faces - 2019 -

Former Psychological Advisor to The Katie Piper Foundation - 2013-2018

Psychological Advisor to The All Party Parliamentary Group on Skin

External examining - current appointments - UEL, Newcastle (multiple prior HEI appointments)

Associate Editor roles include - British Journal of Dermatology; Scars, Burns, & Healing

Teaching expertise: Professor Thompson leads the South Wales doctorate in clinical psychology and teaches postgraduate trainee clinical psychologists on a number of clinical topics. Specific teaching expertise includes research methods as applied in clinical psychology, ethics, and psychological aspects of long-term conditions. Andrew has also developed teaching resources for Health Education England e-learning platform on psychological aspects of skin conditions and has provided numerous professional development workshops for medical and healthcare professionals.

Employment history

Reader in Clinical Psychology, Clinical Psychology Training Programme, University of Sheffield - 2001-2019

Clinical Lecturer 2001-2007, Senior Lecturer in Clinical Psychology 2007-2011, Reader in Clinical Psychology 2011-2019. Between 1998-2019 Professor Thompson provided NHS services in South Yorshire, working in adult mental health services (up until 2007), and then providing specialist clinical health psychology services (including establishing and leading an IAPT pathway for dermatology patients).

Principal Clinical Psychologist, Barnsley NHS Adult Mental Health Services. Following gaining qualification in 1998 Professor Thompson worked in adult mental health services until 2007. This included work in primary care, secondary care, and regional secure services.

Postgraduate education

D.Clin.Psy – University of Sheffield – 1998

Undergraduate education

University of Liverpool BA(Hons) Psychology - 1991

Aelodaethau proffesiynol

Division of Health Psychology, British Psychological Society (Chartered)

Division of Clinical Psychology, British Psychological Society (Chartered)

Association of Cognitive Analytic Therapy (Practitioner)

British Association of Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy (Member)

Association of Clinical Psychologists (Member)

European Association of Health Psychology (Member)

European Society of Dermatology and Psychiatry (Member)

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Keynote and invited speeches include: European Society of Dermatology and Psychiatry, The British Association of Dermatologists Annual Meeting, The British Dermatology Nursing Annual Meeting, and The Royal Society for Medicine: Medicine and Me series of public lectures.

Media: Invited interviews include Radio 4 All in the Mind. Professor Thompson provides regular commentary to media providers and recent examples of commentary provided to the The British Psychological Society can be found here and to the BBC here.

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Reviewer for funding applications for multiple research councils and charities including ESRC, NIHR, and MRC

Reviewer for multiple peer review journals in the field of psychology, medicine, nursing, and allied healthcare

2011

Rayner, K., Thompson, A. and Walsh, S. 2011. Clients' experience of the process of change in cognitive analytic therapy. Psychology and Psychotherapy: Theory, Research and Practice 84(3), pp. 299-313. (10.1348/147608310X531164)
James, H. et al. 2011. Appearance concerns in ophthalmic patients. Eye 25(8), pp. 1039-1044. (10.1038/eye.2011.116)
Thompson, A. R. and Chambers, E. 2011. Ethical issues in qualitative mental health research. In: Qualitative Research Methods in Mental Health and Psychotherapy. United Kingdom: John Wiley and Sons, pp. 23-37., (10.1002/9781119973249.ch3)
Egan, K. et al. 2011. A qualitative study of the experiences of people who identify themselves as having adjusted positively to a visible difference. Journal of Health Psychology 16(5), pp. 739-749. (10.1177/1359105310390246)
Thompson, A., Larkin, M. and Smith, J. 2011. Interpretative phenomenological analysis and clinical psychology training: Results from a survey of the Group of Trainers in Clinical Psychology (Review). Clinical Psychology Forum(222), pp. 15-19.
Harper, D. and Thompson, A. R. 2011. Emerging issues and future directions. In: Qualitative Research Methods in Mental Health and Psychotherapy: A Guide for Students and Practitioners. United Kingdom: John Wiley & Sons, Ltd, pp. 243-250., (10.1002/9781119973249.ch17)
Larkin, M. and Thompson, A. R. 2011. Interpretative phenomenological analysis in mental health and psychotherapy research. In: Qualitative Research Methods in Mental Health and Psychotherapy. United Kingdom: John Wiley and Sons, pp. 99-116., (10.1002/9781119973249.ch8)

