Dr Ceri Phelps BA(Hons), MPhil, PhD, CPsychol, CSci, AFBPsS

I have been in a leadership role in the Academic Discipline of Psychology and Counselling since 2015.  I was Academic Director from 2015-2022 and am currently in the post of Assistant Academic Director.   I am programme manager of the MSc Applied Psychology programme and engaged in PhD supervision. I am the strategic lead for UWTSD’s Psychological Evaluation and Research Consultancy Hwb (PERCH), and the Centre for Children and Young People’s Mental Wellbeing. I am also Chair of the Institute of Education and Humanities Research Committee.

I have been part of the Psychology and Counselling team at Swansea Metropolitan University/UWTSD Swansea since 2008, and contribute to teaching and supervision on both the undergraduate and postgraduate courses within the School.  Prior to this I completed my PhD at Cardiff University within the Institute of Medical Genetics, exploring the psychological impact of genetic testing. I am a HCPC registered Health Psychologist with expertise in understanding how people respond to stressful life events, particularly threats to our health and wellbeing. I have previously worked for the Health and Safety Laboratory (HSL) a research agency of the UK Health and Safety Eexcutive (HSE) where I worked on projects within the applied work psychology section, including exploring the impact of stress in call centres, mental health in agriculture, and shiftwork, fatigue and human error.

• Associate Fellow of British Psychological Society
• Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (SFHEA)
• Practicing Psychologist, Registered by Health and Care Professions Council
• Chartered Psychologist
• Chartered Scientist
• Full member of the Division of Health Psychology, BPS.

My main academic teaching areas are in applied psychology and research ethics at both undergraduate and postgraduate level, including health psychology, occupational psychology, and behaviour change.  I am also Director of Studies for a number of PhD students within the area of applied psychology and counselling.

My current research interests span across the field of Applied Psychology.  I am passionate about using theory based research to help identify and improve a range of individual, organisational and societal issues.  Current research interests include psycho-oncology, workplace health and wellbeing, human-centred design and intervention development and evaluation.

I have over 20 years’ experience of applied health psychology research, and have worked for government agencies as well as in academic institutions. I am registered by the Health Professions Council as a practicing Health Psychologist.  I am vice chair of an NHS Research Ethics Committee in Wales and have a keen interest in coaching and mentoring.  Recently I have helped to develop WG resources for the education sector in Wales during COVID-19, am the module lead for the National MA Wales Education programme's Emotional and Mental Health and Wellbeing Module, and am also leading UWTSD's new Centre for Children and Young People's Mental Wellbeing.

BPS Register of Applied Psychology Supervisors

Assistant Test User: Occupational Qualification

Test User: Occupational Ability Qualification

Test User: Occupational Personality Qualification

Register of Qualifications in Test Use (RQTU)

I have been engaged with research consultancy on a number of projects within Tenovus Cancer Care.  Please see the School of Psychology for further details of our consultancy projects that sit under our Psychological Evaluation and Research Consultancy Hub (PERCH)

Rendón-Guerrero, Y.,  Bendall, A., Jenkins, S.,  Bartlett, G., Phelps, C., & Hutchings, P. B. (2023). Using a Mixed-Method Approach incorporating Virtual Reality to Co-create Future Higher Education Workspaces: Performance, Health and Wellbeing in a Post COVID-19 Academic Environment.  Paper accepted for Cumulus Antwerp Conference. 

Neal, J., Hutchings, P. B., Phelps, C., & Williams, D. (2022). Football and Dementia: Understanding the  Link. Front. Psychiatry 13:849876. doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2022.849876

Hughes, O., Hutchings, P. B., & Phelps, C. (2021). Stigma, social appearance anxiety and coping in men and women living with skin conditions: A mixed methods analysis. Skin Health and Disease, e73.

Williams, K. E., Hutchings, P. B., & Phelps, C. (2021). Beyond learning in higher education: an evaluation of the ‘Life Design’ initiative to improve student employability. Studies in Higher Education, 1-15.

Baker, A.M. & Phelps, C. (2019) A changing identity: A focus group study of the experiences of women diagnosed with secondary breast cancer.  Cancer Nursing Practice,18,2.

Phelps, C., Minou, M., Baker, A., Hughes, C., French, H., Hawkins, W., Leeuwenberg, A., Crabtree, R. and Hutchings, P. B. (2017).  Necessary but not sufficient? Engaging young people in the development of an avatar-based online intervention designed to provide psychosocial support to young people affected by their own or a family member's cancer diagnosis. Health Expectations, 20: 459–470. doi:10.1111/hex.12473

Pearce, S., Evans, A., Phelps, C., Matthews, M., Hughes, G., & Lewis, I. (2016). The case for targeting community pharmacy‐led health improvement: Findings from a skin cancer campaign in Wales. International Journal of Pharmacy Practice, 24(5), 333-340

* Phelps, C., Butler, C., Cousins, A., & Hughes, C. (2015). Sowing the seeds or failing to blossom? A feasibility study of a simple ecotherapy-based intervention in women affected by breast cancer. Ecancermedicalscience, 9, 602. http://doi.org/10.3332/ecancer.2015.602

Phelps C., Bennett P; Hood K., Brain K., & Murray A. (2013). A self-help coping intervention can reduce anxiety and avoidant health behaviours whilst waiting for cancer genetic risk information: results of a phase III randomised trial  Psycho-Oncology, 22(4), 837-834

Grants/Research Funding

May 2022–May 2023: HEFCW Enterprise & Innovation Champion: Project WAW: Recognising the impact of sustainable Wellbeing at Work Initiatives: what works; for who; and why? (40K)

Sept 22–March 23: An evaluation of the Dementia Hwb Swansea (15k)

Sept 22–Sept 23: “Ymdaith evaluation”: A feasibility trial of the impact of UWTSD’s Widening Access Initiative “Ymdaith” on the confidence and motivations of year 12/13 pupils in relation to HE choices (30K)

March 22–March 23: The WellSPACE project: Exploring the link between workspaces, wellbeing, and academic work

2018–2022:  KESS II PhD studentship award:  (52K)

2016–17: Psychosocial Evaluation of Nurse-led Cancer Call-back Service; Tenovus Cancer Care  (12k)

2013- 2015 C:EVOLVE online counselling;  Tenovus Cancer Care  (28K)

2010- 2014  Ecotherapy and cancer; Tenovus Cancer Care (30K)

2006-2009 The CARIAD trial Welsh Govt. (90K)

2007-2012:  PsyFOCS (co-applicant) Bupa Foundation 230K

Positions and Professional Affiliations

Vice-chair of HCRW NHS Wales Research Ethics Committee REC 7 (West Wales)

Board Member: Wales Health and Social Care Research for Public & Patient Benefit (RfPPB) Funding Panel: 2018-current

Committee Member: Dementia Friendly Swansea