Dr Michèle Hipwell
Lecturer, Programme Leader MSc. Health and Social Sciences
Telephone: +44 (0)131 474 0000
E-mail: mhipwell@qmu.ac.uk
Summary Biography
Two careers: After studying English in Paris, France, I worked as a teacher, translator and interpreter for seven year, then after a career break bringing up children, studied Psychology at Edinburgh University, graduated with an MA (Honours) Psychology and worked as a research psychologist at the Department of Psychiatry of Edinburgh University and Lothian Health Board. Since then I have taught psychology at the Open University and since joining Queen Margaret on psychology and health professional undergraduate and post-graduate courses. I became subject leader for the first Health Psychology undergraduate programme in Scotland in 2001.
I am currently the programme leader for the MSc. Health and Social Sciences, a programme that integrates health psychology, health promotion, sociology, social policy and public health. Most of my current teaching is at post-graduate level, for the MSc. Health and Social Sciences and MSc. Health Psychology. Since 2005, I have also been closely involved in the development and delivery of the Professional Doctorate in Health Psychology, a course where health psychologists in training develop their professional practice to become chartered psychologists, combining work based practice with doctoral level academic work. I am currently director of studies for 10 doctoral students on the course, as well as second supervisor for a doctoral and a PhD student, with students working in health practice or research.
Research Interests and Health Psychology Practice
Praxis
As an applied psychologist, theory and practice are closely linked in my mind. I see praxis as an essential part of my way of thinking and ‘doing’ psychology.
In the last few years, mindfulness meditation and the application of psychological principles to sustainability have been closely linked in my teaching (where possible), academic work and mostly my practice. I strongly believe that theory is best expressed and understood in practice and, as much as possible, I have been trying to implement this in my work and my life.
Mindfulness meditation
Mindfulness meditation is a meditation practice derived from Buddhism. The state of mindfulness is described as being in the present, accepting or observing without evaluation. Mindfulness may itself be understood as an attitude of acceptance, meaning both an observational attitude and the suspension of judgement about what is observed (Childs, 2007).
Mindfulness is practiced and applied, mostly in a secular way, by psychologists and other health professionals . There is increasing evidence of the efficacy of mindfulness based interventions for stress (Cardomy & Baer, 2008), mental health (Teasdale & Williams, 2004), substance abuse (Marlatt, & Bowen, 2006), pain management (Zautra et al, 2008) and enhanced well-being.
As a mindfulness practitioner and member of the mindfulness for clinicians group in Edinburgh, I have practiced meditation for several years and developed an eight week course on mindfulness and body awareness at QMU, with a colleague who is an experienced body awareness practitioner. These courses, part of the well-being initiative at Queen Margaret University (QMU) are sponsored by Human Resources and open to staff and students. They are followed up by informal weekly drop-in sessions, also attended by staff and students.
Mindfulness practitioners differ from most practitioners by being active participants in therapeutic intervention. A mindfulness practitioner has to be have practised mindfulness for several years and mindfulness is a participatory experience. Unlike most psychological therapies, mindfulness meditation is not goal directed, with the exception of mindfulness based cognitive therapy. I have a particular interest in mindfulness for well-being in the community.
As well as practising mindfulness, I run workshops on mindfulness, am a member of the Scottish Mindfulness Trainer Network Meeting (a group set up to regulate the practice of mindfulness in Scotland) but also lecture on interventions to undergraduate and post-graduate students. I am also involved in students and health practitioners research in the effect of meditation in the health service. Students have also conducted research projects on aspects of mindfulness meditation which have been presented at conferences (Ali & Hipwell, 2004). I have also reviewed books and book chapters on mindfulness and was approached by Wiley to write a book on mindfulness, an ongoing project.
Sustainability
QMU campus is described as the most sustainable in Scotland, leading the field in higher education sustainable design. QMU is also committed to playing an influential role in helping shape a sustainable future by building an institutional culture of sustainability, promoting sustainable practices and including sustainability in the curriculum for all students. A member of the Environmental and Sustainability working group at QMU, I am involved in a number of initiatives to promote sustainability, including designing a survey with the Department of Environment and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) to assess staff and students attitudes and behaviours about climate change and sustainability, the setting up of a Transition University at QMU (see http://transitionculture.org/), and the development of a sustainability module with a colleague. As an environmental activist, I have been writing a weekly environmental newsletter for the last couple of years, am actively involved in the transition movement and have recently received funding for a greenhouse gases reduction project in the community from the Climate Challenge Fund. Psychology is likely to have an increasing role to play in the adjustment to climate change (see articles in volume 22 (2) of the Psychologist, February 2009).
