Pamela Griffiths
Course Leader MSc Couns. In H/C & Rehabilitation - Health Studies
Brunel University
Uxbridge
UB8 3PH
United Kingdom
About Pamela
Academic qualifications
Phd Psychology - School of Psychology, Birkbeck College, University of London and Tavistock Institute
Diploma in Counselling and Psychotherapy (DipPsych) - CCPE, London
MSc Rehabilitation Studies - Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton
Certificate in Education - Garnett College, London
DipTP – Chartered Society of Physiotherapy
Diploma in Physiotherapy (MCSP) – School of Physiotherapy, St Thomas’s Hospital, London
Profile
My professional background is in physiotherapy and psychotherapy. As a physiotherapist I have worked in South Africa in a spinal cord unit and in the Soweto townships, as well as Lesotho, Zimbabwe and the USA. In South Africa I was one of a team where we collected patients in a light aircraft from rural locations and brought them in to the rehabilitation centre. These experiences of working with trauma led me to train as a counsellor and psychotherapist while lecturing full-time on the BSc Physiotherapy. To promote understanding of the psychosocial aspects of patient care I developed the MSc Counselling in Healthcare and Rehabilitation, and was a consultant on similar initiatives in the UK/ Europe. Currently I lecture part-time on the MSc Health Promotion and Public Health leading the Module on ‘Changing Health Behaviour and Educating Communities’ as well as research dissertation supervision on two courses, with contributions to occupational therapy, and physiotherapy.
I have published in the areas of innovatory approaches to learning, communication for medical and health practitioners, counselling in healthcare and rehabilitation, the experience of asylum seekers and refugees, and Holocaust survivors’ experience of giving testimony. I review papers for several journals including Ageing and Society, as well as Physiotherapy Research International, and review books for the British Journal of Psychotherapy and the Healthcare Counselling and Psychotherapy Journal. The main part of my teaching has been with postgraduate inter-disciplinary groups where students draw on their clinical experience to develop their theoretical understanding. I have also given talks and workshops to professional staff groups in hospitals and the community including cancer support groups and schools. More recently these groups have included the staff at the Traumatic Stress Service at the Maudsley Hospital, and therapists at Broadmoor Hospital exploring issues around working with severely traumatized people.
Responsibilities
Committee responsibilities
Past School Committee membership includes: Teaching and Learning Committee, Research Committee, Ethics Committee, Postgraduate Course Leaders Committee and several validating panels for new courses within the School including MSc Neurorehabilitation and Social Work post-qualifying courses.
Current Committees: MSc Health Promotion and Public Health Course Committee, School Communications Working Group (now the Web Working Group), Marketing Working Group.
Admin responsibilities
Currently: Module leader for ‘Changing Health Behaviour and Educating Communities’ module on MSc Health Promotion and Public Health.
Teaching responsibilities
MSc Health Promotion and Public Health with contributions to other courses including BSc Physiotherapy and Occupational Therapy programmes. Research supervision for Masters’ dissertations.
PhD supervision
External assessor on Phd annual progress events for candidates within Occupational Therapy, Physiotherapy and Occupational Health and Safety Management.
Research
Research centres
Research projects and grants
My research has been mainly qualitative with some mixed method approaches and has included the following areas: the needs of adolescents with a physical disability, counselling and psychotherapy as an aspect of rehabilitation, the needs of refugees and asylum seekers from the eastern mediterranean, development of therapeutic approaches in counselling and psychotherapy, and Holocaust survivors’ experience of giving testimony.
I have developed the use of journals and supervision to understand the experience of researching trauma and have given papers on this aspect of qualitative research at occupational therapy masterclasses and international conferences.
Research Centres: Brunel Institute for Ageing Studies (BIAS), Centre for Professional Practice (CPPR), Centre for Research in Rehabilitation (CRR).
Research grants: Brunel University seed grant and step-up grant (both completed).
External
Membership and affiliation
Member of the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy UK (MCSP), UK Council for Psychotherapy registered, British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy Senior Accredited Member (BACP Snr Accred), Fellow of Higher Education Academy (FHEA). Previously: Member of the South African Society of Physiotherapy and Registered Physical Therapist USA (RPT).
Professional activities or recognition
Consultancy: for development of counselling courses for Healthcare professionals, and the setting up of counsellor posts in NHS trusts including participation on selection panels. Advisor to refugee centres (2000). Represented BACP at NICE scoping consultation for Stroke Rehabilitation Guideline development (2009). Reviewer for BACP research tender: Investigating dementia carers’ experiences (2010).
External Examining: East Berkshire College and CCPE, London. Course Validation Panel: for new postgraduate course in School of Psychology, University of East London.
External Committees have included: Executive Committee (London Branch) of Physiotherapists, National Lead Body for Advice, Guidance, Counselling and Psychotherapy and the Management Committee of a Cancer Support Group.
Book publishers: reviewer for book proposals e.g. Nelson Thornes Publishers.
Peer reviewer: journals include Physiotherapy Research International, and Ageing and Society.
