Laura Winter

Dr. Laura Winter is a Reader in Education and Counselling Psychology at the Manchester Institute of Education, University of Manchester. She holds roles as School Director of Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) and previously served as Associate Director for EDI and Programme Director for the Doctorate in Counselling Psychology. Her research focuses on social justice, education, and wellbeing, with particular attention to welfare policy impacts on schools and marginalized communities. She is a Chartered Psychologist with the BPS and Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, and leads initiatives like the BPS Division's Social Justice Networking Group.

Her research interests include the intersections of social justice and psychological practice, political influences on therapy, and the role of psychologists in advocating for systemic change. Notable works include editing the SAGE Handbook of Counselling and Psychotherapy and co-authoring the Handbook for Social Justice in Psychological Therapies. Recent studies address adolescent mental health, austerity's effects on schools, and policy advocacy in psychological training programs.

• Awards: Fellow of the Higher Education Academy
• Professional Roles: BPS Training Committee Deputy Chair, BPS Division Leadership
• Key Projects: Co-produced research on adolescent well-being, policy analysis of welfare reforms

Her teaching emphasizes social justice in counselling psychology, with modules on oppression, discrimination, and reflective practice. She supervises doctoral research on inequality and education, fostering a generation of socially conscious psychologists.