Research Institute for Social Sciences

I have a BSc (Hons) Psychology and Criminology (Staffordshire University) and after getting married, starting a family and working in the NHS in the Payroll Dept. I returned to Keele University and gained a MSc Counselling Psychology.

As a qualified counsellor / PhD Student I am able to combine my counselling experience of working with pre and post bereavement clients and my research interests of bereavement, loss and spirituality.

Outside of academia I am a Project Administrator at the Douglas Macmillan Hospice for the Carer Support Needs Assessment Tool Study (conducted by Manchester University).  I also volunteer as counsellor with 2 local organisations.

The working title for my PhD Research is :-

Grieving in the Wings: Exploring the spiritual and emotional needs of a children’s hospice staff members and volunteers during pre- and post-bereavement care

The general scope of this project is to explore the spiritual and emotional needs and experiences of hospice staff and hospice volunteers during the pre- and post-bereavement care of a child with life-limiting illnesses.

My supervisory team consist of :

Dr Sue Read (Lead Supervisor)

Dr Helena Priest

Dr Jacqui Collin

I have presented a paper at the 6^th annual Keele Counselling Conference (23-25 March 2012) about my masters research titled, “And His Name will be called Wonderful Counsellor” : an interpretive phenomenological analysis of Christians who experience loss and bereavement

http://www.keele.ac.uk/media/keeleuniversity/facnatsci/schpsych/documents/counselling/conference/6thannual/Sarah%20Watson.pdf

Follow me on twitter: @watsos78