Inaugural Lecture - Professor Stephanie Petty

"The courage to be different: using compassion and pragmatism to rethink inclusive approaches to wellbeing"

It takes courage to find your place in the world. In her inaugural lecture, Professor Stephanie Petty traces her journey through clinical practice in the NHS and academia, and the questions that followed. She asks, what is accepted to be true about wellbeing? Is loneliness a good thing? Why does a ritual feel so good? Did some people get built-in sunglasses because lights are so bright everywhere? She samples her research to inform a thoughtful and inspiring look at living whilst feeling different. This lecture suggests ways to rethink wellbeing. Through her work she foregrounds compassion for shared human experiences of identity.

Professor Stephanie Petty is a clinician and academic. She works in clinical practice as a Chartered Clinical Psychologist across diagnostic and therapy services for autistic people and people with ADHD, bringing a wealth of critical work on who gets to define different identities. She holds two doctoral qualifications spanning disciplines of thought, including a PhD from the Institute of Mental Health and a professional doctorate as a HCPC registered Practitioner Psychologist. Inspired by therapy work and a good amount of pragmatism from the NHS, Stephanie joined the Psychology department at York St John University in 2021 and found her home. Her research brings critical challenge to important discussions, such as the influence of researchers and professionals on what it means to be ‘well’. With colleagues, Stephanie has written sector leading guidance on compassion in higher education and conducted participatory action research to create meaningful and sustainable change in inclusive neurodiverse campuses, Project INC. Free wellbeing resources can be accessed here: www.yorksj.ac.uk/emotions.