Professor Neil Thomas

Biography

Professor Neil Thomas FAIDH FCCLP is lead for clinical psychology research with the Centre for Mental Health and Brain Sciences (CMHBS), and Director of two of Swinburne's online research and training clinics: the National eTherapy Centre, and the Voices Clinic.

Neil's research aims to empower people to improve mental health. He leads research spanning psychological therapies, digital interventions, mental health service delivery, and the psychological processes involved in mental health. His psychological intervention research has included cognitive behavioural, third wave and trauma-focused therapies, as well as peer support. Much of his treatment research incorporates digital technologies, including telehealth, online self-management programs, mobile devices and virtual reality.

The National eTherapy Centre provides self-guided and therapist-supported cognitive behavioural therapy programs to adults across Australia with anxiety, depression and obsessive compulsive disorder. The self-management website Mental Health Online is accessed by over 10,000 new registered users per year, as well as providing 25 training placements per year to postgraduate clinical psychology students in blended models of therapy using digital technology.  In parallel, Neil currently leads a $1.8m National Health and Medical Research Council clinical trial of a telehealth delivered intervention examining the use of computer-generated avatars to support therapy delivery.

Among clinical populations, Neil is particularly recognised internationally for his work developing interventions for people with severe and complex mental health problems, and he is one of the world’s most published researchers on persisting experiences of hearing voices (auditory hallucinations): an intrusive and highly distressing experience in a range of populations. His pioneering Voices Clinic, established over 15 years ago, provides specialist treatment to people nationwide. Alongside this, through industry roles, including as Convenor of the Australian Psychological Society Psychosis Interest Group and Honorary Consultant Clinical Psychologist at the Aflred Hospital, he is a leader in the dissemination of practice with this population in Australia.

Neil supervises Honours, MPsych and PhD students. Research students will be able to develop methodological skills including quantitative and experimental psychological methods, treatment trialing methods, qualitative methods, ecological momentary assessment, codesign/coproduction approaches, and literature synthesis methods.