Current Research:
Reacting to hallucinations is often considered by both society and professionals to be the most concerning feature of a mental illness. Command hallucinations are portrayed regularly in the media and are a focus in treatment within hospital settings. However, these types of hallucinations are not well understood, and recent research shows they are highly complex features of the voice-hearing experience. With an improved understanding as to how social, cultural, and overall external factors can influence mental health, it is important to re-examine command hallucinations in an attempt to better understand them as a symptom. This research is urgently needed to support those who suffer from command hallucinations, but also to inform social attitudes in understanding the very human experience of feeling internally commanded to act.
My PhD research aims to systematically investigate command hallucinations through a social, cultural, and clinical approach using a mixed methods design. This project is supervised by Professor Ben Alderson-Day and Professor Angela Woods at Durham University, and Professor Rob Dudley at York University.
Background:
I completed my undergraduate degree in Psychology at the University of California, Santa Barbara. I then obtained my MSc in Forensic Psychology from Newcastle University. I have worked in both clinical and forensic settings in America and England, working with children and adults with mental health difficulties. In addition to my PhD, I am currently employed by the NHS with CNTW’s Psychosis Research Unit. I have a history of working in the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, the Virginia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services, and many mental health charities.
