Dr Gareth Morgan

I am the Academic Director for the Leicester Doctorate in Clinical Psychology (DClinPsy). I have 15 years’ experience working clinically within the NHS predominantly within intellectual disability and adult mental health services. I take a critical position towards diagnosing mental health problems due to: (i) the absence of evidence for discrete disorders; and (ii) because diagnoses serve to individualise and pathologise understandable responses to adversity and social injustice. I am keen for psychologists to become more politically engaged to tackle threats we know are linked with distress such as inequality, discrimination and other forms of social injustice. I am increasingly concerned about the urgency with which we need to act if we are to have a survivable planet and I believe psychologists have important roles to play in supporting engagement with the climate and ecological crises. I am co-chair of the Association of Clinical Psychologists' Climate Action Network, and member of the Group of Trainers in Clinical Psychology’s Planetary Health sub-committee.

I provide research supervision for trainee clinical psychologists. My research interests include : psychological responses to the climate crisis; diagnosis identity and stigma; the Power Threat Meaning Framework; supporting people with intellectual disabilities and their carers; assessing mental capacity and applications of the Mental Capacity Act; forced marriage and people with intellectual disabilities.

Clinical psychology and climate and ecological collapse

Isham, A., Morgan, G., & Kemp, A. (2023). Nurturing wellbeing amidst the climate crisis: on the need for a focus on wellbeing in the field of climate psychology. Frontiers in Psychology, 14, https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1205991

Morgan, G., Barnwell, G., Johnstone, L., Shukla, K. & Mitchell, A. (2022). The Power Threat Meaning Framework and the climate and ecological crises, Psychology in Society, 63, 83-109. Link

Li, C., Lawrence, E.L., Morgan, G., Brown, R., Greaves, N., Krzanowski, J., Samuel, S., Guinto, R. R., & Belkin, G. (2022). The role of mental health professionals in the climate crisis: An urgent call to action. International Review of Psychiatry, 34(5), 563-570. DOI:10.1080/09540261.2022.2097005

Samuel, S., Greaves, N., Morgan, G., Li, C., Sunglao, A. J., Belkin, G., Salcedo, S. & Lawrence, E. L. (2022). Reflections of mental health professionals on working with and in the climate crisis. International Review of Psychiatry 34(5), 525-529. DOI:10.1080/09540261.2022.2093628

Morgan, G., Wang, M., Clarke, I., Snell, T., Williams, M., Walker, A., Howell, R., & Lewis-Holmes, E. (2022, April). ACP-UK supports climate activists engaging in non-violent direct action and encourages members to support the cause. ACP-UK. DOI:10.13140/RG.2.2.26984.55043

Walker, A., Hewitt-Johns, L., Mitchell, A., Morgan, G., Thorne, L. & Wainwright, T. (2021). Bringing climate change into clinical psychology teaching. Clinical Psychology Forum, 346, 64-69. Link

Lewis-Holmes, E., Johnstone, L., Morgan, G., Snell, T., & Wang, M. (2021). ACP-UK rapid response to report on impact of climate breakdown on distress. ACP-UK. https://acpuk.org.uk/acp-uk-rapid-response-to-report-on-impact-of-climate-breakdown-on-distress/

Morgan, G., Snell, T., & Randall, J. (2020). ACP-UK statement on the need for action to address the climate crisis. ACP-UK. https://acpuk.org.uk/climate_change_statement/

 

Critical perspectives on diagnosis/Making sense of distress in relation to power, culture and socio-political contexts

Fulton-Hamilton, E. & Morgan, G. (2023). Examining attitudes towards mental health diagnoses: A Q-methodological study. Journal of Mental Health. https://doi.org/10.1080/09638237.2023.2182430

Harris, C., Morgan, G. & Welham, A. (2023). The impact of boarding school on adult relationships: Men's accounts. In: P. Cavenagh, S. McPherson & J. Ogden (Eds), The psychological impact of boarding school. Routledge. 10.4324/9781003280491-3

Ball, M., Morgan, G., Haarmans, M. (2023). The Power Threat Meaning Framework and 'psychosis'. In: J. Garrido, R. Costa, H. Cabrera & E. Morris (Eds). Psychological interventions for psychosis: Towards a paradigm shift. Springer. Link 

Ball, M., Morgan, G. & Haarmans, M. (2022). El Marco de Poder, Amenaza, y Significado, y la psicosis. In: J. Garrido, R. Costa, H. Cabrera & E. Morris (Eds). Modelos del cambio: Casos clínicos en psicosis. Piramide. Link (Spanish translation of chapter above). 

Compton, E. & Morgan, G. (2022). The experiences of psychological therapy amongst people who identify as transgender or gender non-conforming: A systematic review of qualitative research. Journal of Feminist Family Therapy. Link

Smith, A., Morgan, G., & Robertson, N. (2022). Experiences of female partners of people transitioning gender: A feminist interpretive metasynthesis. Journal of Sex and Marital Therapy. Link

Moore, I., Morgan, G., Welham, A., & Russell, G. (2022). The intersection of autism and gender in the negotiation of identity: A systematic review and metasynthesis. Feminism & Psychology. https://doi.org/10.1177/09593535221074806

Siverns, K. &  Morgan, G. (2021) ‘If only I could have said, if only somebody was listening’: Mothers’ experiences of placing their child into care. Adoption Quarterly, 24(3), 207-228. https://doi.org/10.1080/10926755.2021.1908473 

Siverns, K. & Morgan, G. (2019). Parenting in the context of historical childhood trauma: An interpretive meta-synthesis. Child Abuse & Neglect, 98. Link

Morgan, G., Melluish, S. & Welham, A.  (2017). Exploring the relationship between postmigratory stressors and mental health for asylum seekers and refused asylum seekers in the UK. Transcultural Psychiatry, 54, 653-674. Link

 

Supporting people with intellectual dis/abilities and their networks

Morgan, G. (2023). Being identified/identifying as having an intellectual disability. PTMF Pattern available via the BPS PTMF website.

