C.Psychol (Occ. Psy.)
Lecturer
- About
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- Office Address
- School/Department
- School of Psychology
Biography
Linda is a Chartered Occupational Psychologist who brings experience of working as an independent consultant to her role as lecturer at the University of Aberdeen. She has worked on a number of leadership and team development projects across the public, private and third sector. She is keen to bring her applied experience to her lectures to help bring the occupational psychology to life.
Linda currently teaches Organisational Psychology at MSc level both in-person and as part of the University's suite of Online Courses. She also teaches Positive Psychology and The Psychology of Diversity, Equality and Inclusion at work.
She is programme coordinator for the MSc Business Consulting and Psychology which aims to provide budding consultants with the opportunity to learn a practical set of skills to enhance their client offering.
Linda is also the Chair of the Staff Menopause Network which aims to raise awareness of the impact of menopause symptoms on women in the workplace as well as providing a safe space for members of staff across the university.
Linda is currently working with other colleagues in the school to create a new MSc programme in Human Factors and Organisational Psychology which should start in September 2025!
Qualifications
- Chartered Psychologist Occupational Psychology2022 - British Psychological Society
- MSc Occupational Psychology2014 - University of Leicester
Memberships and Affiliations
- Internal Memberships
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Chair Staff Menopause Network.
Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Committee.
Race Equality Network.
Women's Development Network.
- External Memberships
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Chartered Member of the British Psychological Society.
Chartered Member of the Division of Occupational Psychology and the Division of Occupational Psychology Scotland.
Member of HCPC.
Scottish Centre for Work and Health.
- Research
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Research Overview
My current research interest is the impact of perimenopause and menopause on women in the workplace. Women experience a wide range of symptoms which results in 1 in 10 women leaving the workplace. The aim of current research is to ensure this talent is retained in the workplace by ensuring women have the right support and that leaders and managers have the tools and confidence to support women. I am passionate about educating whole workplaces on the impact menopause has on women and to create the right level of support.
I have also received funding from the School of Psychology to supervise a PhD student to research impact of menopause in the workplace and to create a set of workplace interventions informed by psychology.
Research Areas
Accepting PhDs
I am currently accepting PhDs in Psychology.
Please get in touch if you would like to discuss your research ideas further.
Research Specialisms
- Applied Psychology
- Occupational Psychology
Our research specialisms are based on the Higher Education Classification of Subjects (HECoS) which is HESA open data, published under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International licence.
Knowledge Exchange
Architecture for wellbeing versus wellbeing in architecture Edinburgh October 2024
I was delighted to be invited to speak to delegates from the world of architecture and design on menopause and the impact if has on women's ability to continue to work. I introduced the audience to some key facts around menopause as well as the impact education and raising awareness can have in the workplace. Menopausal women are at increased risk of anxiety, depression, and osteoporosis which demonstrates that the symptoms are more than just hot flashes. Working in small groups the delegates were actioned with discussing what their current workplace is doing to support women going through menopause. They each made a commitment to develop this further in their workplace. Commitments were made from creating a menopause policy to raising awareness.
Speaking at events such as this are a vital part of raising awareness in workplaces and to share some of the knowledge around menopause as well as busting some myths too. It is important that women, who represent 50% of workforces, are given the support they need to remain in the workplace. Menopausal women in the workplace is the fastest growing demographic in UK workplaces.
Supervision
My current supervision areas are: Psychology.
I am currently supervising a PhD project relating to the impact of menopause in the workplace.
- Teaching
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Programmes
- Postgraduate, 3 stage, September start
- Postgraduate, 3 stage, January start
- Postgraduate, 3 stage, September start
- Postgraduate, 3 stage, September start
Working in collaboration with the business school, this MSc is for any budding consultant. The psychology element of the course will help students to better understand the people they might interact with when designing and delivering projects. The course also aims to help students manage conflict and culture in the workplace as well as understanding how to effectively use a number of psychological tools such as surveys, focus groups, training needs analysis and more.
Courses
At some point in our lives we will, hopefully, enter the world of work and be met with some of the challenges and issues which confront organisations globally such as managing organisational change, how to create a talent pipeline and how to develop high performing teams. This online module provides an opportunity for students to understand the role of Occupational Psychology in dealing with these challenges and how psychological theory underpins practice in the workplace.
At some point in our lives we will, hopefully, enter the world of work and be met with some of the challenges and issues which confront organisations globally such as managing organisational change, how to create a talent pipeline and how to develop high performing teams. This online module provides an opportunity for students to understand the role of Occupational Psychology in dealing with these challenges and how psychological theory underpins practice in the workplace. Run from January.
At some point in our lives we will, hopefully, enter the world of work and be met with some of the challenges and issues which confront organisations globally such as managing organisational change, how to create a talent pipeline and how to develop high performing teams. This online module provides an opportunity for students to understand the role of Occupational Psychology in dealing with these challenges and how psychological theory underpins practice in the workplace.
Students will understand the role of organisational psychology in creating a more diverse, equitable and inclusive (DEI) workplace culture. Psychological theory will outline why creating a DEI culture matters and the links to retention and wellbeing. It will explore the theory and practical application of psychology and the role of the Organisational Psychologist in implementing DEI. Key areas considered include ageism, neurodiversity and LGBTQ+ and the role of leadership. Online.
Business consultants can offer much needed expertise across diverse areas that require an in-depth understanding of the people working in these areas. Psychology Toolkit for Consulting course offers students an introduction into the a range of tools used by psychologist when consulting across these varied industries. The course will be taught by a practicing consultant and experienced academic and will cover both theoretical as well as practical aspects of psychological tools used in consulting.
Positive psychology is “the scientific study of what goes right in life” (Peterson, 2006). Focusing on what is right with people is increasingly being successfully applied to the world of work thus creating work settings which provide the greatest satisfaction amongst workers and where people, teams and organisations flourish. This course considers the practical application of positive psychology theory and models to help overcome organisational challenges.
In today’s global economy understanding culture, and the impact it might have on staff behaviour has become more important than ever. Organisational culture and organisational safety culture should guide employee behaviour and interactions. Conflict is a relatively broad term encompassing instances of disagreement between employees, often linked to differences in staff values, opinions or goals. . The course will explore the causes and effects of conflict at work.
Teaching Responsibilities
My current teaching involves mainly MSc level courses including Psychology at Work, Positive Psychology and Organisational Conflict and Culture.
Non-course Teaching Responsibilities
I am a personal tutor for students across levels 1-4.
I also guest lecture on study skills courses for our MSc students.
