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Dr Fergal Jones

Research Director

School of Psychology and Life Sciences

I am a Reader in Clinical Psychology and Research Director of the Clinical Psychology Doctorate at Salomons Institute for Applied Psychology, CCCU.

I joined Salomons Institute for Applied Psychology, Canterbury Christ Church University, in 2008 and currently lead the research strand of the Clinical Psychology Doctorate. I also work part-time in Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust as a Consultant Clinical Psychologist in Sussex Mindfulness Centre. Prior to joining the university, I worked full time in the NHS, dividing my time between a community mental health team for working age adults and a psychological therapies service.

My main clinical experience is with adults with common mental health problems and NHS staff, and my main therapeutic approaches are cognitive behavioural therapy (BABCP accredited) and mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (BAMBA registered).  

I oversee the research teaching on the Clinical Psychology Doctorate offered by Salomons Institute for Applied Psychology. In my NHS role, I convene mindfulness teacher training at Sussex Mindfulness Centre. 

My research covers a relatively wide range of interests, with the primary strand concerning mindfulness-based, acceptance-based and compassion-focussed approaches. Before training in clinical psychology at the University of Surrey, I completed a PhD in experimental psychology at the University of Cambridge, and therefore have an interest in how theories of learning and cognition can help us understanding and alleviate clinical problems. 

Research Projects

  • “The Self and the Sacred: Exploring the relationships between experiences deemed spiritual or religious and beliefs using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis.”. Researcher(s): Dr James Murphy. Supervisor(s): Dr Fergal Jones, Dr Dennis Nigbur. [Postgraduate Research Project]
  • Alcohol electronic interventions: Exploring factors that affect engagement and drinking-related intentions in university student populations.. Researcher(s): Mr Tom Prosser. Supervisor(s): Dr James Cane, Dr Fergal Jones. [Postgraduate Research Project]
  • An examination of dose in mindfulness-based programs and mindfulness practice through a dose-response meta-regression and randomised controlled experiments. Researcher(s): Dr SARAH STROHMAIER. Supervisor(s): Dr Fergal Jones, Professor Margie Callanan, Dr James Cane. [Postgraduate Research Project]
  • An Investigation of the Factors Predicting Outcomes in CBT. Researcher(s): Mr Daniel Brown. Supervisor(s): Dr Fergal Jones, Professor Alex Hassett. [Postgraduate Research Project]
  • Investigation into the metalization and metacognitions in a CBT context and their impact on clients’ within and out of session engagement and treatment outcome.. Researcher(s): Mrs Monika Wilde. Supervisor(s): Dr Sue Holttum, Dr Fergal Jones, Dr Daniel Salter. [Postgraduate Research Project]
  • Primary-smART (Primary school mentalisation-based art therapy): intervention development and optimisation. Researcher(s): Ms Alex McDonald. Supervisor(s): Dr Sue Holttum, Dr Fergal Jones. [Postgraduate Research Project]
  • Study engagement in nursing students. Researcher(s): Miss Mei Chen. Supervisor(s): Dr Fergal Jones, Professor Alex Hassett. [Postgraduate Research Project]
  • The intersectionality of therapy, the therapeutic relationship and mindfulness.. Researcher(s): Ms Julia Hutchinson. Supervisor(s): Dr Gemma Griffith, Dr Fergal Jones. [Postgraduate Research Project]

My research is frequently conducted in collaboration with colleagues in the NHS, the University of Exeter, the University of Sussex and/or Sussex Mindfulness Centre. For example, I was recently part of the team that conducted an NIHR funded RCT of a mindfulness-based, guided, self-help intervention in Improving Access to Psychological Therapies services; see

https://trialsjournal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13063-020-04322-1

Previously, I was part of the CCCU team that worked with Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust on two Knowledge Transfer Partnerships, and I’ve supported Citizens Advice 1066 in evaluating their services.

ResearchGate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Fergal-Jones

Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=_pZ0uLYAAAAJ&hl=en

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Contact me

fergal.jones@canterbury.ac.uk
01227 927110

Based in

Faculty of Science, Engineering and Social Sciences
School of Psychology and Life Sciences
Salomons Institute for Applied Psychology