Lynne Gabriel, OBE, is Professor of Counselling and Mental Health and a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. Lynne is based in the School of Education, Language and Psychology, teaches across undergraduate and postgraduate courses and supervises research students. She is currently engaged in research and writing on bereavement, relational and life skills group work, and practice ethics. Lynne is founding Director of York St John's Communities Centre. The Centre works with colleagues and students from counselling, education, allied health, and psychology, as well as external partners. The Centre provides high quality accessible and affordable psychological therapies, group interventions and consultancy. The Centre's specialist areas include working with domestic and relational violence, bereavement and loss, and trauma. Centre research projects involve staff, students and external partners. The Centre also has two Honorary Research Fellows: Dr Jeannette Roddy, from Salford University, who specialises in domestic abuse and violence, and Dr John Wilson, who is a specialist in working with loss and bereavement and Director of the Communities Centre bereavment services. The clinic's Patron is Paralympian Anne Wafula Strike. The Centre has an Honorary Professor - Professor Bill Stiles. Lynne has served as a member City of York’s Domestic Violence Strategy Group, a Board member of Respect, a national organization that works with perpetrators and victims of relational, familial and domestic violence and as a member of York Making Safe forum, hosted by North Yorkshire police. Lynne is a Fellow of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) and has served as the Association’s Chair (2008-2011), and Immediate Past Chair (2012-2014). Lynne is active in York health and mental health work and contributes to the Connecting Our City Project, and is Co-Chair of York Mental Health Partnership, working with psychiatrist, Dr Steve Wright, to support community mental health transformation in the York area. Lynne is a BACP Accredited and Registered Counsellor and Psychotherapist. Lynne was awarded an OBE in the Queen's final birthday honors list, for her work in education and mental health. In April 2023, Lynne was appointed as President of the British Association for Counselling & Psychotherapy. In 2024, the YMHP bid for 2.4m funding for a 24/7 Neighbourhood Mental Health Centre was successful and the co-design phase and workforce planning is underway. Research Responsibilities, Supervision and Examination: - PhD Examiner - Internal and External Examiner - Postgraduate Researcher supervisor and trainer - Taught Masters – MA in Humanistic Counselling lead - former Chair, University Research Degree Committee - External consultant, Open University - Founding member of TRaCCs (Training, Research & Counselling Clinic Consortium - https://traccs.uk/), a multi-University group. Currently working on an OU led online therapy project and a cross-Centre/Clinic minimum dataset project.