Ceri Phelps

Principal Lecturer in Applied Psychology
Dr Ceri Phelps Headshot

Background

Dr Ceri Phelps is a HCPC registered Health Psychologist working within the Centre for Psychology and Counselling where she contributes to the strategic development of teaching, research and community engagement.  Her expertise is in understanding how people respond to stressful life events, particularly threats to our health and wellbeing.  Ceri is Programme Manager of the MSc in Applied Psychology and teaches on our BPS accredited undergraduate degrees.  Her research interests span across the field of Applied Psychology, including visible differences, psycho-oncology, workplace health and wellbeing, intervention development and evaluation.  Ceri has a strong interest in applied research ethics and sits on an NHS Research Ethics Committee.  Ceri is trained in motivational interviewing and psychological supervision skills and as a health psychology practitioner works with vulnerable patient groups and also delivers workshops on stress coping and anxiety to professionals and schools. 

Specialist Subjects

  • Health Psychology and Psychosocial Interventions
  • Health Services Research & Evaluation
  • Stress, coping and well-being at work
  • Mentoring and Supervision

Professional and/or Research Experience

Ceri’s research interests span across the field of Applied Psychology, including psycho-oncology, visible differences, workplace health and wellbeing, intervention development and evaluation. Ceri completed her PhD at Cardiff University in 2005 within the Institute of Medical Genetics, exploring the psychological impact of genetic testing. She is currently Principal Investigator on the VTCT Foundation funded Walking in Our Shoes research project, a co-production research project working with individuals living with limb loss to develop a psychoeducational resource. Previous research funding has explored the development and evaluation of a range of complex interventions for individuals living with cancer. Ceri has also previously worked for the Health and Safety Laboratory (HSL) a research agency of the UK Health and Safety Executive (HSE) where she worked on projects exploring the impact of stress in call centres, mental health in agriculture, and shiftwork, fatigue and human error.

Qualifications

  • Health and Care Professions Council: Practicing Psychologist 2011- current
  • PhD (2001-2005): Institute of Medical Genetics, Cardiff University. Development and evaluation of a brief intervention to reduce distress in patients undergoing cancer genetic risk assessment.
  • MPhil (1997-1998): Occupational Stress in the Banking Profession
  • BA Hons (Psychology) (1994-1997): 2.1 hons

Languages Spoken

English

Professional Membership or Roles

Vice-chair of HCRC NHS Wales Research Ethics Committee REC 7 (West Wales)
HEA Senior Fellow July 2018 – present
BPS/RQTU Registered Test User – 2016 - present
British Psychological Society Associate Fellow 2012- current
Full member Division of BPS Health Psychology 2005-current

