Professor in Trauma Psychology & Veterans Affairs Derek (Paddy) Farrell

Professor

Department: Nursing, Midwifery & Health

Research Themes and Scholarly Interests

Prof Derek Farrell MBE is a Professor in Trauma Psychology and Veterans Affairs at the University of Northumbria (Newcastle), and Queen's University Belfast. Derek is President of Trauma Aid Europe, Trauma Response Network Ireland, and President-Elect of EMDR All Ireland. He has been involved in several Humanitarian Trauma capacity-building programmes, including Pakistan, Turkey, India, Cambodia, Myanmar, Thailand, Indonesia, Lebanon, Poland, Philippines, Palestine, and Iraq. Derek has authored over 50 academic peer-reviewed publications and several book chapters. Additionally, Derek is Co-Editor of the Oxford Handbook of EMDR and the Journal of EMDR Practice & Research

As a keynote speaker – Derek has presented in the USA, Australia, Cambodia, Thailand, Pakistan, New Zealand, Netherlands, Italy, Brazil, and Norway. Derek is also involved in several ongoing research programmes, including treating moral injury with Law Enforcement (Vermont, USA), EMDR with adults with intellectual disabilities, and Death by suicide within military/ veteran populations.

In Geneva in 2013, Derek received the ‘David Servan Schreiber Award’ for Outstanding Contribution to EMDR Therapy. In addition, Derek was also shortlisted for the prestigious Times Higher Education Supplement (TES) Awards (2017) for ‘International Impact’ due to his Humanitarian Trauma Capacity Building work in Iraq with the Free Yezidi Foundation and the Jiyan Foundation for Torture and Human Rights. In June 2018 Derek was also awarded the Trauma Aid Europe ‘Humanitarian of the Year Award, in Strasbourg, France. In June 2020 Derek was awarded the Member of the (Most Excellent Order of the) British Empire (MBE) as part of Queen Elizabeth II Birthday Honours List, receiving his Award at Windsor Castle in December 2021. In September 2024, Derek was awarded the prestigious Francine Shapiro Award from EMDRIA.

Key Publications

EMDR Therapy and the Working Memory Hypothesis, Smith, C., Farrell, D. 22 Oct 2024, The Oxford Handbook of EMDR, Oxford, United Kingdom, Oxford University Press
What do adults with visual impairment mean by well-being? Identifying the building blocks of well-being in the context of visual impairment, Heinze, N., Davies, F., York, S., Chan, S., Farrell, D., Gomes, R. 22 Aug 2024, In: Frontiers in Psychology
Eye movement desensitization reprocessing as a treatment for PTSD in conflict-affected areas, Scott-Bell, A., Allen, G., Howatson, G., Kiernan, M., Wippich, A., Farrell, D. 19 Jan 2023, In: Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy
Group early intervention eye movement desensitization and reprocessing therapy as a video-conference psychotherapy with frontline/emergency workers in response to the COVID-19 pandemic in the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder and moral injury—An RCT study, Farrell, D., Moran, J., Zat, Z., Miller, P., Knibbs, L., Papanikolopoulos, P., Prattos, T., McGowan, I., McLaughlin, D., Barron, I., Mattheß, C., Kiernan, M. 23 Mar 2023, In: Frontiers in Psychology
A Stage 1 Pilot Cohort Exploring the Use of EMDR Therapy as a Videoconference Psychotherapy During COVID-19 With Frontline Mental Health Workers: A Proof of Concept Study Utilising a Virtual Blind 2 Therapist Protocol, Farrell, D., Fadeeva, A., Zat, Z., Knibbs, L., Miller, P., Barron, I., Matthess, H., Matthess, C., Gazit, N., Kiernan, M. 6 Jul 2022, In: Frontiers in Psychology
Treating implicit trauma: a quasiexperimental study comparing the EMDR Therapy Standard Protocol with a ‘Blind 2 Therapist’ version within a trauma capacity building project in Northern Iraq, Farrell, D., Kiernan, M., de Jongh, A., Miller, P., Bumke, P., Ahmad, S., Knibbs, L., Mathess, C., Keenan, P., Matthess, H. Dec 2020, In: Journal of International Humanitarian Action
The use of Eye-Movement Desensitisation Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy in treating Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder: A systematic narrative review, Wilson, G., Farrell, D., Barron, I., Hutchins, J., Whybrow, D., Kiernan, M. 6 Jun 2018, In: Frontiers in Psychology
Using EMDR With Survivors of Sexual Abuse Perpetrated by Roman Catholic Priests, Farrell, D., Dworkin, M., Keenan, P., Spierings, J. 1 Aug 2010, In: Journal of EMDR Practice and Research

Qualifications

PhD June 19 2003

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