Dr Mark Hoelterhoff (PhD)
Lecturer in Clinical Psychology and Programme Director for Staff Learning and Teaching Development

Contact details
- Email: mark.hoelterhoff@ed.ac.uk
Address
- Street
-
School of Health in Social Science
Medical School, Doorway 6
Teviot Place - City
- Edinburgh
- Post code
- EH8 9AG
Availability
Please contact via email
Background
I have been in the field of mental well-being for over 25 years. As a counselling psychologist, my experience includes working alongside people in both private practise and third sector organisations around the world. I promote developing psychological capital (PsyCap) to enable individuals and communities to thrive. My therapeutic work is based on positive psychology which is founded on the belief that people want to find meaning, develop their potential and live fulfilling lives. In addition to health care settings, I’ve worked at several higher education institutions before coming to the University of Edinburgh.
Qualifications
PhD Psychology at University of Plymouth
MA Psychology at Alliant University
MA Counselling Psychology at Trinity International University
BA Psychology at University of Dayton
Responsibilities & affiliations
British Psychological Society Chartered Psychologist
Health and Care Professioal Council Registered Practitioner Psychologist (Counselling Psychology)
Higher Education Academy Senior Fellow
Undergraduate teaching
Psychological Therapies for the BSc in Psychology
Postgraduate teaching
Psychological Therapies for the MSc in Psychology of Mental Health
Trauma Across the Lifespan for the Doctorate in Clinical Psychology
Open to PhD supervision enquiries?
Yes
Research summary
I am interested in why psychological capital (PsyCap) matters and how can we develop it through an agentic strengths-based education strategy among young people at risk of vulnerability in a global context. This includes students and new career professionals in demanding environments and young people in low and middle-income countries/communities (LMIC).
I will collaborate and supervise projects on:
• Flourishing in the academic community; the role of Hope, Efficacy, Optimism, Resilience (HERO) in intra-personal and inter-personal transformation.
•Understanding the role of PsyCap as a protective factor that enables positive re-settlement and thriving among refugees.
•The role of PsyCap and meaningful engagement for vocations with high burn-out.
•Agentic protective factors that contribute to greater posttraumatic growth.
Current project grants
2020 (£15,000) Cara Syria Programme Larger Grant
Project title: The effect of electricity shortage on social well-being in people living in northern Syria (Principal Investigator).
2018-2020. Erasmus+ KA2 – Strategic partnership for innovation in the adult field
Project: Support well-being among potential entrepreneurs with a migrant/refugee background to start and develop business initiatives in the Blue Growth economy on behalf of the Scottish Islands Federation (Consultant).
Past project grants
2019 (£80,500) College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences SFC Official Development Assistance Global Challenges Internal Fund
Project Title: Leadership in Ethics, Integrity and Research Conduct in Complex LMIC-UK partnership projects (Co-Investigator).
2019 (£50,000) College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences SFC Official Development Assistance Global Challenges Internal Fund
Project Title: Strong minds, strong lives: Building enduring partnerships through co-design of a rural mental health service and research strategy in Malawi (Co-Investigator).
2018 (£14,981) The Global Academies and Edinburgh Global Research and Partnership Fund (LMIC).
Project: Growing strong kids in Malawi: A collaborative needs analysis between a Scottish research team and MamaLita School in Namwera, Malawi (Co-Investigator).
2018 (£9123). The College of Radiographers
Project: Studying resilience among newly qualified radiographers (Co-Investigator).
2016 (£5,000) University of Cumbria Research and Development Funding
Project: Exploring the role of social capital in the Storm Desmond flood (Co-Investigator).
2012 (£1200) University of Cumbria Research and Development Funding
Project: The impact of sustainable development activities on health and well-being in a Senegalese population (Principal Investigator).
2005-2010 (£21,075) University of Plymouth PhD Scholarship funding
2006 ($25,000) Lions Club International Start Up Grant
Project: Lions Quest well-being pilot programme for Lithuanian primary school children (Co-Investigator).
-
Looking back at my student years now…: Recently-qualified radiographers’ retroactive understandings of key resilience sources
Research output: Contribution to Conference › Abstract (Accepted/In press) -
Don’t Fear the Theatre? Dark tales from recently-qualified diagnostic radiographers
Research output: Contribution to Conference › Abstract (Accepted/In press) -
Self-efficacy as an agentic protective factor against death anxiety in PTSD and psychiatric co-morbidity
In:
Psychiatric Quarterly, pp. 1-17
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11126-019-09694-5
Research output: Contribution to Journal › Article (E-pub ahead of print) -
A qualitative exploration of students' experiences of trauma - a dialectical perspective
Research output: Contribution to Conference › Abstract (Published) -
Strong minds, strong lives: Building enduring partnerships through co-design of a rural mental health service and research strategy
Research output: Contribution to Conference › Abstract (Published) -
The role of protective factors on flourishing vs. burn-out in the work force: A strengths-based perspective on resilience.
