Dr Warren Mansell BAHons (Cantab) DPHil DCLinPsy CPsychol

Co-chair of the Scientific Committee of the Annual Conference of the British Association of Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapies (BABCP) 2008/9 onwards

Member of the Scientific Committee of the Annual Conference of the British BABCP 2000 onwards

Chair of the BABCP Special Interest Group on Control Theory

Member of the British Psychological Society; Chartered Clinical Psychologist

Member of the University of Manchester Division of Clinical Psychology Research Subcommittee

Member of the Scientific Committee of the World Congress of Cognitive Therapy Barcelona 2007

Member of the Scientific Committee of the World Congress of Cognitive Therapy Boston 2010

Member of the Editorial Board of the Journal, Psychology and Psychotherapy: Theory, Research and Practice

Member of the Editorial Board of the Journal, Cognition and Emotion

Memeber of the Conference Referee Panel of the International Conference on Cognitive Modelling (ICCM 2009)

Member of Association of Psychological Science

Cognitive processes in bipolar disorder

Cognitive behavioural processes across psychological disorders (The Transdiagnostic Approach)

Perceptual Control Theory

Cognitive Behaviour Therapy - theory, research, practice & dissemination

University of Manchester Distinguished Achievement Award - Teacher of the Year 2008 - Faculty of Medical and Human Sciences

Post-graduate Training (PGT) Tutor for School of Psychological Sciences

External Examinar of the Doctorate in Clinical Psychology at the University of Hull

1st Year Psychology and Mental Health - Module Leader

2nd Year Psychology and Mental Health  - Module Leader

3rd Year: Conflict and Control in Human Behaviour

MSc in Research Methods: Designing and Running a Survey; Testing the Controlled Variable (TCV)

The current focus of my research, teaching and clinical work is three-fold: (1) CBT for mood swings and 'bipolar disorder' (2) Transdiagnostic approaches to CBT and related psychological therapies, including the use of Perceptual Control Theory and Method of Levels (3) CBT Delivery issues including self-help for fear, phobias and anxiety. In essence, my current aims are (1) to help apply CBT to people with mood swings who often receive a diagnosis of bipolar disorder and, with my colleagues, to develop a strong and ongoing empirical basis for this approach; (2) to identify the core process or processes that are addressed in CBT, regardless of any specific 'diagnosis', and use Perceptual Control Theory (PCT) to try to explain these processes and address them as efficiently as possible; and (3) to widen the accessibility of the science and practice of CBT at the health professional, service user, public health, and undergraduate psychology levels.... So, how did I get to this point?...

I began my research career in 1994 with a D.Phil on cognitive processes in social anxiety and social phobia at the Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, under the supervision of David M. Clark and Anke Ehlers. I followed up my work on social anxiety in a post-doctorate appointment at the same department. During this time I broadened my interest in cognitive behavioural processes across a range of psychological disorders, and became involved in more integrative approaches to psychopathology (e.g. self-regulation theory; selection theory; attachment theory). 

In 2000 I commenced a doctorate in Clinical Psychology at the Institute of Psychiatry, University of London. During this time I began to develop my work on cognitive behavioural processes in bipolar disorder, working closely with Dominic Lam. At the same time, I worked on a collaborative project with Allison Harvey, Ed Watkins and Roz Shafran to provide an overview of the core cognitive behavioural processes that are implicated in maintaining symptoms across a wide range of psychological disorders - the 'transdiagnostic approach'. The end product of this effort, a book published by Oxford University Press, appeared in 2004.

In 2004 I worked with Jan Scott to develop my work on bipolar disorder, and in particular the cognitive processes that may be implicated in the ascent into mania, culminating in our integrative cognitive model (Mansell, Morrison, Reid, Lowens, & Tai, 2007) that is being evaluated in research studies, clinical practice and a case series.

Since June 2005, I have been based at the University of Manchester, where I work as a Lecturer. I also work as a Clinical Psychologist for the IMPACT Early Psychosis Team in Bolton, Salford & Trafford Mental Health NHS Trust. Since 2008, I have joined the Salford Primary Care Mental Health Service on an honorary basis, where I deliver and evaluate Method of Levels cognitive therapy (based on PCT) for clients who present with a diverse range of presenting problems. The therapy helps the client to direct their awareness to the source of their presenting problem and facilitates their own independent problem-solving. The therapy can be carried out with little formal assessment, and on an immediate booking basis, for as long as the client requires. Alongside Dr Sara Tai, I am involved in training Method of Levels cognitive therapy to a range of health professionals. 

Collaborators 

• Dr Sara Tai
• Dr Timothy Carey
• Dr Alex Wood
• Dr Fiona Ulph
• Dr Wael El-Deredy
• Professor Tony Morrison
• Professor Peter Totterdell
• Dr David Holman