Adrian Thackeray

Biography

Adrian is a lecturer in mental health nursing based at the Colchester campus. He received a Vice Chancellors award and first class honours when qualifying as a Registered Mental Health Nurse with Anglia Ruskin University, Chelmsford. Within a year of starting clinical practice Adrian was invited to undertake an extended role of Recovery Champion within a mental health trust where he developed training materials in recovery-focused practice with an emphasis on upholding humanistic and individualised care pathways. This led to working within a team who developed early designs and curriculum for what is now known as Recovery Colleges. Being mentored by Dr. Marius Romme and Dr. Sandra Escher (founders if the Hearing Voices Movement) was a highlight of his professional career. Through their guidance Adrian learned the importance of understanding the role of the voice-hearing experience and how to interpret the meaning behind psychosis as a key to the individuals recovery. His other areas of specialism include Solution Focused Brief Therapy (as mentored by Dave Hawkes - creator of the VERA Model), WRAP, PATH, Suicide, Self-Harm and Recovery-Based interventions. Adrian was invited to write a chapter for the Open University Press on two recovery tools; Wellness Recovery Action Plan & Planning Alternative Tomorrows with Hope and has had an article translated to Dutch for a Hearing Voices journal. Following appointment at the University of Suffolk in 2017 he went on to become Deputy Course Leader for the BSc (Hons) Mental Health Nursing programme and Admissions Tutor prior to commencing his role at the University of Essex in March 2021 as Lecturer in Nursing. His clinical experience includes working for NHS111 as a Crisis Response Mental Health Nurse and predominently working within open rehabilitation inpatient environments working alongside individuals who had experienced medium secure mental health settings with a range of mental health diagnoses including; schizophrenia, personality and bi-polar disorders. He also has experience of undertaking therapy with individuals who have experienced prolonged trauma and abusive backgrounds. Adrian has worked closely with a variety of individuals from high secure psychiatric hospital settings for example; Broadmoor and Rampton hospitals. He also has experience and clinical practice of the Voice Dialogue Approach. Adrian's specialsms in psychological therapy include; CBT, Cognitive Analytic Therapy and Solution-Focused Brief Therapy.

Qualifications

• BSc (First Class Hons) Nursing. (Mental Health) Anglia Ruskin University, (2011)

Appointments

University of Essex

• Lecturer - Mental Health Nursing, School of Health and Social Care, University of Essex (16/3/2021 - present)

Other academic

• Lecturer (2017-2021) / Deputy Course Leader (2020-2021), School of Health and Society, University of Suffolk (15/8/2017 - 15/3/2021)