Research output: Contribution to Conference › Abstract (Published) -
Developing resilience through an agentic strengths-based education strategy promoting well-being among young people at risk of vulnerability in a global context
Research output: Contribution to Conference › Abstract (Published) -
The challenges and opportunities of informed consent in LMIC
Research output: Contribution to Conference › Abstract (Accepted/In press) -
Death anxiety resilience; a mixed methods investigation
(17 pages)
In:
Psychiatric Quarterly, vol. 88, pp. 635-651
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11126-016-9483-6
Research output: Contribution to Journal › Article (Published) -
Cognitive theories of depression in online peer support forums: Exploring the cognitive triad
(8 pages)
In:
Journal of European Psychology students, vol. 8, pp. 7-14
DOI: https://doi.org/10.5334/jeps.405
Research output: Contribution to Journal › Article (Published) -
Posttraumatic stress disorder following asthma attack: The role of agency beliefs in mediating psychiatric morbidity
In:
Journal of Mental Health, vol. 26, pp. 342-350
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/09638237.2017.1340628
Research output: Contribution to Journal › Article (Published) -
The role of social capital in developing flood resilience
Research output: Contribution to Conference › Paper (Published) -
What change processes does team formulations facilitate in intellectual disability (ID) staff teams?: A practitioner’s perspective
Research output: Contribution to Conference › Paper (Published) -
A theoretical exploration of death anxiety
In:
Journal of Applied Psychology and Social Science, vol. 1, pp. 1-17
Research output: Contribution to Journal › Article (Published) -
Resilience against death anxiety in relationship to post-traumatic stress disorder and psychiatric co-morbidity
Research output: Contribution to Conference › Paper (Published) -
Resilience against death anxiety in the face of trauma; the role of self-efficacy
In:
Comprehensive Psychiatry, vol. 54, pp. e24
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.comppsych.2013.07.027
Research output: Contribution to Journal › Article (Published) -
Death anxiety and well-being; coping with life-threatening events
(12 pages)
In:
Traumatology, vol. 19, pp. 280-291
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/1534765613477499
Research output: Contribution to Journal › Article (Published) -
A phenomenological study of Senegalese eco-projects; the connection between well-being and sustainable development activities
Research output: Contribution to Conference › Paper (Published) -
Advice from a sceptic: There is room for naturalism in ecopsychology?
In:
European Journal of Ecopsychology, vol. 1, pp. 52-63
Research output: Contribution to Journal › Article (Published) -
Trauma reaction in the light of Kierkegaard’s concept of self
In:
History & Philosophy of Psychology, vol. 12, pp. 84-89
Research output: Contribution to Journal › Article (Published)
Invited speaker
Keynote Speaker
Hoelterhoff, M. (2019). Developing resilience through an agentic strengths-based education strategy promoting well-being among young people at risk of vulnerability in a global context. Conference of International Society of Psychology, Counselling and Education (ISPCE). University of Malaysia, Sabah.
Papers delivered
2015-2020
Sloane, C., Miller, P., De Witt, J., Hoelterhoff, M., Marland, A. (accepted). Don’t Fear the Theatre? Dark tales from recently-qualified diagnostic radiographers. UK Imaging and Oncology Congress: Pathways and Communication, Liverpool ACC, 1-3 June 2020
Hoelterhoff M, Sloane C, Miller, PK, Marland A, Barclay M, and De Witt J, (accepted). ‘Looking back at my student years now…: Recently-qualified radiographers’ retroactive understandings of key resilience sources’. UK Imaging and Oncology Congress: Pathways and Communication, Liverpool ACC, 1-3 June 2020
Hoelterhoff, M. (2019). Developing resilience through an agentic strengths-based education strategy promoting well-being among young people at risk of vulnerability in a global context. Conference of International Society of Psychology, Counselling and Education (ISPCE). University of Malaysia, Sabah.
Hoelterhoff, M. (2019). The role of protective factors on flourishing vs. burn-out in the work force: a strengths-based perspective on resilience. Radiography Curriculum Development & Workforce Recovery Conference, Lancaster, UK.
Hoelterhoff, M. & Chibwana, K., (2019). Strong minds, strong lives: Building enduring partnerships through co-design of a rural mental health service and research strategy. Malawi Mental Health Conference, Blantyre, Malawi.
Calia, C. , Yucelli, S. ,Hoelterhoff, M, Amos, A, Chibwana, K., Kawale, P., Johnston, S., ,Magowan, R., Taylor, E., Reid, C.(2019) The challenges and opportunities of informed consent in LMIC. The 3rd European Congress of Qualitative Inquiry. Edinburgh, UK.
Hellmold, R. , East, A., ,Sandhu, S., Mark Hoelterhoff, M. (2019). A qualitative exploration of students' experiences of trauma - a dialectical perspective. The 3rd European Congress of Qualitative Inquiry. Edinburgh, UK.
Taylor, E., Hoelterhoff, M., Reid, C., Calia, C., Johnstone, S. (2018). Implementing the principles of child-sensitive social protection in programmes designed to improve child psychosocial wellbeing and resilience: a review and case study. What Works for Africa’s poorest children? Social Policies and Programmes for Children Living in Extreme Deprivation. Kampala, Uganda
Jackson, I., & Hoelterhoff, M. (2017). What change processes does team formulations facilitate in Intellectual disability (ID) staff teams? A practitioner’s perspective. Paper presentation at the Seattle Club annual conference on intellectual and developmental disabilities. Durham, UK
Hoelterhoff, M. & Smith, D. (2017). The role of social capital in developing flood resilience. Paper presentation at the 38th Annual Conference of the Stress and Anxiety Research Society, Hong Kong.
Hoelterhoff, M., & Chung, M.C. (2015). Resilience against death anxiety in relationship to post-traumatic stress disorder and psychiatric co-morbidity. Paper presentation at the 36th Annual Conference of the Stress and Anxiety Research Society, Tel Aviv, Israel.