Michaela Swales

Professor Michaela Swales is a Professor in Clinical Psychology at Bangor University, leading the North Wales Clinical Psychology Programme and the Postgraduate Diploma in Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT). She specializes in implementing evidence-based psychological therapies, particularly DBT, and has trained over 1,000 practitioners globally. Her research focuses on DBT implementation in healthcare settings, including adaptations for bipolar disorder and perinatal populations. She holds leadership roles in the European Society for the Study of Personality Disorders and the Society for DBT in the UK and Ireland.

• Education: PhD (Bangor University, 1997), MPhil (Psychopathology, University of Cambridge, 1990), MPhil (History and Philosophy of Science, University of Cambridge, 1987), BA (Natural Sciences, University of Cambridge, 1986)

Her research interests include DBT for adolescents with ASD, ACEs and suicidal behavior in Jordan, and consultation team dynamics in DBT. She supervises PhD and DClinPsy candidates, with recent projects exploring DBT efficacy in diverse populations.

Key themes in her articles include DBT implementation challenges, perinatal mental health interventions, and the ICD-11 classification of personality disorders. She emphasizes collaboration with international teams and lived-experience stakeholders to shape clinical practice.