Dr. Stephanie Swales

Stephanie Swales, Ph.D. is an Assistant Professor of Psychotherapy in the School of Nursing, Psychotherapy and Community Health at Dublin City University. She also works with individuals and couples as a clinical psychologist and Lacanian psychoanalyst. Stephanie serves as an editor for the PCSreview section of section of the journal Psychoanalysis, Culture & Society and as a member-at-large for the Association for Psychoanalysis, Culture & Society. Stephanie’s research predominantly focuses on empathy and the processes of change within psychotherapy. She has authored numerous articles and book chapters as well as two books: Psychoanalysing Ambivalence with Freud and Lacan: On and Off the Couch (Routledge, 2020), co-authored with Carol Owens, and Perversion: A Lacanian Psychoanalytic Approach to the Subject (Routledge, 2012).

Psychodynamic approaches to psychotherapy; systemic approaches to psychotherapy; philosophy of psychotherapy; professional psychotherapy practice

Research Interests

Stephanie’s research interests are in the areas of psychotherapy change–pursuing questions related tohow therapy leads to therapeutic change—psychotherapy outcome research, and psychopathology research. Her current projects revolve around the theory and practice of empathy in psychotherapy and psychoanalysis and how it relates to subjective change. Her research is also concerned with the subjective and cultural conditions which foster certain types of psychological suffering, including the experience and effects of social justice issues including racism, xenophobia, transphobia, and food insecurity.

CV

External Positions

Associate Professor of Psychology
University of Dallas
01/08/2014 – 21/07/2024

Academic Qualifications

PhD
Project: Clinical Psychology
Award date: 14/08/2012