Why Psychological Delights?
Psychological Delights aims to be an amalgam of all that is delightful about the discipline and practice of psychology. It includes contemplations on daily life, practical advice for people wishing to pursue a career in clinical psychology, therapy tips, my personal perspectives on the theoretical and applied aspects of psychology, and a fair amount of quirky psychological humour. There are also poems with a psychological theme.Everything on the site is free at present, including a range of downloadable resources. I use adverts to help me finance the site.
A Little About Dr Derek Lee
Professional Background
I obtained my B.Sc (Hons) in psychology from the University of Hull in 1980 and stayed on another three years to work on my Ph.D. in the area of psychopharmacology under the supervision of Dr Geoff Lowe. I then undertook a two-year M.Phil in Clinical Psychology at the University of Edinburgh, securing my first job as a qualified clinical psychologist in the Midlands in October 1985. I have held various posts since then and began to specialise in drug and alcohol problems in 1989. This specialist addictions role ended on 31st August 2012 (see Tendering of Drug Services in the NHS) and my direct clinical work then focused on people with complex and enduring mental health poblems. My love of addictions lives on in clinical supervision, training, and on this website. You can take the psychologist out of addictions, but....
I have gained a lot of teaching and training experience over the years with a wide range of participants, including police officers, police surgeons, social workers, psychiatrists, clinical psychology trainees, nurses and voluntary sector workers. I enjoy teaching, and a lot of the content on this website has arisen from materials and resources I have developed for training purposes. If you think I may be able to meet some of your personal continuing professional development goals or your organisation's training needs, especially in the areas of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Mental Health and Addictions (including Dual Diagnosis/Co-morbidity), then please visit the Psychology Workshops and Lectures pages. Alternatively, email me or call me directly on 07973-136577 to discuss your needs.
I am a member of the British Association for Behavioural & Cognitive Psychotherapies (BABCP)
To comply with statutory requirements, I was a registered Practitioner Psychologist with the Health and Care Professions Council.
As of May 2022, I am no longer registered because of my retirement from clinical practice.
Personal Background
I was born in Croydon (South London) and grew up in the suburb of Addiscombe. I attended Oval Road Primary School and then Croydon Secondary Technical School. I worked as a nursing assistant when I left school and then in an office for the United Association for the Protection of Trade. These two experiences confirmed my desire to work in the public sector, firstly undertaking nurse training in learning disabilities, and then going to university as a mature student to study psychology.
I live with my wife in the Midlands - a vague area of the UK somewhere to the north of London and too far from the sea - and enjoy regular contact with my son and two daughters from my first marriage. I have another daughter in Bulgaria, but geography sadly does not allow such regular contact.
You will see from some of the external links that I enjoy photography, poetry and creative writing - a medley of serious comments and quirky or surreal observations. I also train regularly in the traditional Korean martial art of Tang Soo Do. Oh, a more recent addition - running!
If you would like to know more, or if you want to comment on or ask me about any aspect of Psychological Delights or Clinical Psychology as a career choice, then please contact me via my email.
Thank you.
