Profiles
Dr Deanna Gallichan
Associate Professor in Clinical Psychology
School of Psychology (Faculty of Health)
Biography
Biography
Associate Professor in Clinical Psychology.
I am one of the Research Tutors on the DClinPsy, and also support the MSc in Clinical Psychology and Clinical Associate Psychologist programmes.
My main interests concern people with intellectual disabilities and other neurodevelopmental conditions. I have broad interests in the psychological well being of this group, with a particular interest in attachment theory.
I am an experienced Consultant Clinical Psychologist and previously acted as clinical lead within services for people with intellectual disabilities in Plymouth. I retain an honorary contract with Livewell Southwest (CIC) and I am clinically active with the Plymouth Community Learning Disabilities Team.
Qualifications
2006 Doctorate in Clinical and Community Psychology, University of Exeter
2003 PhD (Psychology) University of Birmingham
2000 BSc (Hons) Psychology (First Class) University of Birmingham
Professional membership
HCPC registered Clinical Psychologist
Member of the British Psychological Society, including Division of Clinical Psychology and the Faculty of Intellectual Disabilities
Intermediate level Systemic Family Therapy training from an Association for Family Therapy accredited course
Video Interaction Guidance trained guider
Certified reliable judge for the Adult Attachment Projective http://attachmentprojective.com/
Teaching
Teaching
Teaching interests
I teach on several modules within the DClinPsy and will be teaching on the MSc Clinical Psychology and Clinical Associate Psychologist programmes in 2023-24
Research
Research
Research interests
I have broad interests in research that impacts on the lives of people with intellectual disabilities.
I am particularly interested in the application of attachment theory to people with intellectual disabilities. I am a certified reliable judge on the Adult Attachment Projective http://attachmentprojective.com/ and have developed research to explore whether this measure is reliable and valid in this population. Unlike self report questionnaires or behaviour rating scales, this measure allows us to look at internal working models of attachment (i.e how people think and feel about attachment relationships) which operate outside of conscious awareness. The AAP is currently the only developmental measure of attachment state of mind that has been successfully used with people with intellectual disabilities.
I also have interests in cognitive assessment of people with intellectual disabilities, particularly people with Down's syndrome who are at more risk of developing Alzheimer's disease as they age. I have been involved in prospective screening programmes for this cohort throughout my clinical career and aim to develop further research projects in this area in collaboration with local clinical services.
Publications
Publications
Bateman, L., Flood., A., Gallichan, D.J., de Pascalis, L. [in press] Attachment, Psychological Health and Interpersonal Functioning: A Comparison of Clinical and Non-clinical Groups of People with Intellectual Disability. In press with Advances in Mental Health and Intellectual Disabilities.
Gallichan, D.J., & George, C. (2018). The Adult Attachment Projective Picture System: a pilot study of inter-rater reliability and face validity with adults with intellectual disabilities. Advances in Mental Health and Intellectual Disabilities, 12(2), 57-66. https://doi.org/10.1108/amhid-11-2017-0036
Kenshole, A.V., Gallichan., D., Pahlm S., & Clibbens, J. (2017) Lifestyle factors and Alzheimer’s disease in people with Down syndrome. Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities, 30 (S1), 1-66.
Gallichan, D.J., & George, C. (2014). Assessing attachment status in adults with intellectual disabilities: The potential of the Adult Attachment Projective Picture System. Advances in Mental Health and Intellectual Disabilities, 8(2), 103-119. https://doi.org/10.1108/amhid-10-2012-0004
Gallichan, D.J., & Curle, C. (2008) Fitting Square Pegs into Round Holes: The Challenge of Coping with ADHD. Clinical Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 13 (3), 343-364.
Mason, D.J., Humphreys, G.W & Kent, L. (2005) Insights into the control of attentional set in ADHD using the attentional blink paradigm. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 46 (12), 1345-1353
Mason, D.J., Humphreys, G.W & Kent, L. (2004) Visual search, singleton capture and the control of attentional set in ADHD. Cognitive Neuropsychology, 21 (6), 661-687
Mason, D.J., Humphreys, G.W & Kent, L. (2003) Exploring selective attention in ADHD: Visual search through space and time. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 44, (8,) 1158-1176
Gallichan, D.J., Poulter, N., Clark, A., & Stoneman, K., (2023) Confusion and fear of loss: clinical applications of the AAP with people with intellectual disabilities. In C.George & J.W. Aikens (eds) Working with Attachment Trauma: Clinical Application of the Adult Attachment Projective Picture System. London: Routledge
Gallichan, D.J, & George, C. (2016). Attachment Trauma and Pathological Mourning in Adults with Intellectual Disabilities. In Fletcher, H.K., Flood, A. & Hare, D.J. (eds) Attachment in Intellectual and Developmental Disability: A Clinician’s guide to Practice and Research. (pp. 197-222) Sussex: Wiley.
Fletcher, H.K. & Gallichan, D.J. (2016) An overview of Attachment Theory: Bowlby and Beyond. In Fletcher, H.K., Flood, A. & Hare, D.J. (eds) Attachment in Intellectual and Developmental Disability: A Clinician’s guide to Practice and Research. (pp.8-32) Sussex: Wiley.
Gallichan, D.J., (April 2019) Video Interaction Guidance with People with Intellectual Disabilities and their Support Workers. Oral presentation to annual Advancing Practice Conference of the Faculty of Intellectual Disabilities, Division of Clinical Psychology in London, UK.
Gallichan, D.J., (April 2017) “There is light at the end of the tunnel”: how relationships can change internal working models of attachment. Oral presentation to annual Advancing Practice Conference of the Faculty of Intellectual Disabilities, Division of Clinical Psychology in Sheffield, UK.
Gallichan, D.J., (September 2011) Assessing Attachment in Adults with ID: The Adult Attachment Projective Picture System. Oral presentation at the Joint Congress of the European Association for Mental Health in Intellectual Disabiliy & IASSID Challenging Behaviour and Mental Health SIRG, Manchester, UK.
Gallichan, D.J. (2008) Workshop: using attachment theory in clinical work with children with learning disabilities. Oral presentation at the Developmental Disabilities Research and Education Group conference, Dartington, UK.
Gallichan, D.J (2021) Video Interaction Guidance with adults with ID: Learning points and reflections. The Bulletin of the Faculty for People with Intellectual Disabilities, 19 (3) 20-23.
Gooding., H., Rea, S., & Gallichan, D (2018) An exploratory evaluation of providing reflective supervision to support providers working in a learning disability setting. The Bulletin of the Faculty for People with Intellectual Disabilities, 16 (1), 48-54.
Gallichan, D.J & Mitchell, A. (2008) Making the case for in vivo assessments of clinical competence. Clinical Psychology Forum, 184, p18-22.