Dr. Kaye Richards
Kaye is Senior Lecturer in Outdoor Education and Programme Leader for the BSc Outdoor Education. She is a Chartered Psychologist of the British Psychological Society (BPS) and an experienced outdoor educator, lecturer and researcher, with 20 years experience of working in a variety of outdoor and HE settings. In her early career she taught outdoor education in schools, worked with disaffected young people in the outdoors and was as a trainee instructor at Plas-Y-Brenin. She then went on to be a Lecturer in Outdoor Education and Adventure Recreation at the now Buckinghamshire New University, followed by Research Leader (with a specialism in Youth Development) at Brathay Hall Trust - a leading outdoor development training organisation in the Lake District – where she also taught on the MA in Development Training (leading adventure therapy) at the now University of Cumbria and was co-chair of the International Consortium for Experiential Learning (ICEL). Immediately prior to joining the Outdoor Education team at LJMU, Kaye was Research Facilitator for the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP), where she was involved in a range of research projects and initiatives in counselling and psychotherapy in partnership with a number of HE institutions across the UK (Eg, ESRC research grants, government research funding, research supervision). Whilst at BACP, Kaye was also Special Interest Lead for counselling children and young people, and was a founding member of the Counselling in Schools Research Consortium.
Kaye brings a specialist area in adventure therapy - her PhD developed the first adventure therapy intervention for women with eating disorders in the UK, where she worked with psychotherapists in developing innovative adventure therapy practices. She has continued to facilitate a range of training and seminar events in adventure therapy and has contributed to ongoing national and international developments in the field. This has included being a member of the International Adventure Therapy Committee, editing a range of publications, and organising and chairing the 5th International Adventure Therapy Conference (2009, UK).
Current Post
Senior Lecturer in Outdoor Education /
Programme Leader BSc (Hons) Outdoor Education
Qualifications
- Chartered Psychologist
- PhD: An analysis of developing an outdoor adventure therapy intervention for the treatment of eating disorders in women
- MSc: The Psychology of Human Potential
- BEd (Hons): Outdoor & Science Education
- Ongoing: MSc Sport Psychology – working towards accreditation as a Chartered Sport Psychologist
- Outdoor Leadership Qualifications: various
- Psychotherapy Foundation training
Courses (Subjects) taught
As a Chartered Psychologist Kaye brings specialist knowledge in psychological and sociological perspectives of Outdoor Education and Outdoor Leadership. Modules she leads and teaches include: BSc Outdoor Education, Theoretical Foundations in OE, Psychology of Outdoor Education, Adventure Therapy, Outdoor Leadership, Mountain Leadership and Rock Climbing, Development Training, Research Methods, Professional Practice in Outdoor Education, Post-graduate: research methods.
Professional activity/Consultancy/successful bids
- Chartered Psychologist
- PhD supervision
- Editorial Board Member of Journal of Adventure Education and Outdoor Learning (former launching editor)
- Lead/Chair of Institute for Outdoor Learning Therapeutic Outdoor Practice Special Interest Group– lead for organising training events, publications, professional advice etc.
- Member of International Adventure Therapy Committee (edited publications, conference organising, advisor etc)
- Chair / Organiser of 5th International Adventure Therapy Conference (Edinburgh, 2009)
- Consultancy in Adventure Therapy (training/research advice)
- The Camping and Caravanning Club Research Partnership/Consultancy
Professional and Research Interests
Key interest development of outdoor and adventure therapy international research and practice. Other interests the psychology of outdoor education and outdoor/adventure experiences; counselling and psychotherapy, outdoor leadership; clinical applications of sport psychology; sport psychology and outdoor adventure; eating disorders intervention and prevention strategies; the emotional well-being of children and young people; gender and anti-discriminatory practice in the outdoors; process research in counselling and psychotherapy and psycho-spiritual psychotherapy.
Publications