2010

Martindale, S., Chambers, E. and Thompson, A. 2010. Clinical psychology service users' experiences of confidentiality and informed consent: A qualitative analysis. Psychology and Psychotherapy: Theory, Research and Practice 82(4), pp. 355-368. (10.1348/147608309X444730)
Thompson, A. R. et al. 2010. Vitiligo linked to stigmatization in British South Asian women: a qualitative study of the experiences of living with vitiligo. British Journal of Dermatology 163(3), pp. 481-486. (10.1111/j.1365-2133.2010.09828.x)
Palayiwa, A., Sheeran, P. and Thompson, A. 2010. "Words will never hurt me!": implementation intentions regulate attention to stigmatizing comments about appearance. Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology 29(5), pp. 575-598. (10.1521/jscp.2010.29.5.575)

2009

Donnison, J., Thompson, A. R. and Turpin, G. 2009. A qualitative exploration of communication within the community mental health team: Feature article. International Journal of Mental Health Nursing 18(5), pp. 310-317. (10.1111/j.1447-0349.2009.00620.x)
Johnson, H., Thompson, A. and Downs, M. 2009. Non-Western interpreters' experiences of trauma: The protective role of culture following exposure to oppression. Ethnicity and Health 14(4), pp. 407-418. (10.1080/13557850802621449)

2008

Biggerstaff, D. and Thompson, A. R. 2008. Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA): A qualitative methodology of choice in healthcare research. Qualitative Research in Psychology 5(3), pp. 214-224. (10.1080/14780880802314304)
Clarke, Z. J., Thompson, A. R., Buchan, L. and Combes, H. 2008. Parents' experiences of pain and discomfort in people with learning disabilities. British Journal of Learning Disabilities 36(2), pp. 84-90. (10.1111/j.1468-3156.2007.00467.x)
Thompson, A. R., Powis, J. and Carradice, A. 2008. Community psychiatric nurses' experience of working with people who engage in deliberate self-harm: Feature Article. International Journal of Mental Health Nursing 17(3), pp. 153-161. (10.1111/j.1447-0349.2008.00533.x)
Thompson, A. R., Donnison, J., Warnock-Parkes, E., Turpin, G., Turner, J. and Kerr, I. B. 2008. Multidisciplinary community mental health team staff's experience of a 'skills level' training course in cognitive analytic therapy. International Journal of Mental Health Nursing 17(2), pp. 131-137. (10.1111/j.1447-0349.2008.00521.x)
Saradjian, A., Thompson, A. R. and Datta, D. 2008. The experience of men using an upper limb prosthesis following amputation: Positive coping and minimizing feeling different. Disability and Rehabilitation 30(11), pp. 871-883. (10.1080/09638280701427386)
Marriott, C. and Thompson, A. R. 2008. Managing threats to femininity: Personal and interpersonal experience of living with vulval pain. Psychology and Health 23(2), pp. 243-258. (10.1080/14768320601168185)

2007

Johnson, H. and Thompson, A. 2007. The development and maintenance of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in civilian adult survivors of war trauma and torture: A review. Clinical Psychology Review 28(1), pp. 36-47. (10.1016/j.cpr.2007.01.017)
Edwards, C. R., Thompson, A. R. and Blair, A. 2007. An 'overwhelming illness': Women's experiences of learning to live with chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis. Journal of Health Psychology 12(2), pp. 203-214. (10.1177/1359105307071747)

2005

Grandfield, T. A., Thompson, A. R. and Turpin, G. 2005. An attitudinal study of responses to a range of dermatological conditions using the Implicit Association Test. Journal of Health Psychology 10(6), pp. 821-829. (10.1177/1359105305057316)
Lobeck, M., Thompson, A. R. and Shankland, M. C. 2005. The experience of stroke for men in retirement transition. Qualitative Health Research 15(8), pp. 1022-1036. (10.1177/1049732305280772)

2004

Nicholl, C. and Thompson, A. 2004. The psychological treatment of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in adult refugees: A review of the current state of psychological therapies. Journal of Mental Health 13(4), pp. 351-362. (10.1080/09638230410001729807)

