Collaborator 1 – Team Member
name
Frances Maratos
nationality
British
institution
University of Derby
department
School of Psychology
city / country
Derby, United Kingdom
professional status
Professor of Psychology and Affective Science
https://www.derby.ac.uk/staff/frances-maratos/
keywords
#affective science #compassion focused therapy (CFT) #compassionate mind training (CMT) #compassion in education #emotional wellbeing #mental health promotion #resilience #emotion regulation #anxiety #self-compassion #school-based interventions #child and adolescent mental health #psychological wellbeing #behaviour change #implementation research
orcid
role in the project
Professor Frances Maratos will contribute expertise in compassion-based interventions, affective science, emotional wellbeing, and school-based mental health promotion. She will support the co-design, adaptation, and implementation of the VOICE intervention, contribute to the development of teacher training and pupil programmes, and provide scientific leadership in the evaluation of compassion-focused approaches aimed at strengthening resilience, emotional regulation, self-compassion, and help-seeking behaviours among children and adolescents. She will also contribute to implementation strategies, dissemination activities, and the development of sustainable approaches to improving access to mental health support within school and community settings.
general expertise and its relevance for the project
Professor Frances Maratos is a Professor of Psychology and Affective Science at the University of Derby and an internationally recognised researcher in emotional wellbeing, affective science, compassion, resilience, and mental health promotion. Her work focuses on understanding the psychological, behavioural, physiological, and neurocognitive processes that underpin wellbeing and emotional resilience, and on translating this knowledge into evidence-based interventions that can be implemented in educational, clinical, and community settings. Professor Maratos has played a leading role in the development, implementation, and evaluation of compassion-based approaches in schools, including programmes designed to strengthen emotional regulation, resilience, self-compassion, prosocial behaviour, and mental wellbeing among children, adolescents, and educators. Her research has contributed significantly to the growing evidence base demonstrating how compassion-focused approaches can improve wellbeing, reduce psychological distress, and create supportive educational environments that promote positive mental health outcomes.
Within the VOICE project, Professor Maratos will contribute expertise in affective science, compassion-based interventions, implementation research, and school-based mental health promotion. Her experience in developing and evaluating evidence-based educational programmes will support the co-design, adaptation, and evaluation of the VOICE intervention, particularly in relation to strengthening emotional resilience, fostering compassionate school environments, improving mental health literacy, and promoting early identification and support for children and adolescents experiencing trauma-related distress and adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). Her expertise will also contribute to implementation strategies, stakeholder engagement, dissemination activities, and the development of sustainable models for improving access to mental health support within schools and communities.
awards received / other responsibilities
- Lead for the Compassion in Education Programme at the University of Derby.
- External expert on a United States National Institutes of Health (NIH) funded research programme investigating self-critical rumination, self-reassurance, and suicidal thoughts and behaviours in young people.
- Contributor to international initiatives promoting compassion and wellbeing in educational settings.
positions
Present
Professor of Psychology and Affective Science
School of Psychology, University of Derby, United Kingdom.
education
PhD in Psychology
Chartered Psychologist, British Psychological Society
publications up to five most important achievements, publications, IP (e.g. patents) relevant to the proposal
1. Maratos F. A., Gilbert P., Karekla,M., & Trivedi S. (2019). Compassionate Mind Training: An 8-week group for the general public. Journal of Compassionate Health Care, 6(1). Demonstrated the effectiveness of Compassionate Mind Training in improving wellbeing, self-compassion, and reducing psychological distress.
2. Maratos F. A., Shead N., & Gilbert P. (2020). Compassionate mind training and its effects on psychological wellbeing: A systematic evaluation. Contributed to the evidence base supporting compassion-focused interventions for improving emotional wellbeing and resilience.
3. Maratos F. A., Beaumont E., & colleagues (2024). Compassionate Mind Training for Pupils: Evaluating school-based compassion interventions to promote wellbeing and resilience. Provides direct evidence for the use of compassion-based approaches within educational settings and their impact on pupil wellbeing.
4. Maratos F. A., et al. (2021). Compassion in Education: Promoting emotional wellbeing, resilience and positive mental health in schools. A significant contribution to the development and implementation of compassion-focused approaches in educational environments.
5. Maratos F. A., Gilbert P., & colleagues. Research programme on Compassion in Education, including the development, implementation, and evaluation of compassion-based interventions for children, adolescents, and educators. This body of work has contributed substantially to international understanding of how compassion can support mental health promotion, resilience, and positive educational outcomes.
recent invited talks/keynotes/panels (limited to the past five years)
Invited Speaker Compassion in Education: Issues, Compassion-Focused Solutions and the Future Institute of Education, University of Derby, UK. June 2024
Invited Speaker Do we need Compassion in Education? An Overview of Issues, Compassion-Focused Solutions and the Future 2nd Compassion Focused Therapy Conference, University of Poznam, Poland, June 2024
Invited Panel Member What is Compassionate Education? Global Compassion Coalition, with Dr Karen Bluth, Dr Kathyrn Waddington, Dr Margaret Golden, and Rachel Killam, May 2024
Keynote Speaker Compassionate Leadership in Education in Troubled-Times South Wales Association for Special School Headteachers, Wales, May 2024
Invited Speaker The Importance of Compassion in Education Compassion in a T-Shirt with Dr Stan Steindl, University of Queensland, Australia, May 2024
Invited Speaker Compassion in Education: The Why’s, The What's, The Result’s so far… Matilda Centre, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia, November 2023
Keynote Speaker Compassion in Education: The Why’s, The What’s, The Results, The Future 12th International CFT Conference, Compassionate Mind Foundation, Birmingham, October 2023
Invited Speaker Understanding Empathy and Teaching Empathy and Compassion in the Classroom Derbyshire County Council School Briefings, June 2023
Keynote Speaker The Importance of Compassion in Education Compassion and Wellbeing in Education Event, University of Derby, UK, November, 2022
Invited Speaker Compassion in Education: Why, What & How to Apply in HE University of Leicester, UK, June, 2022
Invited Speaker Wellbeing in the Workplace: Understanding the link between Emotions & Behaviour University Hospitals of Derby and Burton, UK, May 2021
Invited Speaker Progressing compassionate mind training in school settings to improve wellbeing: An international research programme The Consciousness, Mindfulness, Compassion (CMC) - International Association, Italy, May 2021
Invited Speaker An Introduction to Compassion and Compassion-Based Interventions: Theory & Research Examples; Brown University, USA, February 2021
Keynote Speaker Invite How compassionate mind training can improve wellbeing Emotionally Healthy Schools, Derby, UK, December, 2020
Keynote Speaker Invite Progressing compassionate mind training in school settings to improve wellbeing – An international research programme International Perspectives in Education, Greece, April 2020
Invited Speaker Progressing compassionate mind training in school settings, an international study. Exeter University, January 2020
Keynote Opening Speaker Progressing compassionate mind training in school settings to improve wellbeing – An international research study. Applied Psychology Conference, Singapore, June 2019
