CPD Doctorate in Educational Psychology Alumni

Dr Melanie Adkins' profile (DEdPsy 2014)

What is your current role?
I am a Senior Specialist Educational Psychologist, Play Therapist and an Academic Tutor

What did you find particularly useful about the CPD Doctorate in Educational Psychology programme at UCL?
I completed the DEdPsy at UCL from 2008 to 2014. I had been working in a Local Authority (LA) as an Educational Psychologist since completing the MSc at the Tavistock Centre in 2006. I wanted to gain a different experience for my Doctorate and chose UCL as a direct contrast. I am pleased I made this decision as it has widened my breadth of knowledge and experience as an applied Psychologist.

How has doing the DEdPsy at UCL developed your CPD / career?
I became a Senior Specialist Educational Psychologist in 2008 with the TAMHS project and therefore most of my professional assignments were on aspects linked to SEMH, such as pre-school autism and self-harming behaviours, nurture groups, accessing children’s’ views of services and attachment training. I also completed my training as a Play therapist in 2009. For my research, I decided to combine Play Therapy (PT) and Educational Psychology and evaluate the PT Service I delivered in my LA. Three years on from completing my DEdPsy, the service now has three other EP/Play Therapists as well as myself.

I feel that the doctorate gave me the confidence to believe in the outcomes I was providing for children and to share this with others. This year I have been seconded as an Academic Tutor on the initial training doctorate at the Tavistock Centre. I am fully aware that my ability to do this well is reliant on my original training, my LA practice and the experience I gained on the doctorate at UCL.

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