Academic Teaching

External Recognition or Rewards

HEA Senior Fellow July 2018 – present

Link to Orcid Profile

ORCID Research profile

Professional Publications

  • Wojtczuk-Turek, A., Jurek, P.,… Phelps, C., … & Turek, D. (2025). Does the relationship between sustainable human resource management and organizational identification vary by culture? Evidence from 35 countries based on globe framework. Central European Management Journal. DOI: 10.1108/CEMJ-04-2024-0121
  • Wojtczuk-Turek, A., Turek, D., Egar, F., Klein, H. J.,… Phelps, C., Sullivan, K. E., Hutchings, P. B., … & Karamustafa-Kose. (2024). Sustainable human resource management and job satisfaction— unlocking the power of organizational identification: A cross-cultural perspective from 54 countries. Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management.
  • Phelps, C., Hutchings P.B., Stokes. T., Cooke, Z., Williams, M., & Jenkins, S. (2024) The impact of expressive prostheses on social interaction cues and attitudes of the general UK population: two experimental studies. Prosthetics and Orthotics International.
  • Rendón-Guerrero Y, Bendall A, Jenkins, S, Bartlett G, Phelps C, and Hutchings PB (2023). Using a Mixed-Method Approach incorporating Virtual Reality to Co-create Future Higher Education Workspaces: Performance, Health and Wellbeing in a Post COVID-19 Academic Environment. In: Connectivity and Creativity in times of Conflict. Cumulus Conference Proceedings no.9., April 12-15 2023, Antwerp
  • Neal J, Hutchings PB, Phelps C and Williams D (2022) Football and Dementia: Understanding the Link. Front. Psychiatry 13:849876. doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2022.849876
  • Hughes, O., Hutchings, P. B., & Phelps, C. (2021). Stigma, social appearance anxiety and coping in men and women living with skin conditions: A mixed methods analysis. Skin Health and Disease, e73.
  • Williams, K. E., Hutchings, P. B., & Phelps, C. (2021). Beyond learning in higher education: an evaluation of the ‘Life Design’ initiative to improve student employability. Studies in Higher Education, 1-15.
  • Baker, A.M. & Phelps, C. (2019) A changing identity: A focus group study of the experiences of women diagnosed with secondary breast cancer. Cancer Nursing Practice,18,2.
  • Phelps, C., Minou, M., Baker, A., Hughes, C., French, H., Hawkins, W., Leeuwenberg, A., Crabtree, R. and Hutchings, P. B. (2017). Necessary but not sufficient? Engaging young people in the development of an avatar-based online intervention designed to provide psychosocial support to young people affected by their own or a family member's cancer diagnosis. Health Expectations, 20: 459–470. doi:10.1111/hex.12473
  • Pearce, S., Evans, A., Phelps, C., Matthews, M., Hughes, G., & Lewis, I. (2016). The case for targeting community pharmacy‐led health improvement: Findings from a skin cancer campaign in Wales. International Journal of Pharmacy Practice, 24(5), 333-340
  • Phelps, C., Butler, C., Cousins, A., & Hughes, C. (2015). Sowing the seeds or failing to blossom? A feasibility study of a simple ecotherapy-based intervention in women affected by breast cancer. Ecancermedicalscience, 9, 602. http://doi.org/10.3332/ecancer.2015.602
  • Phelps C., Bennett P; Hood K., Brain K., & Murray A. (2013). A self-help coping intervention can reduce anxiety and avoidant health behaviours whilst waiting for cancer genetic risk information: results of a phase III randomised trial Psycho-Oncology, 22(4), 837-834
  • Hughes L & Phelps C (2010). “the bigger the network the bigger the bowl of cherries. Maybe there’s a cherry for every little problem you might come across.”: Exploring the acceptability of, and preferences for, an ongoing support network for known BRCA 1 and BRCA 2 mutation carriers. Journal of Genetic Counseling, 19(5), 487-90
  • Hilgart, J., Phelps, C., Bennett, P., Hood, K., Brain, K & Murray A (2010). “I have always believed I was at high risk...” The role of expectation in emotional responses to the receipt of an average, moderate or high genetic risk assessment result: A thematic analysis of free-text questionnaire comments. Familial Cancer, 9(3), 469-477.
  • Phelps, C, Horrigan, D, Protheroe L, Hopkin J, Jones W & Murray A (2008). "I wouldn't classify myself as a patient": the importance of a "well-being" environment for individuals receiving counseling about familial cancer risk." Journal of Genetic Counseling, 17(4):394-405
  • Phelps C., Wood F., Bennett, P; Brain K & Gray J (2007). Knowledge and expectations of women undergoing cancer genetic risk assessment: A qualitative analysis of free-text questionnaire comments. Journal of Genetic Counseling, 16 (4), 505-514
  • Bennett, P., Phelps, C., Brain, K., Hood, K., & Gray, J. (2007). A randomised controlled trial of a brief self-help coping intervention designed to reduce distress when awaiting genetic risk information. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 63 (1) 59-64.
  • Phelps, C., Bennett, P., Iredale, R., Anstey, S. & Gray, J. (2006). The development of a distraction-based coping intervention for women waiting for genetic risk information: a phase 1 qualitative study. Psycho-Oncology, 15(2), 169-173
  • Phelps, C., Platt, K., France, L & Gray, J (2004) Delivering information about cancer genetics via letter to patients at low and moderate risk of familial cancer: a pilot study in Wales. Familial Cancer, 3, 55-59.
  • Phelps, C., Bennett, P & Brain, K (2003) Cancer Genetic Risk Assessment: a focus group study of positive and negative emotions and the use of distraction as a coping strategy. Health Psychology Update, 12 (2), 2-6
  • Phelps, C., Fletcher, R., Travis, K & Beswick, J (2001) Stress in Farming in North Yorkshire. HSL Research Report (wps/01/06).

Available to Supervise Doctoral Students

Yes