Catriona Dillingham is a Lecturer in Occupational Therapy in the Division of Occupational Therapy and Arts Therapies.
- Overview
- Research Interests
- Teaching & Learning
- Activities & Awards
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's in Professional and Higher Education with Distinction in 2017, both from Queen Margaret University.
Her practice and leadership background is 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 neurodivergent people 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 Entrepreneurship 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 Informed Approaches and Entrepreneurialism.
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:
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 Master's 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, well-being, group work, social policy, reflexivity, cognitive behavioural 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)
