Dr Amanda Diserholt

I joined the psychology department at CCCU in October 2021, shortly after being awarded my PhD in Psychology from Edinburgh Napier University. My PhD research explored Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME)/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS), examining both individual and sociocultural factors in its experience, formation, and development. My teaching and research focus on critical health psychology, psychoanalysis, and qualitative research methods. While I have experience with various qualitative approaches such as thematic analysis and interpretative phenomenological analysis, my speciality lies in discourse analysis—particularly Lacanian discourse analysis. This approach draws on the psychoanalytic theory of Jacques Lacan in interpreting language.

I am a Lecturer in Psychology in the School of Psychology and Life Sciences at Canterbury Christ Church University. I am an Associate Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and my subject speciality lies in critical health psychology, qualitative research methods, and psychoanalysis. I am particularly involved in teaching qualitative research methods, covering a range of approaches including thematic analysis, interpretative phenomenological analysis, and various forms of discourse analysis such as discursive psychology, critical discourse analysis, and Lacanian discourse analysis. I supervise both undergraduate and postgraduate research projects in these areas, encouraging critical thinking and methodological rigour in my students' work.

My research interests centre on how individual and sociocultural factors shape contemporary health experiences, as exemplified by my PhD work on ME/CFS. For my PhD, I interviewed individuals diagnosed with ME/CFS and analysed the interview transcripts using Lacanian discourse analysis. This approach allowed me to explore both the personal narratives and the broader societal discourses surrounding the condition. As a researcher, I am committed to exploring the interplay between social and personal factors in health experiences and phenomena. By refusing to reduce health issues solely to either a social or personal realm, we can gain richer insights into the complex nature of symptom formation and experiences. In my current research, I continue to investigate how unique personal experiences and meaning-making processes interact with dominant sociocultural ideas and practices in relation to contemporary suffering. At present, I'm examining online counselling/psychoanalytic therapy experiences from patients' perspectives, with plans to incorporate practitioners' views as well.

Since 2016, I have served as the Secretary of "Lacan in Scotland," a non-profit research group affiliated with Edinburgh Napier University. We host monthly public seminars—now conducted online—featuring guest speakers from around the world. These experts present on relevant, contemporary topics from a Lacanian psychoanalytic perspective and engage in lively discussions with the audience. I am involved in editing these events and uploading them to our Lacan in Scotland YouTube channel.