Dr Stephen Gene Morris
Who Am I and Why Am I Here?
OK, I’m not having a crisis; the questions in the title above are rhetorical. When I meet a PhD student for the first time, I generally ask them to tell me a little about themselves and the journey they are on. So it seems reasonable to introduce myself in a similar way.
I’m a Consultant in Applied Neuropsychology and at the forefront of using The Mindtraining Method to help PhDs and other students fulfil their potential. I’m an experienced meditation teacher and scientist, and I’ve been practising secular and Buddhist forms of meditation for almost 30 years. I have taught at university, led seminars and marked student work. My experience includes providing funded and unfunded meditation groups within universities and the wider community. I have delivered compassion-based training to professionals working in higher education. As a specialist Academic Mentor, I have supported hundreds of university students to reach their goals. My earlier career includes experience in the corporate sector, management consultancy, health and social care, community mental health, the not-for-profit sector, and self-employment. I have formed and supported educational charities active in Asia and Africa. I created PhD Thriving based on decades of scientific study and direct experience of work with PhD candidates. Compassion is central to the culture of PhD Thriving and directly linked to the success of The Mindtraining Method. Support from several experienced colleagues from the HE is central to the PhD Thriving success.
What Do We Do?
The short answer is that we support PhDs in reaching their goals by helping them increase happiness, wellbeing, and academic success. More details for PhD candidates here, and universities and other PhD stakeholders here.
We integrate compassionate practices and insights from contemplative science with reliable neuropsychological techniques to support PhD students. Combined, these Three Pillars (applied neuropsychology, contemplative science and compassionate practice) form the basis of our Mindtraining approach. In a lifelong journey with education, performance and wellbeing, it’s clear to me that humans don’t sit within a single disciplinary boundary, such as developmental psychology; that’s why informed transdisciplinary approaches, such as Mindtraining, tend to be more effective than a narrow understanding of human function and experience.
