Professor Swales is Director of the North Wales Clinical Psychology Programme that provides Doctoral level training to 40+ trainees.  She is also the Director of the Post-Graduate Diploma in Dialectical Behaviour Therapy.

Professor Swales can be contacted as follows:

email: m.swales@bangor.ac.uk

phone: 01248 382552

  • PhD: Predictors of Outcome in Adolescents in a Residential Setting
    1997
  • MPhil: Psychopathology
    University of Cambridge, 1989–1990
  • MPhil: History and Philosophy of Science
    University of Cambridge, 1986–1987
  • BA: Natural Sciences
    1983–1986

Professor Swales focuses on increasing competence in evidence-based psychological therapies in both her work on the doctoral programme and on the PGDip in DBT.  She also leads a National Team of Trainers in DBT whose skill and expertise are recognised internationally.  Professor Swales' team have trained over a thousand practitoners in DBT across the UK and Ireland.  More recently they have trained practitioners in Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, Hong Kong, Poland and the United States.

Professor Swales supervises PhD candidates and DClinPsy candidates.  Current projects are focusing on DBT for children with an ASD diagnosis, understanding effective processes in DBT Consultation Teams, shaping competence in DBT therapists and understanding relationships between ACEs and suicidal behaviour in Jordan.

Professor Swales conducts research into Dialectial Behaviour Therapy with a particular interest in implementation of the treatment in routine healthcare settings. 

Self-funded (inc. agency-funded projects): Professor Swales welcomes enquiries from prospective PhD students interested in Dialectical Behaviour Therapy.  Please contact Professor Swales in the first instance with a 1-2 page draft of your idea, to see if she has any capacity for new students.

2025

2024

2022

2020

2019

2018

2016

2015

2011

2010

2009

  • PublishedBorderline Personality Disorder
    Swales, M. A. & National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence., [. V., 1 Jan 2009, Borderline Personality Disorder: Treatment and management. National Clinical Practice Guideline Number 78. 2009 ed. British Psychological Society and The Royal College of Psychiatrists, p. 15-37
    Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter
  • PublishedDialectical Behaviour Therapy: Description, Research and Future Directions.
    Swales, M. A., 1 Jun 2009
    Research output: Non-textual form › Web publication/site

2008

2007

2005

  • PublishedPersonality Disorders
    Hill, J., Swales, M. A., Byatt, M., Gillberg, C. (Editor), Harrington, R. (Editor) & Steinhausen, H. C. (Editor), 1 Jan 2005, A Clinician's Handbook of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. 2005 ed. Cambridge University Press, p. 339-363
    Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter

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