Matt Wild ⋆ Small Changes

Dr. Matt Wild

Consultant Clinical Psychologist, MA (Hons.), DClinPsy

I completed my undergraduate studies in psychology at the University of Dundee (MA Hons) in 1995. I then worked as an Assistant Psychologist, before moving on to the University of Glasgow to undertake my doctoral training in Clinical Psychology (DClinPsy). I graduated in 2000 and have since fulfilled a number of NHS, academic, training and independent roles as a Clinical Psychologist.

Many of my roles in the early part of my career were based in physical health settings and my first Consultant Clinical Psychologist post (2006) was in the Bone Marrow Transplant Unit (based at that time in Glasgow Royal Infirmary).

Through my involvement with a variety of medical and surgical teams over the years and working with the psychological consequences of physical illness, I consolidated my interest in the interaction between mental health, physical health and the behavioural changes that are commonly required in order to cope adaptively and manage long-term health conditions.

I have also worked in academic and research settings. I held a lectureship at the University of Glasgow where I was part of the DClinPsy training programme and undertook my own research, again in the context of long-term condition management.

Dr. Matt Wild

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I maintain a strong interest in this field and draw on the growing evidence base in my work as a member of the team at Small Changes. I hold an Honorary Clinical Senior Lecturer position at the University of Glasgow.

For a number of years I worked outwith the NHS in Management Consultancy, where I used my expertise in individual and systemic behaviour change to support improved performance in business settings. I learned valuable lessons in these settings and I continue to utilise the knowledge and experience I gained from working with senior business leaders across the UK.

I now work in an Adult Mental Health setting and conduct my clinical practice as part of a busy, multi-disciplinary, Community Mental Health Team. My clinical work focusses on empowering individuals to tap into their own strengths and resources to more effectively manage their mental health, consequently improving their life circumstances and overall physical health. These interventions are delivered in the context of realistic medicine, where a collaborative approach is used to explore jointly suitable and realistic solutions to complex problems.

Throughout my career I have been appreciative of the privileged position I hold and of the trust my patients place in me as they share their stories and experiences. I know that many of these details will have been shared with me for the first time and I am acutely aware of the responsibility this comes with.

My input to the Small Changes team and my contributions to our behavioural change modules is my effort to distil 20 years of clinical practice into small, manageable chunks of information, communicated clearly so that these can be accessed by everyone. While there is not a direct clinical focus to this information, I firmly believe that everyone can benefit from these insights and that these core messages and techniques are at the heart of positive mental health.

Away from work, exercise is my primary source of stress management. Sport and exercise has been a huge part of my life and has led to adventures in some amazing places. In recent years I have found that my body no longer recovers in the way it once did and I pick up injuries more easily now. So, while I have moved away from competitive sport, activity remains a strong value for me and my family.