Tom Stoneham, Professor of Philosophy, Department of Philosophy
After completing an MPhil and PhD at Birkbeck College, London, Tom joined Oxford University as a Junior Lecturer in 1994 and two years later became a fellow and tutor in Philosophy at Merton College.
He came up to York in 2000 and in 2008 became a Professor of Philosophy. He is currently Head of the Philosophy Department, a position he previously occupied between 2006 and 2014. Between 2015 and 2020 he took up a post as the first Dean of the Graduate Research School.
email: tom.stoneham@york.ac.uk
Our 60-second interview with Tom:
Could you please tell us what work you do in the field of mental health?
I work on understanding where the content of dreams comes from, aiming to provide a theoretical basis for non-narrative therapeutic interventions on nightmares and flashbacks.
What do you find most rewarding and inspiring in this work?
Most certainly it is the direct engagement with clinicians. When that goes well it shows me how theoretical work can have practical consequences and benefit many lives.
What is the most challenging or complicated aspect of this work?
Most certainly it is the direct engagement with clinicians! I am reminded how distant academic research is from the ‘real world’ and how our interests/priorities may be irrelevant to them.
What impact do you hope your work is having - or can potentially have?
My work informs, and I sometimes participate in, training for clinicians working with complex trauma/PTSD. Many of these clinicians work with refugees from war zones and torture or sexual abuse survivors. I am proud to play even such a small role in helping people in that situation.
Could you share with us one piece of advice that you follow for your own mental health?
A good way to stop over-thinking is to break the chain with intense physical exercise, which is running for me. One nice thing about running is that you can do it alone or with others, depending on your personal needs.