Background

I undertook my first degree in Psychology at Loughborough University (1980; BSc Hons) and then worked as a nursing assistant in a secure unit in South London and in a child assessment centre until 1984-5 when I trained as a Child Psychologist at Nottingham University (MA). I trained as a Clinical Psychologist at the University of Leicester between 1985 - 88 after which I worked at Rampton Hospital undertaking assessments and therapy with mentally disordered offenders. I was appointed Head of Forensic Psychology in Lincolnshire and became a Consultant Clinical and Forensic Psychologist in 1993.

Whilst at Rampton I completed my PhD (1995), a study of multiple murder in England and Wales between 1982 – 1991.

Since 2005 I have been seconded to a part-time academic post at the University of Lincoln initially as Deputy Director of the Trent Clinical Psychology Training Programme overseeing the establishment, development and operation of the programme across Lincoln and Nottingham universities.

I retain a clinical practice in the NHS - between February 2009 and May 2010 I was Lead Psychologist for the Adult Division of Lincolnshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust and in May 2010 I returned to the Forensic Service as a Consultant Psychologist.

I have lectured at the Universities of Birmingham, Leicester, Liverpool, Lincoln, Nottingham and Sheffield on a variety of topics related to Clinical and Forensic Psychology.

Current Teaching and Responsibilities

I am currently Co-Director of the Trent Clinical Psychology Training Programme with special responsibility for clinical practice and trainee management.

Selected Publications and Conference Papers

Gresswell, D. M., & Dawson, D. L. (2010). Offence paralleling behaviour and multiple sequential functional analysis. In L. Jones, J. Shine, & M. Daffern (Eds.), Offence Paralleling Behaviour: A Case Formulation Approach to Offender Assessment and Intervention. Wiley-Blackwell.

Dawson, D. L., Barnes-Holmes, D., Gresswell, D. M., Hart, A. J. P., & Gore, N. J. (2009). Assessing the implicit beliefs of sexual offenders using the Implicit Relational Assessment Procedure: a first study. Sexual Abuse: A Journal of Research and Treatment, 21(1), 57-75.

Bywood, L., Gresswell, D. M., Robertson, C. and Elwood, P. (2006). A behavioural versus a cognitive analysis of the relapse prodrome in psychosis. In Johannessen, J.O., Martindale, B.V. & Cullberg J. (Eds), Evolving Psychosis. London, UK: Routledge.

Other Professional Responsibilities/Memberships

Health Professions Council

Registered Practioner Psychologist (Clinical Psychologist/Forensic Psychologist)

British Psychological Society

Member of Divisions of Clinical Psychology and Forensic Psychology.
Chartered Clinical Psychologist
Chartered Forensic Psychologist
Associate Fellow

I am a BPS/DoH National Assessor (Forensic Specialty)

2008 – 2012 External Examiner: Salomons (South Thames) D. Clin Psych , Clinical psychology Training Programme

2009 – 2012 External Examiner: University of East Anglia D. Clin Psych Clinical Psychology Training Programme