Signed in as:
filler@godaddy.com
Signed in as:
filler@godaddy.com
Psychotherapist, creative supervisor, and researcher working at the intersection of clinical practice, creative industries, and academic inquiry.
I offer individual therapy for adults, clinical supervision for practitioners, and reflective practice for professionals in creative industries.
My work draws on both established clinical principles and developing understandings of how change happens between people.
I work across three interconnected streams, each grounded in over 15 years of experience:
Clinical Psychotherapy & Supervision — Individual therapy for adults navigating psychological distress, grief, relationship difficulties, and identity questions. Clinical supervision for trainee and qualified psychotherapists (individual and group).
Reflective Practice for Creative Industries — Non-clinical relational support for artist managers, agents, producers, and gallery directors who hold creative talent. A space to process the emotional demands of your role and develop capacity for navigating creative-commercial partnerships.
Academic Research — Independent inquiry into creative-relational methodologies, autofiction as method, and posthuman/psychosocial perspectives. My PhD from the University of Edinburgh explored how fiction works within contemporary relations and therapeutic processes.
What matters most is the relationship.
Decades of research confirm that the quality of the therapeutic alliance is the strongest predictor of outcomes, rather than specific interventions or theoretical orientations. This informs how I work: prioritising safety and trust, collaborative agenda-setting, and processing the relationship itself as part of the work.
My work draws on both established principles and developing understandings.
My research contributions in emerging areas — creative-relational inquiry, autofiction as method, posthuman and psychosocial perspectives - inform the quality of my listening and the depth of my capacity for attention to both my clinical and creative industries practices. Sometimes I suggest using creative methods to explore what can't be expressed verbally. I recognise that peoples' difficulties are shaped by social and material context as well as internal experience.
My position is exploratory rather than prescriptive.
I bring no preset targets, diagnostic labels, or strict timelines for improvement. We tolerate uncertainty together. Once trust is established, there's option to experiment with creative practices depending on what feels fitting for your circumstances.
The work is artful rather than systematised.
I draw on developmental psychology, psychoanalysis, humanistic and integrative approaches, and theories from embodied and creative arts. The core relational frameworks I adhere to are well-evidenced, while the creative-relational approaches are newer, which means they're less codified but also potentially more enabling of change. People frequently report that my style of working has a fresher and more contemporary feel than they experience elsewhere, without sacrificing the boundaried professionalism and core stability of psychoanalytically informed practices known to be necessary for safe and effective work.
Qualifications
Professional Registration
Teaching & Academic Roles
Research Networks
Publications — See Research page for full list.
When not reading, writing or doing the work I love, I enjoy going to gigs and events, being active and spending time in nature with family and friends.
I abide by the UKCP Code of Ethics, which includes prioritising welfare, maintaining clear boundaries, securing informed consent, providing appropriate referrals when another service suits better, and engaging in regular supervision and professional development to maintain competency.
Dr Melissa Dunlop Advisory
Reflective practice and relationship supervision
for demanding creative environments.
All commercially focused work is strictly non-clinical.
© 2026 Dr Melissa Dunlop. All Rights Reserved.