Dr Warren Mansell BAHons (Cantab) DPHil DCLinPsy CPsychol

Senior Lecturer in Psychology
- Email: warren.mansell@manchester.ac.uk
- Telephone: +44 (0)161 275 8589
- Alternative Telephone: wmansell@gmail.com (Alternative Email)
For an overview of Perceptual Control Theory, go to the newly launched website at: http://www.pctweb.org
Memberships of Committees and Professional Bodies
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
Research
Cognitive processes in bipolar disorder
Cognitive behavioural processes across psychological disorders (The Transdiagnostic Approach)
Perceptual Control Theory
Cognitive Behaviour Therapy - theory, research, practice & dissemination
Teaching
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)
Biography
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 and affiliated staff
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
Selected publications
2009
- Mansell W, Sarah Hodson. (2009). Imagery and Memories of the Social Self in People with Bipolar Disorders: Empirical Evidence, Phenomenology, Theory and Therapy. further details
- Mansell W. (2009). Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Mood Swings and Bipolar Disorders: Theory and Practice Links. Cognitive Behaviour Therapy in Mental Health Care, 2nd Edition. further details
- Mansell W, Allison Harvey, Ed Watkins, Roz Shafran. (2009) Conceptual Foundations of the Transdiagnostic Approach. Journal of Cognitive Psychotherapy, 23, 6-19. further details
- Mansell W, Carey TA. (2009) A century of psychology and psychotherapy: Is an understanding of 'control' the missing link between theory, research, and practice? Psychol Psychother, 82, 337-353. Full text doi:10.1348/147608309X432526 further details
- Mansell W, Gemma Paszek, Karen Seal, Rebecca Pedley, Sarah Amelia Jones, Nia Thomas, Helena Mannion, Sari Saatsi, Alyson Dodd. (2009) Cognitive Vulnerability in Relapsed versus Recovered Bipolar I Disorder, Remitted Unipolar Depression and Non-Clinical Controls With, versus Without, a History of Hypomanic Episodes (submitted). further details
- Mansell W, Seth Powell, Rebecca Pedley, Nia Thomas, Sarah Amelia Jones. (2009) The Process of Recovery from Bipolar I Disorder: A Qualitative Analysis of Personal Accounts in Relation to an Integrative Cognitive Model. British Journal Of Clinical Psychology, further details
- Mansell W. (2009) Perceptual Control Theory as an Integrative Framework and Method of Levels as a Cognitive Therapy: What are the Pros and Cons? The Cognitive Behaviour Therapist, Full text doi:10.1017/S1754470X08000093 further details
- Mansell W. (2009) Sense of hyper-positive self, goal-attainment beliefs and coping strategies in bipolar I disorder. Psychological Medicine, further details
- Warren Mansell. (2009) Understanding Control and Utilising Control Theory in the Science and Practice of CBT. the Cognitive Behaviour Therapist, 2, Full text doi:doi:10.1017/S1754470X09990146
- White L, Mansell W. (2009) Failing to ponder? Delusion-prone individuals rush to conclusions. Clin Psychol Psychother, 16( 2), 111-24. Full text doi:10.1002/cpp.607 further details
2008
- Mansell W. (2008) The Seven Cs of CBT: A Consideration of the Future Challenges for Cognitive Behavioural Therapy. Behavioural And Cognitive Psychotherapy, 36, 641-649. further details
2007
- Mansell W, Morrison AP, Graeme Reid, Ian Lowens, Tai SJ. (2007) The Interpretation of and Responses to Changes in Internal States in Bipolar Disorder: An Integrative Cognitive Model. Behavioural And Cognitive Psychotherapy, 35, 515-539. further details
2005
- Mansell W. (2005) Control theory and psychopathology: An integrative approach. Psychology and Psychotherapy: Theory, Research and Practice, 78, 141-178. further details