Robert Hurst

Robert is an Associate Lecturer in the Psychology department, teaching mainly on the Psychology, Psychotherapy and Counselling pathway.

Having completed his undergraduate and postgraduate studies in counselling within the department, he is a person-centred counsellor currently working for a local charity.

This passion for counselling and therapy extends to Robert’s research. He has published a number of papers, co-edited a special issue for Social Work and Social Science Review, is a regular columnist for Mental Health and Social Inclusion, and is currently underway with work on a book project.

Robert’s main research interests lie in counselling, mental health, creativity, meaning in life, and the autoethnography research method. He gave a presentation at the 2023 International Symposium on Autoethnography and Narrative alongside several prestigious academics in the field. He gave a vote of thanks to Professor Alec Grant during his inaugural lecture at the University of Bolton.

This work reflects Robert’s passion for stories, especially the use of story to give voice to people with lived experiences of mental health difficulties.

Research Interests and Research Subject Specialisms:

Counselling, mental health, creativity, meaning in life, positive psychology, autoethnography