Trustee
After qualifying as a medical doctor, preparation for an intended career in general practice included a post in psychiatry – and I stayed: It was so interesting and rewarding. My forensic work in prisons and secure units revealed that mentally unwell adults were actually disturbed children; the majority of adults with psychiatric disorder have a history of symptoms starting in early life. This led me to further train as a child psychiatrist and thereafter as a family therapist and psychotherapist for individuals and groups. I came to see that adverse experiences in the early years carried a significant component of spiritual harm as well. As a consultant in NHS practice for over 30 years, involvement in the healing ministry of the Church, and a particular interest in the deliverance ministry, has given me a continuous role in training and support for clergy and pastoral teams.
Commonalities I found between psychology and theology in understanding dis-ease in individuals and society, I put to academic use in study for an MA in interreligious dialogue and an MSc in psychotherapy. I fully trust the potential for health and healing in communities that will lead us to total salvation through Christ’s ministry for all peoples.