2002

Thompson, A. R., Kent, G. and Smith, J. A. 2002. Living with vitiligo: Dealing with difference. British Journal of Health Psychology 7(2), pp. 213-225. (10.1348/135910702169457)
Thompson, A. and Beail, N. 2002. The treatment of auto-erotic asphyxiation in a man with severe intellectual disabilities: The effectiveness of a behavioural and educational programme. Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities 15(1), pp. 36-47. (10.1046/j.1360-2322.2001.00095.x)

2001

Thompson, A. and Kent, G. 2001. Adjusting to disfigurement: Processes involved in dealing with being visibly different. Clinical Psychology Review 21(5), pp. 663-682. (10.1016/S0272-7358(00)00056-8)

1997

Peace, K., Orme, S., Sebastian, J., Thompson, A., Barnes, S., Ellis, A. and Belchetz, P. 1997. The effect of treatment variables on mood and social adjustment in adult patients with pituitary disease. Clinical Endocrinology 46(4), pp. 445-450. (10.1046/j.1365-2265.1997.1600971.x)
Peace, K., Orme, S., Thompson, A., Padayatty, S., Ellis, A. and Belchetz, P. 1997. Cognitive dysfunction in patients treated for pituitary tumours. Journal of Clinical and Experimental Neuropsychology 19(1), pp. 1-6. (10.1080/01688639708403831)

Professor Thompson's research on the psychological consequences of conditions affecting appearance has been used within clinical guidelines to improve patient care for people living with skin conditions. It has also directly developed and contributed to the availability of a number of self-help resources and assisted in shaping NHS service delivery for dermatology patients.

Research funding:

To support research activity associated with psychological aspects of visible difference significant funding has been received from a number of funding bodies including ESRC, METRC, The Healing Foundation, The British Skin Foundation, The Psoriasis and Psoriatic Arthritis Association, and Alopecia UK.

Examples of recent funding received:

Psoriasis and Psoriatic Arthritis Association (2017-2019) - Examining the association between parental mindfulness in parental and child wellbeing in childhood psoriasis: Should we test mindful parenting as an intervention (£66,097)

Professor Thompson has also received funding to support the development of good research governance practice from JISC and received funding from The Tropical Health Education Trust to support research associated with global mental health in Uganda.

Examples of funding in this area include:

QR Global Challenge Research Fund (2019) - Delivery of sustainable low intensity mental health interventions, training, and mental health promotion in Northern Uganda (£39,482)

Publications:

Professor Thompson has over 100 peer reviewed articles and details of peer reviewed publications can be found on orcid.

Details of a CBT-based psychosocial intervention manual for use with individuals experiencing distress associated with having a perceived or noticeable visible difference can be found here. Professor Thompson has also co-edited a qualitative methods handbook specifically focused on methods for use by mental health and psychotherapy postgraduates and practitioners that can be found here.

Professor Thompson has authored over fourteen book chapters on topics related to research methods, appearance concern, or psychological aspects of skin disease. Some examples of book chapters on psychosocial aspects of skin conditions can be found here and on anxiety here.

Postgraduate research interests

Information on research expertise and interests can be found in the overview and research tabs. Particular interest in supervising research associated with psychosocial aspects of long-term conditions that affect appearance, and in particular psychological aspects of skin disease.

If interested in undertaking a PhD in this area please contact Andrew and visit this site to learn how to make a formal application to study at Cardiff University

Current students

PhD - Olivia Hughes - Developing a mindfulness-based online support resource to support children and their families affected by skin conditions

PhD - Georgina Wren - Investigating the prevalence and impact of psychological issues and mood disorders related to X-linked Ichthyosis

PhD - Dr Laura Shepherd - Predicting the development of appearance anxiety following burn injuries and initial evaluation of an early intervention - NIHR Clinical Research Doctoral Fellowship award

PhD - Maria Matiaki - Change processes in counselling

In addition to these PhD studentships Andrew is supervising seven clinical psychology doctorates exploring similar issues as described above.

Past projects

Professor Thompson has successfully supervised seven PhD studentships including four which were supported by competitive research council funding applications.

He have successfully supervised over 50 clinical psychology doctorates and over 10 masters students.

Yr Athro Andrew Thompson

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Employment history

Postgraduate education

Undergraduate education

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