Dr Richard Bennett BSc (Hons), DipCOT, ClinPsyD, CPsycol, CSci, AFBPsS

School of Psychology
Associate Professor of Pyschology
Clinical Lead – Postgraduate Diploma in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (High Intensity Workers)

Contact details

Telephone: +44 (0)121 414 3763
Email: r.bennett@bham.ac.uk
Twitter: @thinkpsychol

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Address: School of Psychology
University of Birmingham
Edgbaston
Birmingham
B15 2TT
UK

Dr Richard Bennett works as an Associate Professor on the CBT programmes, where he co-leads the Postgraduate Diploma in High CBT, training therapists for the NHS Talking Therapies service. He is qualified as a Clinical Psychologist and Occupational Therapist and regularly contributes to a range of professional training courses across the University.

Qualifications

BSc Psychology, The University of Plymouth
Diploma in Occupational Therapy, Essex School of Occupational Therapy
Clinical Psychology Doctorate, The University of Birmingham

Biography

Dr Richard Bennett works as a Clinical Psychologist and Cognitive Behavioural Psychotherapist. He holds a post as an Associate Professor in Psychology at the University of Birmingham, where he leads the Postgraduate Diploma in Cognitive Behaviour Therapy. He worked in adult and forensic mental health services in the NHS for over 20 years before setting up Think Psychology, an independent psychology practice offering therapy and supervision. He has an interest in long-form therapy training, having curated Birmingham ACT Week before going on to develop ACTivatingYourPractice.com. Richard is also an active member of the Association for Contextual Behavioural Sciences (ACBS) and the British Association of Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy (BABCP). He is recognised as a BABCP accredited psychotherapist, supervisor and trainer, and an ACBS Peer-reviewed ACT trainer. He is the co-editor of Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapy in Sport and Exercise, and co-author of Acceptance & Commitment Therapy: 100 Key Points and Techniques, The Mindfulness and Acceptance Workbook for Self-Esteem, and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy: Responses to Frequently Asked Questions

Teaching

As Clinical Lead for the Postgraduate Diploma in CBT, he co-ordinates the course as well as planning and providing much of the teaching. Richard also contributes to teaching on other courses, such as the Clinical Psychology Doctorate, and professional training programmes for Medics, Physiotherapists, Social Workers, and Psychological Wellbeing Practitioners.

Postgraduate supervision

Richard is not currently available to take on PhD supervision.

Doctoral research

PhD title: Is alexithymia associated with a perceptual sensitivity to affective stimuli?

Research

Dr Bennett has conducted research relating to:

Emotional processing
Violent fantasy
Care pathways in forensic services.
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy
Relational Frame Theory
Development of psychometric measures

Other activities

Active member of the Association for Contextual Behavioural Sciences (ACBS) and the British Association for Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapies (BABCP).
Recognised as an ACBS Peer-Reviewed ACT Trainer and as a BABCP accredited Psychotherapist, Supervisor, and Trainer.
Runs Think Psychology, a local psychology practice offering therapy, training, and supervision.
Runs ACTivatingYourPractice.com, offering workshops and training in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy

Publications

Johnson, D. & Bennett, R. (2023). Acceptance & Commitment Therapy: Responses to Frequently Asked Questions. Abingdon: Routledge

Turner, M. J., Wood, A. G., Boatwright, D., Chadha, N., Jones, J. K., & Bennett, R. (2021). Assessing beliefs about emotion generation and change: The conceptualisation, development, and validation of the Cognitive Mediation Beliefs Questionnaire (CMBQ). Psychotherapy research: Journal of the Society for Psychotherapy Research, 31(7), 932–949.

Oliver, J. & Bennett, R. (2020). The Mindfulness and Acceptance Workbook for Self-esteem. Oakland: New Harbinger

Rabey, M., Catley, M., Vowles, K., Appleton, Bennett, R. & McAuley, J. (2020). Development and preliminary validation of the Chronic Pain Acceptance Questionnaire for Clinicians. Scandinavian Journal of Pain (published online 23/07/2020)

Turner, M., Aspin, G., Didymus, F., Mack, R., Olusoga, P., Wood, A. & Bennett, R (2020). One case, four approaches: The application of psychotherapeutic approaches in sport psychology. The Sport Psychologist, 34(1), 71-78

Bennett, R. & Oliver, J. (2019). Acceptance & Commitment Therapy: 100 Key Points and Techniques. Abingdon: Routledge

Turner, M.J. & Bennett, R. (Eds) (2017). Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapy in Sport and Exercise. Abingdon: Routledge.

Bennett, R. (2017) From esteem to acceptance: contemporary perspectives on the self. Psychotherapy Section Review, 59, 8-15.

Bennett, R. & Pearson, L. (2015). Group Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapy for paranoia. In Meaden, A. & Fox, A. (Eds.) Innovations in psychosocial interventions for psychosis: working with the hard to reach. Hove: Routledge

Bennett, R., Ramakrishna, V. & Maganty, D. (2011). Management of disturbed behaviour in a medium secure intensive care unit: views of staff on options for intervention. Journal of Psychiatric Intensive Care, 7(2), 85-89)

Bennett, R, Mason, O., Watson, D. & Jones, J. (2003). Is alexithymia associated with a perceptual sensitivity to affective stimuli? (doctoral thesis, University of Birmingham)

Bennett, R. & Mason, O. (2003). Neurocognitive correlates of alexithymia: a review. (doctoral thesis, University of Birmingham)

Bennett, R., Ramakrishna, V. & Maganty, D. (2010). Management of disturbed behaviour in a medium secure intensive care unit: views of staff on options for intervention. Journal of Psychiatric Intensive Care, 7(2), 85-89

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