Debbie Livingston

PhD Student

Biography

Debbie has an MA in transpersonal counselling & psychotherapy (2004) and holds a master practitioner certificate in eating disorders and obesity (2001, 2012). She completed Cognitive Behavioural Therapy training at the Oxford Cognitive Therapy Centre and continues to pursue professional development, including currently studying a PhD in professional practice researching the needs of clinicians and supervisors when working with autistic clients. Debbie has been a psychotherapist since 1999 and established her private practice in 2001. She trained and qualified as a UKCP supervisor (2016). She worked in an NHS eating disorders service (2005-2018), held a position on the UKCP Humanistic and Integrative Psychotherapy College complaints and ethics committee and was a member of the review group for the central complaints and conduct process.  She was chair of  Reading Therapies Group (2010-2017) which offered 8 hours of CPD to local psychological practitioners. She worked with Bridge Pastoral Foundation as a facilitator and lecturer on their 4-year advanced diploma course at Daoui Abbey, and more recently has lectured to staff and students on neurodiversity, autism and eating disorders at CCPE. Debbie currently shares her time between her PhD studies, her busy private practice and as an academic marker and workshop facilitator at CCPE.

PhD research

Debbie’s research focuses on the experiences of psychological clinicians working with autistic clients. The study sets out to identify and define the gaps in supervision support, theoretical and experiential knowledge, and clinical experience. The research explores what might be needed to support their clinical work, and personal and professional development to better support their clients’ unique needs.