Lecturer

OTAT

Division: Occupational Therapy & Arts Therapies

Tel: 0131 474 0000

Catriona Dillingham is a Lecturer in Occupational Therapy in the Division of Occupational Therapy and Arts Therapies.

Catriona joined Queen Margaret University in 2013, as a lecturer in Occupational Therapy in the Division of Occupational Therapy and Art Therapies; on the MSc in Occupational Therapy Pre-registration and later on the Masters in Occupational Therapy Pre-registration Programmes.  

In 1996, Catriona graduated with a BSc (Hons) in Occupational Therapy and went on to complete a Masters in Professional and Higher Education with Distinction in 2017, both from Queen Margaret University. 

Her practice and leadership background are in the areas of community and primary care    mental health, psychological therapies, Group Work and Adults with Attention Deficit (Hyperactivity) Disorder, where she was instrumental in developing the first intervention service for Neurodiverse adults in Scotland. 

Catriona has gained valuable experience from having previously undertaken both Programme Leadership and Admissions Tutor roles and taking a lead role in the final revalidation of the MSc in Occupational Pre=registration. Catriona has a lead role in developing resources and guidance to support graduates seeking international Occupational Therapy accreditation. She is also a member of the University’s Entrepreunship and Innovation Group. 

Catriona’s professional interests include Masters Transitions, Values-Based Practice and Education, Social/Occupational Justice and Adults with ADHD, Neurodiversity, Democratic Inclusion of Experts by Experience in Higher Education, Adversity and Trauma and Entreprenurialism.  

Externally collaborates with the NHS Lothian Adult ASD and ADHD Resource Team, Thrive (Supporting University Students’ Mental Wellbeing) and OT4OT group of Occupational Therapists using digital technology to advance Occupational Therapy Practice. Catriona has presented at a variety of conferences. 

  • Member of BAOT
  • HCPC Registrant
  • Fellow of Higher Education Academy

Professional LinkedIn/Facebook/Twitter or other social media: 

Catriona Dillingham Twitter

Founder/Moderator of QMUOT Facebook

Founder/Moderator for Community of Practice AdultADHD4OT

As part of her Masters Catriona completed an extended literature review entitled A Review of Non-Pharmacological and Occupation Focused Occupational Therapy Interventions for Adults with ADHD. This scholarship led to the founding of an international online community of practice AdultADHD4OT, comprising practitioners, researchers and experts by experience.

Catriona also completed an extended research proposal entitled Using Phenomenography to Understand Occupational Therapy Educators’ Experiences of Values Based Interviewing in Postgraduate Education for her Masters dissertation. This scholarship led to the development of Values Based Recruitment, within the recruitment of Pre-registration Occupational Therapy learners at Queen Margaret University.

Research Methods:
Phenomenography

Catriona has been involved in teaching and learning on both the BSc (Hons) and MSc in Occupational Therapy Pre-registration since 2013.

She has facilitated learning around mental health, recovery, values-based practice, neurodiversity, wellbeing, group work, social policy, reflexivity, cognitive behavioral approaches, professional reasoning and motivational interviewing.

Academic Awards:

2017 Bupa Excellence in Research Award Queen Margaret University

2017 MSc in Professional and Higher Education with Distinction

2017 Fellow of the Higher Education Academy

2014-2015 Queen Margaret University Student Teaching and Representation (STaR): Dissertation Supervision

Validation Panels:

2020- Member of Validation for the Integrated Masters in Occupational Therapy

2016- Leading Revalidation for the PgDip/MSc Occupational Therapy (pre reg)