Laura Kelly

Senior Lecturer

Laura is an Educational Psychologist working in an inner London borough, and alumna of the Tavistock training programme. She has a strong interest in community psychology, systems-psychodynamic theories, and utilising participatory and child-centred practices, which she draws upon in her Youth Justice role. She is a keen advocate for practitioner EPs engaging with research and increasing research literacy in Local Authority practice. In addition to her EP role, Laura is an Associate Lecturer, having taught on Childhood, Youth Studies and Child Psychology undergraduate programmes for over 10 years. She is a peer reviewer for the British Psychological Society’s Education and Child Psychology journal and is a reviewing panel member on a Local Authority Ethics Committee.

 

In her personal time, Laura volunteers as the Academic Chair for a charity which promotes the therapeutic impact of role-playing games (RPG). Prior to her EP career, Laura worked in a range of roles, including working as a Research Assistant in a large-scale mental health study, and has prior experience working in community and inpatient Adult Mental Health Services.

 

Qualifications

• MEd in Inclusive Practice (in progress)
• Doctorate in Child, Community and Educational Psychology (D.Ed.Ch.Psych) – Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust / University of Essex
• Postgraduate Certificate (PGCert) in Health Research – University of Lancaster 
• MSc in Applied Psychology (Therapies) – University of Salford
• Postgraduate Diploma (PGDip) in Psychological Research Methods – The Open University 
• BSc (Hons) Psychology – University of Salford

 

Membership of professional bodies

• Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA)
• Registered Practitioner Psychologist with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC)
• Chartered Member of the British Psychological Society (BPS)

 

Teaching roles

• Research Supervisor and Personal Supervisor 
• Thesis Examiner 
• Marking
• Recruitment 

 

Research interests

• Educational Psychology in Youth Justice Services and custodial settings 
• Therapeutic impact of table-top gaming 
• Application of Systems-Psychodynamics in educational contexts
• Use of Psychosocial methodologies in EP research

 

Local Authority research

• Experiences of school exclusion, from the perspective of children open to Youth Justice and voluntary youth services 
• Co-design, implementation and review of a secondary school intervention project (jointly with the Youth Endowment Fund and Mental Health Foundation) 

 

Research supervision

• Children’s experiences in youth court 
• Parents/carers’ experiences of Education Other Than at School (EOTAS)

 

Selected publications

Kelly, L.J. (2020) “The emotional experiences of Teaching Assistants, working 1:1 with a child” Unpublished D.Ed.Ch.Psych Thesis, University of Essex and Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust.

 

Expert advisory roles

• Peer Ethics Committee Member – Evidence Islington (Islington Council; 2025 to date) 
• Reviewer for Tavistock Research Ethics Committee (TREC) (2025-present)
• Reviewer for Educational and Child Psychology journal (British Psychological Society; 2024 to date)