Contact
Expertise Summary
Dr Edward Sellman is Deputy Director of Postgraduate Research. He researches mindfulness, integral and transpersonal psychology and well-being as a member of the Centre for Research in Human Flourishing.
Edward originally trained as an art/primary-school teacher and then worked with children experiencing social, emotional and behavioural difficulties in a range of settings. He is a qualified integrative & transpersonal counsellor, mindfulness teacher and therapist offering sessions in Holotropic Breathwork, SoulCollage and Trauma Release Exercises (see transpersonaltherapies.org.uk). He also works in private-practice and volunteers at a hospice bereavement service.
He acts as a supervisor for research students working toward PhD degrees (principally on integral and transpersonal psychology, mindfulness and well-being in education) and has acted as an external examiner at several UK Universities. He is a course tutor on the MA Trauma Informed Practice, leading the module: 'Practice Perspectives on Dealing with Trauma'. He is also the module convenor of 'Responding Mindfully to Challenging Behaviour', offered on several Masters programmes.
He is co-editor of Restorative Approaches to Conflict in Schools, published by Routledge, and is currently working on several writing projects about mental health and mindfulness in education.
Orcid ID
ResearchGate Profile
Research Summary
His research and teaching interests include:
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Contemplation, mindfulness, inner-work, consciousness and education
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Integral and transpersonal theory, soulfulness in education and therapy
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Creativity and integration of peak experiences, journaling
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Perinatal and early-childhood trauma, counselling and the pedagogy of the therapeutic relationship
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Conflict resolution, restorative and trauma-informed approaches in schools
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Mental well-being, non-pathologising approaches to mental health, human flourishing
Prospective PhD Applications
I have limited capacity for doctoral supervision and will only be seeking 1-2 new doctoral students for entry in Autumn 2025. I will only consider supervising projects that relate to the research topics listed above. If you are interested in applying you will need to have a draft proposal ready before contacting me. Please email me if you would like to discuss the appropriateness of your research topic.
Ongoing research projects:
- Learning from and integrating peak experiences/extraordinary states of consciousness.
- Creative Lives Project - interviews with distinguished artists from a diversity of disciplines about the relationship between creativity and well-being.
Completed research projects:
- Positive Education and Mindfulness at Trent College, Nottingham, 2016-19
- Mindfulness and staff self-care within HE, 2016-17
- Mindfulness and staff self-care within the fire service, 2015-16
- NIHR Collaborations for Leadership in Applied Health Research & Care (Notts, Derbys & Lincs) - Evaluation of Group ADHD Parenting Programme (with Dr Martin Batty, Dr Kapil Sayal & Dr Janine Coates), 2010-13
- Mighty Creatives/Arts Partnership Nottinghamshire - Working with artists to promote outcomes for Looked After Children, 2011-12
- ESRC Seminar Series- Inter-disciplinary Perspectives on Restorative Approaches to Conflict in Schools: Exploring International Theory and Practice (with Dr Hilary Cremin, University of Cambridge & Dr Gillean McCluskey, University of Edinburgh), 2010-11
- Nottinghamshire Targeted Mental Health Services/Arts Partnership Nottinghamshire - Working with artists to promote mental well-being at four Nottinghamshire Schools (with City Arts), 2010-11
- DfiD/MUNDI Global Education Centre- Evaluation of Global Voices: Creative Approaches for International Education in Special Schools, 2009-11
- Catholic Children's Society - An Evaluation of the Effectiveness of an Independent Social Work Service in Three Schools (with Dr Belinda Harris & Dr Max Biddulph), 2009-10
- Arts Partnership Nottinghamshire - An Evaluation of Arts Projects Working with Young People Not in Education, Employment or Training (with Pr Pat Thomson & Pr Chris Hall), 2008-11
- School of Education Small Grant- Students as Researchers at Special Schools, 2007-08
- NRDC- Evaluation of Learning for Living Materials, Project Director, 2007
- ESRC Priority Network- 'Pathways Into and Out of Crime', Researcher, University. of Sheffield, 2002-03
- DfES- 'Study of Young People Excluded from School, Researcher, University. of Birmingham, 2000-02
- Mental Health Foundation- 'The Mental Health Needs of Children with EBD'. Project Director (with Dr Ted Cole, Pr. Harry Daniels & Dr John Visser), University. of Birmingham, 2001-02
- CSV Millennium Award- 'Peer-mediation action-research', University. of Birmingham, 2001
Edward is a member of the Centre for Research in Human Flourishing. His research supervision areas include:
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Contemplation, mindfulness, inner-work, consciousness and education
-
Integral and transpersonal theory, soulfulness in education and therapy
-
Creativity and integration of peak experiences/extraordinary states of consciousness, journaling
-
Perinatal and early-childhood trauma, counselling and the pedagogy of the therapeutic relationship
-
Conflict resolution, restorative and trauma-informed approaches in schools
-
Mental well-being, non-pathologising approaches to mental health, human flourishing
Prospective PhD Applications
I have limited capacity for doctoral supervision and will only be seeking 1-2 new doctoral students for entry in Autumn 2025. I will only consider supervising projects that relate to the research topics listed above. If you are interested in applying you will need to have a draft proposal ready before contacting me. Please email me if you would like to discuss the appropriateness of your research topic.