Book reviewer: journals include Healthcare Counselling and Psychotherapy Journal, and the British Journal of Psychotherapy.
Conferences
I have regularly presented papers on aspects of qualitative methodology as well as research into traumatic experience both in the UK (e.g. at BACP conferences and the Qualitative Research conferences at Bournemouth) and overseas including: Hungary, Greece, Italy and Canada.Other external activities
I am in private practice as a counsellor and psychotherapist for over 20 years with experience in several clinical approaches and am a supervisor for other clinicians. My continuing professional development in psychotherapy includes annual seminars and short courses. I am a mentor for counsellors and psychotherapists seeking BACP accreditation. In the area of mediation I am active in inter-faith education for over 20 years to promote understanding between different faiths. I am also a meditation teacher, retreat guide, and musician.
Publications
Publications
Journal Papers
(2010) Griffiths, P., Counselling the relatives of people with dementia, Healthcare Counselling and Psychotherapy Journal 10 (3) : 8- 12
(2008) Griffiths, P., Surviving the Holocaust: Strategies used by survivors to cope with their memories, International Journal of Psychotherapy 12 (3) : 35- 46
Conference Papers
(2008) Griffiths, P., The value of personal and fieldwork journals in a qualitative study of traumatic experience, 8th biennial International Qualitative Research Conference
Book Chapters
(2009) Griffiths, P., Understanding the experience of refugees and asylum seekers. In: Bhanot, R. and Illes, E. eds. Best of Language Issues. NATECLA and London South Bank University 253- 259
(2002) Griffiths, P., Two stages of the refugee experience: interviews with refugees and support organisations.. In: Papadopoulos, RK. ed. Therapeutic Care for Refugees: No place like home.. New York : Karnac 189- 212
(2002) Griffiths, P., Counselling in Rehabilitation: the UK story.. In: Etherington, K. ed. Rehabilitation Counselling in Physical and Mental Health.. London : Jessica Kingsley Publishers 27- 45
(1998) Griffiths, P., Rehabilitation Counselling. In: Bayne, RNPHI. ed. Counselling and Communication Skills for Medical and Health Practitioners.. Leicester : British Psychological Society 204- 220
Other publications
Conference Papers:
‘The experience of Kurdish refugees in Greece and the UK’. International Association of Counselling conference, Aristotle University, Thessalonnika, Greece.
‘The experience of giving Holocaust testimony in later life’. Using the war: Changing memories of World War Two conference and member of Round Table discussion. King’s College, London. July 2005.
‘Exploring the therapeutic value of testimony’. European Association of Psychotherapy Conference, Cambridge University, UK. July 2006.
‘Surviving the Holocaust: exploring strategies used by survivors to cope with their memories and implications for researchers’. European Association for Psychotherapy, Florence, Italy. June 2007.
‘The value of personal and fieldwork journals in a qualitative study of traumatic experience’. International Qualitative Research conference, Bournemouth University, September 2008.
‘The value of testimony for elderly survivors of Holocaust trauma: implications for testifying in later life’. University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada. November 2012.
Journal Papers:
Griffiths, P (1993) Rehabilitation Counselling: The development of a new course specialism in British counselling, British Journal of Guidance and Counselling 21,82-94.
Griffiths P (1994) The development of the first Rehabilitation Counselling course in Europe. International Journal for the Advancement of Counselling 17, 71-75.
Griffiths, P (2001) Counselling asylum seekers and refugees: a study of Kurds in early and later stages of exile. European Journal of Psychotherapy, Counselling and Health, 4, 2, 293-313.
Griffiths, P. (2008) Surviving the Holocaust: Strategies used by survivors to cope with their memories. International Journal of Psychotherapy, 12, 3, 35 – 46. November.
Griffiths, P. (2010) Counselling the relatives of people with dementia. Healthcare Counselling and Psychotherapy Journal, 10, 3, 8 – 12.
Griffiths, P. (2012) Addressing depression for people with a chronic physical health problem. Healthcare Counselling and Psychotherapy Journal, 12, 3, 8 – 13.
Book chapters:
Griffiths, P (1998) Rehabilitation Counselling. In Bayne R, Nicolson P, and Horton I. (eds) Counselling and Communication Skills for Medical and Health Practitioners. Leicester: British Psychological Society. pp 204-220.
Griffiths P (2002) Counselling in rehabilitation: the UK story. In Etherington, K. (ed) Rehabilitation Counselling in Physical and Mental Health. London: Jessica Kingsley Publishers. pp 27-45.
Griffiths P, (2002) Two stages of the refugee experience: interviews with refugees and support organisations. In Papadopoulos RK (ed) Therapeutic Care for Refugees: No Place Like Home. London (Tavistock Clinic Series) and New York: Karnac. pp. 189 – 212.
Griffiths, P. (2009) Focus on the learner: understanding the experience of refugees and asylum seekers. In Bhanot, R. and Illes, E. (Eds) Best of Language Issues. (Pp. 253 – 259). London: LLU and South Bank University.
