Luke Ward

Luke Ward is a Lecturer in Child & Adolescent Mental Health at the University of Northampton, affiliated with the Psychology & Sociology Centre for Psychological and Sociological Sciences. He holds a PhD from the University of Stirling (2021), focusing on non-binary youth gender regulation, and previously earned an MSc in Counselling Children and Young People (2017) and a BA(Hons) in Psychology and Philosophy (2012), both from the University of Northampton.

His research interests center on LGBTQ+ identities, particularly non-binary youth, gender regulation, and transgender sexualities. He employs qualitative methods like feminist relational discourse analysis and interpretative phenomenological analysis. Current projects include co-producing self-help interventions for transgender communities and exploring sexual satisfaction among gender non-conforming adults.

Teaching focuses on therapeutic skills, research methods, and child/adolescent mental health at postgraduate and undergraduate levels. He won the 2020 Advancing Equality and Diversity Award and serves as a clinical therapist at Broad Horizons. Industry connections include collaborations with Northamptonshire’s Gender Identity Clinic and youth counseling services.

Recent publications highlight gender identity development in LGBTQ+ communities, transgender sexual health, and classroom 'safe spaces.' Awards include FHEA status and grant-funded research projects.