About

I am based within the College of Health, Psychology and Social Care. My role is primarily focused on helping to develop the College of Health, Psychology and Social Care's research activity. This includes the development of research funding bids, the conducting of research and the dissemination of findings. An element of my role is in helping academics from across the college to engage with research. I am the chair of the college's research ethics committee.

Research interests

My PhD research involved working with women who had experienced domestic violence, using visual media to explore what home, relationships and support meant for them in the past, the present and the future. This built upon previous and similar work with refugees and asylum seekers.

At present, I am developing and implementing social action and arts-based research methods in response to the climate and environmental crisis. Particular attention is being paid to how communities (including citizens, businesses and local governments) can work together and adapt to the consequences of a changing climate and environment.

Research engagement

• 2023 – Research funding to study Effective Targeting of Under-Reached Groups in Domestic Abuse Service Provision. Funding provided by Derbyshire County Councils Safer Communities Team
• 2022 - Participatory Research funds made available to offer arts-based workshops in conjunction with Artcore to explore the response to a changing climate amongst diverse communities in Derby city
• 2020 (ongoing) - Participation in the EU Knowledge Alliance Co-in-Care project to develop, pilot and evaluate online training and toolkits to aid in the production of apps to support informal caregivers of people with dementia
• 2019 (ongoing) - Collaboration with artists, therapists and researchers, understanding and developing emotional responses to the climate crisis in preparation for the future
• 2017 (ongoing) – Collaborating with local NHS Trust on developing quantitative evidence of arts therapies. This entails the funding of a full-time PhD student to capture quantitative evidence generated by the provision of Art Therapy within a perinatal service
• 2017 – Working with local statutory authorities and third-sector organisations to develop service evaluation models related to therapeutic and educational interventions tackling the sexual exploitation of girls and young women as part of their violence against women and girls strategy
• 2017 – Working with Derby-based community arts projects to evaluate their work with elderly populations
• 2009-2015 - Conducting of a PhD study (registered with the University of Derby) employing and evaluating an arts-based research methodology to explore women’s experiences of domestic violence. This was completed in the summer of 2014. This project has involved close collaboration with Women’s Aid. Post-doctoral research will likely involve similar research with men and young people who have experienced domestic violence. Successful completion in February 2015
• 2011-12 - Collaboration with the University of Derby Occupational Therapist lecturer, Heather Bullen, piloting an employment skills group to increase women’s economic independence. This project was funded by the Research Informed Curriculum Fund which was primarily used to pay for an external agency to provide specialist employment and placement services. Further development of this project is in the process of being planned
• 2006-2009 - Involvement with the Making the Connections initiative exploring the benefits and role of the arts within new-entrant and Diaspora communities within the East Midlands. This led to strong links with academics from Loughborough University and the use of a methodology that involved participatory action research, performative ethnography and art therapy. As part of this project, I organised a one-day workshop that explored the emotional component of arts-based work with refugees and other new entrants, and the role of supervision to support community artists

Recent publications

• Bird, Jamie, Bird, Lor and Collard-stokes, Gemma (2023), ‘Social action art therapy and the enhancement of political imagination’, Journal of Applied Arts & Health, Special Issue: ‘Innovation in the Arts in Therapy’, 14:1, pp.47–61, https://doi.org/10.1386/jaah_00126_1
• McEwan. K, Collett. H, Nairn. J, Bird. J, Faghy. MA, Pfeifer. E, Jackson. JE, Cook. C, Bond. A. (2022) The Feasibility and Impact of Practising Online Forest Bathing to Improve Anxiety, Rumination, Social Connection and Long-COVID Symptoms: A Pilot Study. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2022; 19(22):14905. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph192214905
• Bird, J. (2022) Social Action Art Therapy in a Time of Crisis. New York: Routledge
• Bird, J. (2022) Arts use within healthcare and what is the evidence across healthcare disciplines and professions. In: Hinsliff-Smith, McGarry, & Ali (Eds) Arts-Based Health Care Research: a multidisciplinary perspective. London: Springer
• Bird, J. (2022) Shifting sensitivities in art therapy research and practice, International Journal of Art Therapy, DOI: 10.1080/17454832.2022.2095127
• Irons J.Y., Garip, G., Cross, A. J., Sheffield, D., Bird, J. (2020) An integrative systematic review of creative arts interventions for older informal caregivers of people with neurological conditions. PLoS ONE 15(12): e0243461
• Bird, J. (2019) Belonging and imagination in the Anthropocene: a social action art therapy response to the climate crisis. In: BAAT Newsbriefing. Winter 2019, p.34-36
• Bird, J. (2019) “The eye of the beholder”: encountering women’s experience of domestic violence and abuse as a male researcher and art therapist. In: Arts Therapies and Gender Issues: International Perspectives on Research, Hogan, S. (ed.) s. Routledge
• Rahmani, F., Salmasi, S., Rahmani, F., Bird, J., Asghari, E., Robai, N., Asghari Jafarabadi, M. and Gholizadeh, L. (2019), Domestic violence and suicide attempt among married women: A Case‐Control Study. Journal of Clinical Nursing
• Bird, J. Wellan, A. & Stephanou, M. (2019) The Body of Work as a legitimate form of Independent Scholarship. In: Taylor, J. Holmwood, C. (Eds.) Learning as a Creative and Developmental Process in Higher Education: A Therapeutic Arts Approach and its Wider Application. London: Routledge
• Bird, J. (2017) Art Therapy, Arts-based Research and Transitional Stories of Domestic Violence and Abuse In International Journal of Art Therapy [online for May 2017; in-print for 2018]
• Pink, S., Hogan, S. & Bird, J. (2011) Intersections and Inroads: Art Therapy's Contribution to Visual Methods. In: International Journal of Art Therapy: Inscape. Vol.16, No.1, pp.14-19. ISSN: 1745-4832
• Bird, J. (2011) Student perceptions of the emotional and academic outcomes of participation in a group process module. In: Innovative Practice in Higher Education. Vol.1, no.1. Staffordshire University
• Bird, J. (2011 ) Towards Babel: Language and Translation in Art Therapy. In: Burt, H. (ed.) Creative Healing Through a Prism: Art Therapy and Postmodernism. Jessica Kingsley Publishers

