Professor Andrew Thompson
(he/him)

: Available for postgraduate supervision

Teams and roles for Andrew Thompson

Programme Director NHS Clinical Psychology Programmes
School of Psychology

Programme Director & Consultant Clinical Psychologist - Lead for HEIW funded applied psychology programmes in South Wales (DClin & CAAPs) - Cardiff & Vale University Health Board & Professor of Clinical Psychology (Hon), 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. psychodermatology; 3. psychosocial aspects and phenomenology of autism. Theoretical interests include mindfulness, ACT, and self-compassion.

Teaching expertise: Professor Thompson leads the South Wales doctorate in clinical psychology and teaches postgraduate trainee clinical psychologists on a number of clinical topics. He also manages the CAAPs programme and co-leads the pilot student psychology clinic. Specific teaching expertise includes research methods as applied in clinical psychology, ethics, and psychological aspects of long-term conditions. Andrew has also formerly taught on the use of cognitive behavioural therapy and cognitive analytic therapy in various settings. He has previously developed interdisciplinary teaching resources for Health Education England's e-learning platform on psychological aspects of skin conditions. He has provided numerous professional development workshops for medical and healthcare professionals.

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 commentaries provided to The British Association of Dermatologists can be found here, to the British Skin Foundation here, and to the BBC here, A recent example of a podcast provided to the behalf of Global Parents for Eczema Research (GPER) can be found here.

Summary of external activity:

Editorial roles - Co-Editor-in-Chief - British Journal of Health Psychology

Former Associate Editor British Journal of Dermatology - 2015-2024

Reviewer roles - 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

Visiting roles - Visiting Professor of Clinical Psychology - University of Sheffield - 2021-current; Former visiting Professor of Clinical Psychology - University of Hull - 2014-2017

External examining roles - Current appointments - Oxford University (DClin programme); University of York (MSc Counselling & MSc Clinical Psychology - City College, Thessonaliki)

Multiple prior HEI exteral examining programme and PhD examiner appointments

Committee memberships and advisory roles -

Workforce and Training subcommittee Wales representative, The Division of Clinical Psychology, British Psychological Society.

Former Group of Trainers in Clinical Psychology & Division of Clinical Psychology Representative to the British Psychological Society Research Board

Research Board Member - Vitiligo Society

Former Psychological Advisor - The All Party Parliamentary Group on Skin

Former Trustee - Changing Faces - 2019 -2024

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

Former Psychological Advisor to The Scar Free Foundation - 2019-2024

Former Research Committee member - Alopecia UK - 2018-2020

Date
Type

2011

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)
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)
James, H. et al., 2011. Appearance concerns in ophthalmic patients. Eye 25 (8), pp.1039-1044. (10.1038/eye.2011.116)
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)
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)
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)
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.

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)
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)
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)

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. et al., 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)
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)
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)
Thompson, A. R. et al. 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)
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)

2007

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)
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)

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. et al., 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. et al., 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.It formed a REF2021 case study which can be found here. Professor Thompson also has a secondary research interest in experience of service use and wellbeing in autism.

Publications:

Professor Thompson has over 170 peer reviewed articles and 200 plus peer reviewed conference presentations. 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 sixteen 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.

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 NIHR, MRC, ESRC, The Healing Foundation, The British Skin Foundation, The Psoriasis and Psoriatic Arthritis Association, Alopecia UK, and DEBRA.

Examples of recent/current funding received:

NIHR (2024- NIHR208382) Optimising Acne Care Online for ethnically diverse skin tones

DEBRA (2024-2026) - Developing a self-help toolkit for supporting wellbeing in parents of children with Epidermolysis Bullosa (£153,696.00)

NIHR (2023-2028 - NIHR151318) - Investigating the benefits and harms of reduced daily dose oral isotretinoin in the treatment of acne: A parallel group, assessor blind, non-inferiority, multicentre randomised controlled trial, with an internal pilot (ACNE-ID) (£2,148,574.06)

NIHR (2022-2027 - NIHR202852) - Developing and testing an online intervention to support self-management, improve outcomes and reduce antibiotic use in acne (£1,901,577.00)

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)

Select examples of previous funding include:

METRC (2014) - Understanding the psychosocial impact of skin conditions and developing learning and teaching resources for dermatology healthcare professionals (£40,000)

Healing Foundation (2004) - Identifying factors and processes contributing to successful adjustment to disfiguring conditions in collaboration (£500,000) - in collaboration with colleagues in The University of Sheffield, UCL, UWE, University of Bradford, University of Warwick

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 these areas 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)

Tropical Health Education Trust (2015) - Respectful Management of Violence and Aggression Training in Gulu Regional Referral Hospital and Surrounding Districts (£82,748) - in collaboration with colleagues in Sheffield Health & Social Care NHS Foundation Trust & Gulu Regional Referral Hospital.

