The My Warwick Life feature gives an insight into staff and students’ lives at Warwick, considering both their work and social life on campus. This week we hear from Dr. Jeannie Wright, Director of Counselling, Centre for Lifelong Learning.

There’s no such thing as a typical day, but, in a nutshell, my job involves…

variety! Because I moved from Massey University in New Zealand in September 2011, the last few months have involved a lot of learning, meeting new people and networking. So, a typical day would aim to include at least one meeting with somebody I haven’t met before, or learning about one more area at Warwick University I had no idea existed. Most of my teaching since I arrived has been with the foundation degree in person centred counselling and psychotherapy students and, at times, that is a huge challenge. They are the most mixed group of students I have ever had the pleasure to work with; some already hold Ph.Ds, some have MBAs and some left school with absolutely no academic qualifications. I’m also developing a new MA in counselling and psychotherapy by research and most days seem to include finding out about which team or committee does what, particularly as we hope to attract some international students .

It would be really useful to work more closely with…

colleagues in a related discipline, such as education or social work.

I recently attended a conference where…

I discovered both that the Teaching Grid is a wonderful, flexible space and that the IATL is a great resource that our students and staff in counselling and psychotherapy could benefit from.

I'm really enjoying working on…

a research project in online counselling support for young people. I’m currently collaborating on a presentation and publication with a therapist in New Zealand who works with young people using texting. See www.thelowdown.co.nz, an award winning site providing information about depression. New Zealand has one of the highest youth suicide rates in the world and the lowdown aims to take counselling to where young people are – on their phones.

I recently went to the Arts Centre to watch…

'Tis pity she's a whore. I loved the production, the first I’d seen by ‘Cheek by Jowl’. I’d read Jacobean tragedies at university and couldn’t believe how the actors made the C17th language come alive. It was possible to imagine the play as part of a contemporary TV series. Great music, dance, set design too.

I'm an occasional user of the Sports Centre for…

their swimming pool. Warm and relatively uncrowded in the mornings.

I'm looking forward to using my Warwick Learning Account vouchers for…

language learning at the Learning Centre.

I usually travel to campus by…

walking or cycling. The trees are a joy, the traffic congestion isn’t.