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. She has taught across undergraduate and postgraduate courses and supervises research students. She is currently engaged in research and writing on bereavement, relational and practice ethics, group work, and practitioner self-care. 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 has two Honorary Research Fellows: Dr Jeannette Roddy, 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 bereavement services. The clinic's Patron is Paralympian Anne Wafula Strike. The Centre also has an Honorary Professor - Professor Bill Stiles. Lynne has previously served as a member City of York’s Domestic Violence Strategy Group, as 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 2023, Lynne was appointed as President of the British Association for Counselling & Psychotherapy. In 2024, Lynne co-led the York Mental Health Partnership bid for 2.4m funding for a 24/7 Neighbourhood Mental Health Centre. The bid was successful, and the co-design phase and workforce planning is now completed, and the setting-up of the Centre is underway. Lynne sits on a advisory group for the national 24/7 Neighbourhood Mental Health Centre programme and as Co-Chair of York's Mental Health Partnership, provides ongoing place-based support and guidance. Through her role as President of the British Association for Counselling & Psychotherapy, Professor Gabriel supports the association to achieve their strategic aims in multiple ways. 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.