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Biography
Professor Thomas Schröder is the former Nottingham Director of the Trent Doctorate in Clinical Psychology, organised by the School of Medicine's Mental Health and Clinical Neurosciences Unit in collaboration with Lincoln University's Department of Psychology and three local NHS Trusts. He established this three-year full-time programme in 2005, directed it until 2010, and co-directed it until 2020. It is approved by the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) and accredited by the British Psychological Society (BPS) and leads to a professional qualification in Clinical Psychology (Doctor of Clinical Psychology - DClinPsy).
Prof Schröder began his academic studies in Hamburg where he read Law and Psychology and gained his first degree (Vordiplom) in 1974. After moving to the UK he studied Social Work at the London School of Economics and subsequently obtained Master's degrees in Clinical Psychology from the University of Birmingham and Psychotherapy from the University of Warwick. He received his PhD from the University of Warwick in 1999.
Before taking up a full-time post with the University in 2011, he was seconded from Derbyshire Healthcare NHS Trust, where he worked for 25 years as a Consultant Clinical Psychologist and Head of the Psychotherapy Specialty. He is a Registered Clinical and Counselling Psychologist (HCPC), Chartered Psychologist (BPS) Registered Psychologist Specialising in Psychotherapy - Senior Practitioner (BPS) and has previously been registered as a Psychoanalytic Psychotherapist (UKCP). Before coming to Derby he worked for the NHS in Birmingham and Rugby and for the National Marriage Guidance Council in Bristol. He is now an Honorary Consultant Clinical Psychologist with Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust.
Clinically, Prof Schröder treats complex and enduring mental health problems, working with individuals, couples and groups. He is currently associated with the Centre for Trauma, Resilience and Growth in Nottingham. His research interests include the professional development of therapists, difficulties in psychotherapeutic practice, and self-conscious emotions in psychological therapy and supervision. He is a past International vice-president of the Society for Psychotherapy Research, a Trustee of the Compassionate Mind Foundation, a Senior Fellow of the Institute of Mental Health and a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.
Expertise Summary
Clinical Practice
Over the past 40 years Prof Schröder has developed his specialist clinical expertise by practising in a variety of settings - including the NHS, Social Services, the third sector, Higher Education and independent practice - building on his training in a range of models acquired in a number of different centres, such as client-centred therapy (University of Hamburg), social case work (London School of Economics),behavioural and cognitive treatments (University of Birmingham), psycho-analytic therapy (Tavistock Clinic, London) and evidence based integrative approaches (University of Warwick). In the NHS he has been leading the psychology team within a large multi-disciplinary therapy service, spanning a range of treatment modalities (individual, group, couple, family) and delivering supervision, training and consultation to specialist practitioners and to the wider health community. Clinical leadership has been an important element in establishing a professional doctorate that is closely integrated with health and social care services, and in maintaining the confidence of stakeholders and commissioners.
Professional Training and Development
Prof Schröder has been consulting to healthcare professionals and supervising psychologists, psychotherapists and counsellors for 40 years. He has been involved in designing and delivering training for voluntary agencies (Marriage Guidance, Westminster Pastoral Foundation), been joint organiser of a comprehensive multi-disciplinary training for psychotherapists in the NHS (South Trent Training), established an in-service Masters programme delivered by the NHS in collaboration with Derby University, and designed a professional doctorate as a framework for the professional development of qualified specialist practitioners. He is active in providing Continuing Professional Development to clinicians in the UK and has been invited to teach workshops in Austria, Germany, Italy and Portugal.
Service Evaluation and Audit
Practice-based evidence complements the information gathered in clinical trials. In his NHS practice, Prof Schröder has developed skills and knowledge in tailoring outcome measures to therapy services and in designing evaluation packages that can be integrated into routine clinical practice.
Research Summary
Prof Schröder's main research involvement is in the International Study of the Development of Psychotherapists (ISPDP); he is currently the UK member on the study's steering committee. The ISPDP - a… read more
Current Research
Prof Schröder's main research involvement is in the International Study of the Development of Psychotherapists (ISPDP); he is currently the UK member on the study's steering committee. The ISPDP - a collaborative project that is not dependent on external funding - is by far the largest study of therapist development, having surveyed over 12,000 therapists in more than 30 countries so far. Targeted data collection is ongoing and there are a number of parallel projects using the existing data base. Dr Schröder's current focus is on therapists' boundary maintenance and on difficulties in therapeutic practice. He has presented aspects of his research at some 30 international conferences.
He is currently supervising 12 doctoral theses on topics including trauma-specific interventions, therapy process, managing difficulties in supervision, working with homeless people, and veterans' family life and adjustment.