Chair, MWBHE, and Head of Counselling, Oxford University
After graduating from Bristol University, Alan started his working life in youth and community work in London in the early 1980’s. From that experience he became committed to developing different practical therapeutic strategies to help young people and adults suffering from psychological and emotional distress and the effects of mental illness to achieve their life goals. He has worked at a wide range of Further and Higher Education Institutions both as a counsellor and lecturer for over the last 30 years. Alan has worked at the Counselling Service at the University of Oxford for the last 20 years and has been Head of Counselling since 2010. Alan is a qualified Psychoanalytic Psychotherapist and clinical supervisor registered with the UK Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP) and a Senior Accredited Member of the British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP). He was Chair of the Executive Committee for the Heads of University Counselling Services (HUCS) 2017-19. In 2016 he was awarded a Visiting Professorship in psychology at Fudan University, Shanghai. In 2018 he became Chair of Mental Wellbeing in Higher Education Expert Working Group (MWBHE/Advance HE). In 2019 he was appointed Co-President of the Chinese/UK University Counselling Association (CUUCA).