Collins, G., Fyson, R., Morgan, G., Runswick-Cole, K.,  Steel, J., & Boyle, M. (2022). The Power Threat Meaning Framework: A new way of thinking about the lives of people with intellectual dis/abilities. Link  

Collins, G., Fyson, R., Morgan, G., Runswick-Cole, K., & Steel, J. (2022). The Power Threat Meaning Framework: Development of a document for use in intellectual disability services. Bulletin of the Faculty of Intellectual Disabilities, 20(1), 4-11. Link

Clawson, R.…, Morgan, G…. & Wilson, S. (2018). My marriage, my choice: Practice guidance toolkit for assessing capacity to consent to marriage. University of Nottingham: Nottingham. https://www.nottingham.ac.uk/research/groups/mymarriagemychoice/documents/toolkit.pdf

I provide research supervision for trainee clinical psychologists on the Leicester DClinPsy relating to research interests stated above. I do not have capacity to supervise additional PhD students at this time.

Theses supervised to completion:

    Rickard, A. (2022). Perspectives of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/Myalgic Encephalomyelitis: A Q-methodology study. Leicester DClinPsy thesis.

Compton, E. (2021). Attitudes towards how gender services should respond when an adult presents seeking gender transition. Leicester DClinPsy thesis.

Moore, I. (2021). At the intersection of autism and gender: Personal identities and professional ideas. Leicester DClinPsy thesis.

Smith, A. (2021). Exploring gender transition: Partner experiences and attitudes towards adolescent gender services. Leicester DClinPsy thesis.

Lee, E. (2020). An exploration of the factor structures of the Short Parallel Assessments of Neuropsychological Status (SPANS) in two independent samples. (2^nd supervisor). Leicester DClinPsy thesis.

Harris, A. (2019) The structure and psychometric properties of the BERRI: An Outcome measure for Looked After Children in residential care. Leicester DClinPsy thesis.

Siverns, K. (2019). Mothers’ experiences of placing their child into care in the context of mental health difficulties or trauma. Leicester DClinPsy thesis.

Cope, K. (2018). Female care staff experiences of working with males with intellectual disabilities who display sexualised challenging behaviour: An interpretative phenomenological approach. Leicester DClinPsy thesis.

Jones, R. (2018) How does deinstitutionalisation affect the quality of life of service users with intellectual disabilities? An eight year follow up of adults who moved out of long stay hospital accommodation.

Smith, A. (2018). Understanding the experiences of unaccompanied asylum-seeking young people as they turn eighteen whilst subject to UK immigration control. Leicester DClinPsy thesis.

Rich, E. (2017). Getting ready to move on: Considering attachment within young peoples’ experiences of preparing to transition out of CAMHS. (2^nd supervisor). Leicester DClinPsy thesis.

Wright, L. (2017). Women's experience of decision making regarding prophylactic mastectomy. (2^nd supervisor). Leicester DClinPsy thesis.

Hull, N. (2016). Parents’ experiences of caring for an adopted child: An interpretive phenomenological analysis. Leicester DClinPsy thesis.

Much of the teaching I deliver on the DClinPsy relates to the modules I coordinate (Diversity & anti-discriminatory practice; Systemic therapy; Working clinically with people with intellectual disabilities). I also teach on other modules on topics related to research methods and critical psychology. The majority of my teaching responsibilities are with the DClinPsy however I also teach on and coordinate the undergraduate module on clinical psychology (PS3112). More recently I have begun teaching on issues relating to planetary health and what psychology can bring to the climate and ecological emergencies.

Climate crisis and psychological responses; psychiatric diagnosis (problems with); supporting people with intellectual disabilities and their carers; systemic therapy.

Recent contributions:

British Medical Journal: Health professionals demand action on the climate to protect people and planet. https://www.bmj.com/content/381/bmj.p851

The Guardian: ‘Terrified for my future’: climate crisis takes heavy toll on young people’s mental health. https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/mar/30/terrified-for-my-future-climate-crisis-takes-heavy-toll-on-young-peoples-mental-health 

Extinction Rebellion. Anxiety and alienation: Navigating your relationships in an age of climate crisis. https://rebellion.global/blog/2022/06/08/relationships-climate-crisis-anxiety-alienation/

Fellow of the Higher Education Academy; Registered practitioner psychologist with the Health & Care Professions Council; Co-chair of the Association of Clinical Psychologists Climate Action Network; Registered Charted Clinical Psychologist with the British Psychological Society (BPS); Registered member of the BPS Division of Clinical Psychology (DCP); Member of the DCP Faculty for People with Intellectual Disabilities; Member of the DCP Power Threat Meaning Working Group; Member of XR Psychologists; co-chair of the Group of Trainers in Clinical Psychology's Planetary Health sub-commitee.

DClinPsy BSc (Psychology) PGDip (Systemic Practice) PGCert (Mental Health) CPsychol