JISC (2010) - Postgraduate training for research data management in the psychological sciences (£57,870) - in collaboration with colleagues in The University of York, Sheffield Hallam University

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

Current position: Consultant Clinical Psychologist & Professor of Clinical Psychology (Hons) - Lead for HEIW funded applied psychology programmes in South Wales (DClin & CAAPs) - Cardiff and the Vale University Health Board & Cardiff university 2020-current

Prior appointments

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 Yorkshire, 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

Professional memberships

British Psychological Society (since 1988) - Division of Clinical Psychology (Chartered since 1998); Division of Health Psychology (Chartered since 2007); Faculty of Clnical Health Psychology (Committee Member); Qualitative Methods Section (member)

Association of Cognitive Analytic Therapy (Practitioner member)

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)

Areas able to support as primary or secondary supervisor are as follows:

psychological adjustment/impact/intervention as related to long-term conditions affecting appearance and body-image;
psychodermatology;
psychosocial aspects and phenomenology of autism.

Theoretical and intervention interests include mindfulness, ACT, and self-compassion.

Past projects

Professor Thompson has successfully supervised eleven PhD studentships including four which were supported by competitive research council funding applications such as ESRC CASE and MRC awards. He has successfully supervised over 60 clinical psychology doctorates and over 10 masters students. Several students have gained awards for their work including The Seymour Fisher Outstanding Body Image Dissertation Annual Award (Z. Muftin - 2012 - A Randomised Controlled Feasibility Trial of Online Compassion-focused Self-Help for Psoriasis), The University of Sheffield Enterprise Award (K. Montgomery - 2016 - Mindfulness and skin conditions), The Association of Clinical Psychologists Clinical Psychology Doctorate Award (A. Leedham - 2020 - Female experience of autism), and The Dvision of Clinical Psychology Trainee Research Award (G.Rawlings - 2022 - A Randomised Controlled Feasibility Trial of Cognitive Behavioural Self-Help for Pulmonary Hypertension.

Recent/current PhD supervision

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

PhD - Georgina Wren - Inestigating the prevalence and impact of psychological issues and mood disorders related to x-linked ichthyosis

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

PhD - Elaine Clark - Depression in people with skin conditions: The role of self-compassion as an adaptive response

PhD - Maria Matiaki - Towards facilitating client change: an IPA study based on lived experiences of clients, trainees and supervisors

PhD - Ana Maria Charmorro Coneo - Stigma towards facial disfigurement

PhD - Shahah Altammar - Psychological well-being in parents of children with type-1 diabetes: The role of mindfulness

PhD - Kate Adkins - Stigmatisation, media, and acne: A mixed methods interdisciplinary approach

PhD - Kerry Montgomery - The role of mindfulness in social anxiety in people living with visible skin conditions.

PhD - Olivia Stocker - A qualitative exploration of cultural issues associated with surgery to change facial appearance: Provate and public views of orthognathics and the acceptability of appearance altering surgery

PhD - Rosie Webster - Psychological distress in non-cardiac chest pain patients: An application of the common sense model of illness representations

PhD - Tracey Grandfield - Exploring attitudinal and psychophysiological responses towards visible difference : the role of shame, disgust, self-esteem, and appearance schema

Contact Details

[email protected]
+44 29208 76970

Research themes

Specialisms

Clinical psychology
Psychodermatology
health psychology
Autism
Body Image

Professor Andrew Thompson
(he/him)

Teams and roles for Andrew Thompson

Programme Director NHS Clinical Psychology Programmes

2025

2024

2023

2022

2021

2020

2019

2018

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2014

2013

2012

2011

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2009

2008

2007

2005

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2002

2001

1997

Articles

Book sections

Monographs

Websites

Employment history

Postgraduate education

Undergraduate education

Professional memberships

Past projects

Contact Details

Research themes

Specialisms

Professor Andrew Thompson (he/him)

Teams and roles for Andrew Thompson

Programme Director NHS Clinical Psychology Programmes

Overview

Publication

2025

2024

2023

2022

2021

2020

2019

2018

2017

2016

2015

2014

2013

2012

2011

2010

2009

2008

2007

2005

2004

2002

2001

1997

Articles

Book sections

Monographs

Websites

Research

Teaching

Biography

Employment history

Postgraduate education

Undergraduate education

Professional memberships

Supervisions

Past projects

Contact Details

Research themes

Specialisms

Professor Andrew Thompson
(he/him)