ŠÊ˜·³ÇëŠ×ÓÍÆË]

Catriona Keane - Chair

My degrees in Psychotherapy, Psychology and Child and Adolescent Art Psychotherapy led me to gain extensive experience in various mental health settings and enabled me to refine the client group I wanted to specialise in, that is working with students. I have spent the last twelve years working in Universities as a Counsellor both in Ireland and the UK and I am currently thinking about how art methods can be integrated into clinical settings in higher education.Ìý

I am Head of Student Wellbeing and Counsellor at Magdalene College, Cambridge and I am motivated by the multi-faceted nature of the executive committee role and the opportunity to shape, strengthen and build on the existing welfare provision for students in the third level sector. I am also interested to see the evolution of the mental health provision in particular with the acceleration of AI developments and I am curious to see how it may or may not fit with current mental health provisions.Ìý

Email: cmk73@cam.ac.ukÌý

��Afra Turner, Chair of the Research SIG

Afra Turner has over 25 years’ clinical and supervisory experience in the Higher Education sector. Originally qualified as a Psychodynamic Counsellor/Psychotherapist from Birkbeck University of London in 1998, she took additional training as a Cognitive Behaviour Therapist, at the University of Oxford in 2011. More recently she successfully completed her Doctorate in Psychotherapy looking at the development of therapists working in the HE sectors, at Metanoia Institute.

Afra currently works in the Counselling and Mental Health Support Team at Kings College London, as a Senior counselling practitioner and supervisor. She also is the external clinical supervisor for student counselling practitioners at two other London University Counselling Services.

Afra currently serves as an Executive member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (ŠÊ˜·³ÇëŠ×ÓÍÆË]) University and Colleges Division and is the Chair of the UC Research special interest group. In addition, she is chair of Student Counselling Outcomes Research and Evaluation (SCORE), a practice research network (PRN) formed in 2018 by practitioners working in HE, professional body staff and HE researchers. A year ago Afra joined the UK Chapter of the Society for Psychotherapy Research (SPR) Local Committee, to collaborate on psychotherapy research events.

Email:  afra.turner@kcl.ac.uk

Ayan Ali, Chair of Staff Counselling SIG

In addition to the Executive Committee role, I’m the Chair of the Staff Counselling Special Interest Group. I work part-time as the Senior Staff Counsellor at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE). I’m a former teacher with a decade of counselling experience in London universities alongside mental health mentoring, facilitating reflective practice groups and training, coaching, and consulting. I'm keen to find ways to improve mental health in our pressured learning and working environments for both staff and students. An interest in working in a systemic way and addressing underlying issues has led to further training (MA in Consulting and Leading in Organisations).ÌýÌý

Email: a.ali34@lse.ac.ukÌý

Allie Scott, Chair of Head of University Counselling Services (HUCS)

My background in psychology and community education has shaped my longstanding commitment to mental health, social justice and inclusive access to learning. Over the past two decades, I’ve worked across the voluntary and education sectors, supporting young offenders, individuals with complex mental health needs and those unable to engage in formal education—experiences which ultimately led me to specialise in working with students in higher education.

I'm currently the Mental Health & Counselling Manager at the University of the Highlands and Islands, where I lead a regional service across multiple campuses. I'm a ŠÊ˜·³ÇëŠ×ÓÍÆË] accredited pluralistic counsellor and a qualified supervisor for both in-person and online work. I also train and facilitate across counselling courses, Scottish Mental Health First Aid and ASIST.

In addition to my role at UHI, I'm a member of the Scottish Heads of University Counselling Services (SHUCS), Co-Chair of the Mental Wellbeing in Higher Education Expert Group (Advance HE), and Co-Chair for the College Counselling Network Scotland Group. I'm passionate about embedding mental health into the fabric of university life and supporting the sector to evolve in a complex and changing world.

SeeÌýSpecial interest groupsÌýfor details of our HUCS, FE and Staff Counselling sub committees

Emma Wingate

Emma has worked in Higher Education as a Counsellor for over 13 years and is currently a Senior Wellbeing Practitioner (Counselling) at the University of the West of England Bristol. She also has a private practice providing Reflective Supervision across professions including education professionals and the charity sector. She has worked extensively with diverse student populations, providing individual counselling, crisis intervention, and wellness workshops. Her career has been marked by a commitment to fostering supportive and inclusive environments within various types of academic institutions.

Emma recently gave a TED X talk on the Topic of Wellbeing in Education and is interested in bringing creative approaches to mental health and wellbeing including having commissioned a play about the university experience. In her executive role, Emma hopes to help colleagues connect and share best practice across the sector in order to address the unique challenges faced by students in further and higher education.

Kate Ashley, Editor, University and College Counselling

I'm an integrative therapist working in private practice and editor of the ŠÊ˜·³ÇëŠ×ÓÍÆË]'s University and College Counselling journal. My core training includes a Level 4 Certificate in Counselling and MA in Counselling and Psychotherapy, both from the University of the West of England and I draw from person-centred, psychodynamic and Gestalt modalities, as well as parts work and social justice approaches. I'm a member of ŠÊ˜·³ÇëŠ×ÓÍÆË], CaPPP, Talk to the Rainbow and a network of local queer therapists. I live and work in Bristol.

Email:Ìýucc.editorial@bacp.co.uk