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Teaching
Here is a sample of the modules I currently coordinate at QMU: most of the teaching I do is at postgraduate level in health psychology, abnormal and clinical psychology, individual differences and research.
Undergraduate teaching:
Health Psychology (BSc. Health Psychology)and Abnormal Psychology (BSc.Psychology)
Post-graduate teaching;
Stress and Coping with Chronic Illness [(MSc. Health Psychology (MSc. HP)}
Stress and Health (MSc. Health and Social Sciences)
Individual Differences and Lifestyles (MSc. HP)
Introduction to Cognitive Behaviour Theory and Therapy (MSc. HP)
Conceptualising Health and Illness (MSc. Health and Social Sciences)
Individual Differences and Risk Behaviours (MSc. HP)
Generic Professional Competency [(Professional Doctorate in Health Psychology (PDHP)
8 Optional Modules (PDHP)
The Psychology of Leadership, Coaching and Decision Making (Professional Doctorate Health and Social Sciences)
Research Methods 1 (MSc. Health & Social Sciences)
I also contribute to the following undergraduate and postgraduate courses: Individual Differences 1 & 2; Risk Behaviours, Understanding Risk; Research Module; Systematic review (PDHP)
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Research
My PhD thesis and most of the research projects I have contributed to have been in mental health or substance abuse (mostly evaluation of treatment programmes and stress and well-being).
Funding and project applied for in 2009
‘Switched on to switching off’ With Dr. M. Hall & Jamie Auld Smith, funded by Climate Challenge Fund £7,300
Contemplative practices in higher education, With Dr, Iddo Oberski, Christine Rafaelli, Prof. Marie Donaghy & Dr. Janet Beck. QMU Multidisciplinary research fund.
Do I sound stressed? A collaborative approach to investigating the interactions between individual psychological factors and vocal responses to stress. With Dr Felix Schaeffler, Dr Janet Beck, Dr Karen Goodall & Dr Emad Al-dujaili. QMU Multidisciplinary research fund, £1000
Stress and Compromise in the multilevel control of diabetes mellitus type II, with Dr. J. Gill, Dr Emad Aldujali, Prof. Isobel Davidson, G. Dunlop, Dr Jane McKenzie, Dr Catherine Tsang, John Veto & Dr. Mary Warnock Submitted to the Leverhulme Trust on 5 th January 2009
Previous completed projects
Pilot study to identify health, psycho-social and educational indicators of the student experience in higher education (with Kate Woodman, Joyce Willock, Phil Denning, Jackie Skelton and Terry Hartery). The Development Trust, Queen Margaret College, £3,500.
Treatment Outcome Study of Relapse in depression – Department of Psychiatry, University of Edinburgh – Research psychologist, with I M Blackburn, Senior Lecturer in Clinical Psychology, R Moore, Research Fellow and A Wilson, Research Psychologist. Funded by Scottish Home and Health Department. £50,000.
Evaluation and comparison of Statutory and Voluntary day centres for people with mental health problems. Research Psychologist, with Jill Birrell, Clinical Psychologist. £ 6000 – Report to Lothian Health Board, Publication
Evaluation of two ways of delivering inpatient treatment at the Alcohol Problems Clinic, Royal Edinburgh Hospital. Research psychologist, with Bruce Ritson, Head of Clinic and Kate Davidson, Clinical Psychologist. Funded by Hospital fund - £18.000 – Report to Lothian Health Board, dissemination at international conferences
Evaluation of client satisfaction at the Cowgate Day Centre for the Single Homeless. Not funded – Report to Edinburgh Council for the Single Homeless.
Mindfulness References:
Ali, S. & Hipwell, M. (2004) The effects of mindful-meditation on sense of coherence, stress and psychological distress. With Sara Ali. Published Proceedings of the BPS Division of Health Psychology Annual Conference.
Cardomy, J. & Baer, R. (2008), Relationships between mindfulness practice and levels of mindfulness, medical and psychological symptoms and well-being in a mindfulness-based stress reduction program . Journal of Behavioral Medicine, 31(1) 23-33.
Childs, D. (2007) Mindfulness and the psychology of presence. Psychology and Psychotherap . 80 (3) 367-376.
Teasdale, J. et al (2007) The mindful way through depression: Freeing yourself from chronic unhappiness. New York, NY, US: Guilford Press
Marlatt, G.A. & Bowen, S. (2006), Mindfulness Meditation as a Treatment Intervention. 51 (36).
Zautra, A.J. et al (2008) Comparison of cognitive behavioral and mindfulness meditation interventions on adaptation to rheumatoid arthritis for patients with and without history of recurrent depression. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 76(3) 408-421.
Online publications at QMU eResearch site
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