the Team

The Team

Prof Stephen Palmer PhD CPsychol FAREBT FAC Hon FISMA Hon FIHPE Hon

Founder & Director

Professor Stephen Palmer PhD is the Founder Director of the Centre for Stress Management and the Centre for Coaching.

He has written and edited over 50 books on a range of fields. He is a Diplomate of the American Academy of Experts in Traumatic Stress, Board Certified in Emergency Crisis Response and Board Certified in Stress Management. He is a member of the British Neuroscience Association.

He is President and Honorary Fellow of the International Stress Management Association (UK), President of the International Society for Coaching Psychology, former President and Honorary Fellow of the Association for Coaching and former Co-Editor of International Coaching Psychology Review. He is Co-Editor of the International Journal of Stress Prevention and Wellbeing, the  European Journal of Counselling Theory, Research and Practice, and the European Journal of Applied Positive Psychology. He has written/edited over 50 books including Brief Cognitive Behaviour TherapyHandbook of Counselling, Handbook of Coaching Psychology, Cognitive Behavioural Coaching in Practice, Developmental Coaching, The Coaching Relationship and Solution Focused Coaching in Practice. (Books are listed on his Amazon webpage.)

His posts include being Professor of Practice at the Wales Academy for Professional Practice and Applied Research, University of Wales Trinity Saint David; Adjunct Professor of Coaching Psychology at the Coaching Psychology Research Unit, Department of Communication and Psychology, Aalborg University, Denmark; BABCP London Branch Co-chair; Former BABCP Compassion SIG Co-chair; and a Vice President, Fellow and Founder Director of the Society for Dialectical Behaviour Therapy. He was Visiting Professor of Work Based Learning and Stress Management at the Institute of Work Based Learning, Middlesex University.


Dr Siobhain O’Riordan PhD CPsychol FRSA FIHPE FISCP Accred MAREBT (Acad)

Dr Siobhain O’Riordan PhD is a trainer at the Centre. She is an Academic Member of the Association for Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapy and on the Advisory Board of the AREBT Research Centre. She has been lecturer and PhD supervisor at City, University of London.

She is a Chartered Psychologist, and International Society for Coaching Psychology Accredited Coaching Psychologist and Supervisor. She is Co-editor of the European Journal of Counselling Theory, Research and Practice. From 2013 she became Emeritus Editor of the International Journal of Health Promotion & Education. Currently she is Founder Chair of the International Society for Coaching Psychology, Consulting Editor of The Coaching Psychologist and Editor of Coaching Psychology International. Her other posts include being a Director of the International Academy for Professional Development Ltd.


Kasia Szymanska MSc CPsychol BABCP Accred

Kasia Szymanska is a trainer at the Centre and teaches on the Advanced Certificate in Rational Emotive & Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy programme. She is a Chartered Psychologist, BABCP Accredited CBT Therapist, and International Society for Coaching Psychology Accredited Coaching Psychologist.  She is Membership Secretary of the International Society for Coaching Psychology, and a former Editor of Counselling Psychology Review and The Coaching Psychologist published by the British Psychological Society. She is Co-editor of the European Journal of Counselling Theory, Research and Practice.

She is a Director of the International Academy for Professional Development Ltd. Her publications include her book on Understanding CBT.


Nick Edgerton MSc CPsychol MAREBT

Nick Edgerton is a trainer at the Centre. He is a Chartered Psychologist and AREBT accredited REBT therapist. Nick developed the cognitive-behavioural SPACE model of therapy and coaching. He has published articles and chapters on the SPACE model. He has also written on stress management and counselling.


Peter Ruddell BA FAREBT MBPsS MIHPE

Training & Clinical Director

Peter Ruddell is our Training Director. He has published a number of articles and the book Brief Cognitive Behaviour Therapy and also the second edition published in 2018. He is a Fellow of the Association for Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapy and a graduate Member of the British Psychological Society. He was committee member of the British Association for Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapies London Branch. He is a Member of The Learning Guild.


Tracy White

Administration

Tracy White is an experienced administrator and deals with the day-to-day course bookings and administration. She is a Member of The Learning Guild.