Shelagh Wright
is an Autogenic Trainer with a Post-Graduate Certificate in Autogenic Training from the British Autogenic Society
A Chartered Psychologist with the Psychological Society of Ireland,
and, (though retired), Shelagh is a Registered Nurse for the NMBI approved BAS Fast Track PGCert AT .
Shelagh was Lecturer in Psycho-oncology at Dublin City University (DCU) from 2004 to 2011 and originally trained as a State Registered Nurse and Midwife.
Background – Autogenic Training
In 1993, following four years as a postgraduate neuropsychology student in TCD, funded by the Health Research Board, I undertook a personal course of Autogenic Training in Dublin. AT had a major impact on my personal and academic life and has been the driver for all my work since then.
In the latter half of the 1990s in addition to my PhD studies in Psycho-oncology, I undertook a Postgraduate Certificate in Autogenic Training by research supervised by Dorothy Crowther, FRCN. CEO, Wirral Autogenic Training Centre, in conjunction with ARC Cancer Support Centre, Dublin.
Since then, on a voluntary basis, I have facilitated AT courses for people with cancer and more recently, for people with chronic pain.
For Continuing Professional Development, I subsequently retrained for a Postgraduate Certificate in Autogenic Training with the British Autogenic Society (BAS-PGCAT) in 2016, supervised by Jane Bird, BAS Senior Tutor, in conjunction with Chronic Pain Ireland.
Background – Nursing and Psychology/Psycho-oncology
It has been a long and very interesting journey to reach this point of beginning a private practice in Autogenic Training as a post-retirement project. Here is a brief description of the journey and I have loved every step!
I trained as a State Registered Nurse at St George’s Hospital, London, (1970) and Registered Midwife at the Rotunda Hospital, Dublin, (1973).
As a mature student, I studied Single Honours Psychology at Trinity College Dublin (1988), and was elected to Foundation Scholarship (1987). As a postgraduate, fired by my personal AT experience and long-term aims for Autogenic Training in Ireland, I undertook a PhD by research in Psycho-oncology at NUI Galway (1999),supported by a grant from An Bord Altranais.
I have an MA in Healthcare Management (IPA/UCD 2004), funded by the EHSS, and a Postgraduate Diploma in Statistics (TCD, 2010).
I was Senior Health Promotion Officer for Older Persons with the Health Services Executive, Dublin (2002-2007) and Lecturer in Psycho-oncology School of Nursing and Human Sciences, DCU, Dublin (2004-2011).
I was an instigator, co-ordinator and Programme Chair for the DCU accredited M.Sc in Psycho-oncology and Co-Principal Investigator of a postdoctoral study: ‘Meaningful methods of identifying psychological distress in patients with advanced cancer’ (Irish Cancer Society), which sought to validate the (NCCN) Distress Thermometer in an Irish context.
I am a Chartered Psychologist, registered with the Psychological Society of Ireland , a PRINCE2 Practitioner (APMG) and have represented Ireland on the Federation of International Psycho-oncology Societies.
I am a recipient of awards and author of non-peer and peer-reviewed papers. Prior to retirement from my academic post in 2011, my major research and teaching interest was the prevention, early detection and management of and referral for appropriate treatment of pain and distress. I have substantial years’ experience teaching under- and post-graduate students. I was invited by SAGE to write a textbook. Following negotiations between the Editors and Editorial Boards of SAGE and IASP, I was honoured to write Pain Management in Nursing Practice, an elaboration of the nursing curriculum of the International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP), subsequently published by SAGE in conjunction with IASP.
In 2016 I took the ISAX Ingenuity Build Your Own Business for Entrepreneurs aged 50+ programme led by ISAX in collaboration with the Local Enterprise Offices.
I am a Committee Member of the Irish Pain Society
Shelagh Wright with Chair of BAS Trustees Judith Wren at the Conferring of the BAS PGC-AT at the BAS AGM, London, May 13th, 2017
