I am Associate Professor of Psychology at the University of Greenwich, and Portfolio Lead for Psychology and Counselling. My research specialism is adult development. I investigate how adults change as they age, including how they can transform and grow through periods of crisis and transition. My textbook on adult development is used across many universities in the US and Europe. I have conducted a series of research studies into the antecedents, contents and outcomes of quarter-life crisis, midlife crisis and later life crisis. I also research how curiosity, the search for authenticity and the use of psychedelics acts as drivers or disruptors for adult development. I have developed a resilience intervention for students to support positive development, and am interested in the role of psychedelics and meditation in personal development too. I am currently President of the European Society for Research in Adult Development (ESRAD). 

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Alongside my work on adult development, I write about how to use qualitative methods effectively in the social sciences, and have designed a number of widely-used methodological techniques.

 

I am interested in how the rational and empirical ethos of science and the intuitive and relational focus of spirituality can play a complementary role in balanced and healthy development. I have written a book Paths Between Head and Heart on this topic, as well as a number of articles.

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I co-organise the Beyond the Brain conference series for the Scientific and Medical Network, with David Lorimer.

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I also compose relaxing and atmospheric piano music, and have recently released an album with Modern Classical X. My influences include Yiruma, Teodor Wolgers, David Tolk, Sophie Hutchins and others. Composing has been in my life since I was in my 20s. In my late twenties, I was in a folk band called The Antics and I wrote the songs for them (listen to tunes on Youtube here).

 

I also do watercolour and acrylic paintings from time to time. I put my watercolours on an Instagram channel @oliver_watercolours.