Membership of professional bodies

I am registered with the Health and Care Professions Council (as an Art Therapist since 2004). I am a member of the British Association of Art Therapists (Region 9) and an associate editor of the International Journal of Art Therapy published by Routledge.

Professional interests

I welcome enquiries about developing research and PhD supervision on these topics:

• Art Therapy (especially topics related to social action and/or the natural environment) 
• Arts-based research methods
• Domestic violence and abuse 
• Migration, asylum and refuge
• Emotional adaptation to the climate crisis
• Nature Connectedness

Qualifications

Undergraduate qualifications

• BA (Hons) Arts Therapies, University of Derby

Postgraduate qualifications

• PG Dip Art Therapy, University of Derby - 2004
• MA Art Therapy, University of Derby - 2006
• PG Cert Learning and Teaching in Higher Education, University of Derby - 2008
• PhD, University of Derby - 2015

Recent conferences

• Social Action Art Therapy in a Time of Crisis, presentation at British Association of Art Therapists Annual Conference, 4^th November 2023
• Environmental Art Therapy and Innovations in Art Therapy, presentation of research related to social action art therapy, Hertfordshire University, May and July 2023
• Belonging and Imagination in the Anthropocene, presentation at Creative Homemaking Conference, University of Derby, 23 March 2022
• Social action approach to art therapy, presentation at Climate Psychology Summit, Online, 20 November 2021
• Art Therapy, Visual Expression and Transitional Stories of Domestic Abuse, paper presentation at 1^st International Art Therapy Practice Research Conference, Queen Mary University of London, 11 – 13 September 2019
• “I Couldn’t Move Forwards if I Didn’t Look Back”: Visual Expression and Transitional Stories of Domestic Violence, oral presentation at II European Conference on Domestic Violence, University of Porto, Portugal, 6 - 9 September 2017 IIECDV
• Imagining the past, remembering the future: Using visual methods to understand domestic violence at Visual Insights Conference, Newcastle University, 26 - 27 June 2014

In the media

• Social Action Art Therapy book launch - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q7zUUTBuELA
• The Owl Hoot podcast
• BBC - https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-derbyshire-51222924
• Harpers Bazaar - https://www.harpersbazaar.com/uk/culture/a34423491/how-to-manage-eco-guilt/

International experience

Overseas teaching (Erasmus)

• June 2018, Vic University, Spain. Workshop on the theme of Belonging and Home
• October 2014, Tallinn University, Estonia – Lecture and workshop around the theme of Transitional Stories of Domestic Violence
• May 2007, HAMK University, Finland - Workshops based around the theme of Introduction to Art Therapy
• August 2006, HAMK University, Finland - Workshops based around the theme of Art and Language 
• August 2005, Hämeenlinna Polytechnic, Finland – Workshops based around the theme of Art and Identity

Teaching responsibilities

• Supervision of MA Art Therapy and MSc Psychology students during the independent scholarship module
• Supervision of PhD and Professional Doctorate students
• Delivery of UG modules: Creative Connections; The Psychology of Interpersonal Violence

PhD completions

• Trisha Crocker – 2018 - Me, Myself, and I: Women's Perceptions of Their Body-image Using Clay Making as a Tool for Exploration
• Tanya Phillips - 2022 - Understanding the Long-Term Impact that Imprisonment in Prisons has on Adults Diagnosed with a Specific Cognitive Neuro Diversity
• Mohammed Mukhaimar - 2023 -Trauma-Related Psychological Distress, Shame, Acculturative Stress, and Psychosocial Treatment Needs in Syrians Refugees Resettled in the UK: A Mixed-Method Study

PhD supervision

• Bernie Gibson - registered 2015 - Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) Cognitive Behavioural Therapy supervisory dyads experiences of interpersonal processes in the supervisory relationship. An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis
• Amy Stanhope - registered 2018 - Developing an Evidence-base for the use of Art therapy within a Perinatal Mental Health Service
• Michelle Brooks-Ucheaga (ProfDoc) – registered 2019 – Black Therapists experience of working with black clients who have experienced racism
• Carol Arnold (PhD) – registered 2023 - 
• Ester Eriksson (PhD) – registered 2023 - Shattering the Cartesian Subject: How the material dialectics of eco-somatic dance can enliven ecological reciprocity in the Anthropocene

Additional interests and activities

• Board member of Salcare, Derbyshire https://www.salcare.org.uk/
• Board member of Climate Psychology Alliance https://www.climatepsychologyalliance.org/