Natascha Basedau

Natascha is a clinical psychologist. She currently works clinically in the NHS, in a Community Mental Health Team for Older People. In her academic role, she is a senior lecturer on the Doctorate in Clinical Psychology Programme (DClinPsy).

Her teaching specialisms are:

• Mental health difficulties and psychotherapy in later life
• Ageism and social justice
• Dementia – cognitive profiles and diagnosis
• Psychosocial understanding and interventions in dementia
• Psychodynamic psychotherapy and social justice
• Leadership in clinical psychology
• Understanding groups and systems
• LGBTQ+ Identities and social justice

Natascha is involved across the DClinPsy programme as a clinical tutor, as a research supervisor supervising doctoral research and service-related research projects, and as an academic tutor, teaching, module co-ordinating and developing the curriculum. She has a particular interest in understanding group and wider system processes, and how we nurture staff and trainee wellbeing utilising psychological theory and formulation (of the motives for entering the profession, of psychological contracts, of professional pitfalls, and the wider intra- and inter-group processes that serve to marginalise and oppress within systems, for example).

Natascha is involved in a number of EDI initiatives on the programme, developing EDI training for supervisors, co-facilitating a clinical tutor peer supervision space, and contributing to development of a statement of the DClinPsy course values, the DClinPsy EDI strategy and a framework for reporting and responding to microaggressions. In addition, Natascha has led on co-ordinating social justice initiatives, including collating and issuing a statement in response to the government’s proposed ‘Gender Questioning Children Guidance for Schools’ (2024). She welcomes opportunities to present on these initiatives, in the interests of service development and wider social justice and change within clinical psychology and more broadly.

Natascha is the lead of the LGBTQ+ steering group on the DClinPsy, which she established in 2023.  The steering group comprises lecturers, researchers and trainees involved in the DClinPsy. Its aims are to offer a thinking space for advocacy/activism and consciousness raising, as well as a community of practice for discussion of the challenges and the joy, creativity and innovation in LGBTQ+ lived experience. The group continues to develop the DClinPsy curriculum, expanding specific LGBTQ+ topics, and to generate LGBTQ+ research topics, holding an oversight of how these topics relate and build on one another. You are invited in to take a closer look at the group’s activities and what the group represents here: LGBTQ+ Steering Group: Inviting You In

Natascha welcomes enquiries and expressions of interest for her to supervise doctoral theses within her teaching and research interest areas.

Current Doctoral Research Projects

Armita Farsinejad - “Are they hard to reach or are we not reaching out?” : Exploring healthcare staff perspectives of why African Caribbean people may be presenting later to dementia services.

Megan Jackson – How do people who identify as Asexual story the development of their identity?

Completed Doctoral Research Projects

Derek Batten – 2024 - Gay Men’s pathways to parenthood: Exploring the decision-making processes for surrogacy in the UK

Publications

Bloomers on the washing line: The use of metaphor in EDI developments at Hertfordshire DClinPsy Basedau, N., Rishworth, B., Heath, J., Scott, J., Adlington, R., Karwatzki, E., Taiwo, A. O. & Kemp, N., Dec 2024. Research output: Contribution to conference › Poster

Basedau, N. & Wilson, C. (2022) Working with Hoarding Disorder in Older Age: Using Archetypal Themes in FPOP Bulletin, 160, p.38-43

Creative Output

‘Swing’ (2024) – Insider/Outsider Art Exhibition: An exhibition of art works by mental health professionals with lived experience of mental health difficulties. Mobile made of tin and wire.

‘Mobile’ (2023) – Hathaway House Permanent Exhibition, CNWL NHS Trust. Mobile made of tin and wire.

‘Candid’ (2023)– Hathaway House Permanent Exhibition, CNWL NHS Trust. Mobile made of tin and wire.

‘Rainbow Coloured Can’ (2021) – CNWL NHS Trust Pride Online Gallery. Mobile made of tin and wire.