Dr Maggie Long

Overview

Life Before Ulster

Dr Maggie Long studied English Literature and Sociology in Trinity College Dublin. In 2006, she studied part-time for her Master’s in the then School of Communication at Ulster. From 2008, Maggie studied part-time for her PhD in Sociology and Social Studies at Ulster.

While studying part-time at postgraduate level, during both her Master’s and PhD, Maggie worked full-time in the health and social care sector as well as gaining experience as a counsellor on a part-time basis in the community-voluntary sector. During her PhD, Maggie gained experience of teaching in higher education, disseminating research to academic audiences through publishing and conference presentations, and civic engagement.

Teaching

Maggie is a passionate educator. She has developed an interactive teaching style, where she provides a supportive space for students to contribute meaningfully to class activities and share their learning.

Maggie uses real-world examples to help students think about and understand how concepts and theories apply in practice with other people.

Maggie’s teaching is research informed; she draws upon up-to-date research to underpin her teaching on a range of topics and themes. Maggie’s teaching interests include Life course development; how we grow and change in different stages of life, and life transitions; relating to the psychological and social adjustments we go through in response to changes in our lives.

She teaches on personal development and reflective practice, for instance the importance of understanding how our attitudes and values shape the ways we relate to ourselves and others. Maggie also teaches on ethical issues in counselling, and on approaches to understanding issues such as trauma, loss/grief, depression and anxiety.

Research

Maggie’s approach to research is shaped by her interdisciplinary background in sociology and counselling.

Drawing on both disciplines, she is interested in how social constructs and social theories help us to understand issues in mental health and wellbeing.

Maggie has published research on various themes including help seeking, counselling, stigma, and identity, in relation to self-injury; help seeking in young people; and resilience in carers. Maggie has published theoretical papers, which bring together her interdisciplinary approach to understanding trauma and gender-based violence in contexts of sociopolitical conflict.

Maggie has published widely in a range of international peer review journals including Qualitative Health Research, Journal of Mental Health, Health Sociology Review and Deviant Behaviour.In 2022, Maggie published her book, “A Psychosocial Understanding of Self-injury and Trauma - Wounds and their Meanings” with Open University Press.

Additionally, Maggie has secured funding to conduct research in collaboration with key stakeholders including Relate NI and the Safeguarding Board for Northern Ireland (SBNI).

Maggie is an experienced PhD supervisor, supervising PhD research at the intersections of social science and counselling. PhDs supervised to completion thus far have included privilege and social justice, mental health in young people and minority ethnic groups, addictions, resilience in carers, motherhood, drama therapy for autistic children, and the role of moving images in psychological wellbeing.

Civic Roles

Maggie has been Programme Director for the BSc (Hons) Communication and Counselling Studies since 2015. This successful interdisciplinary programme has been designed to meet the needs of students who wish to study communication with a specific focus on its application in therapeutic, helping and health-related contexts. Our graduates have progressed into careers in Social Work, Nursing, Primary School Teaching and Counselling.

Maggie was the Faculty Athena Swan Lead from 2020-25, a leadership role shaped to advance gender equality in higher education.

Maggie has established relationships with a range of community-voluntary sector organisations in Northern Ireland, with whom she has engaged prior to and during her role at Ulster. As a former Trustee of Nexus NI, Maggie is a keen advocate for all organisations working to end violence against women and girls in NI.

Maggie is a registered member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) and a Senior Fellow of Advance HE.

Maggie has supervised students conducting award-winning research with community partners such as Lighthouse, through Science Shop.

Research Opportunities