IRD 2026 Virtual Conference Speakers
International Relaxation Day 2026 Conference Speakers & Conference Team
Conference co-ordinators
Professor Stephen Palmer PhD and Dr Siobhain O’Riordan PhD are the conference co-chairs. Both are speaking the event. Nikki Ayles is a member of the conference team.
Prof Stephen Palmer PhD CBiol CPsychol CSci CPsychol FIHPE (Hon) FISMA (Hon) is a Chartered Scientist, Chartered Biologist, Chartered Coaching Psychologist, Registered Health Psychologist and APECS Accredited Executive Coach and Supervisor. He is a BABCP Accredited Cognitive Behaviour Therapist and AREBT Accredited Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapist and Coach.
He is President and Fellow of the International Society for Coaching Psychology, Vice President and Honorary Fellow of the Institute for Health Promotion and Education, former President and Honorary Fellow of both the the International Stress Management Association (UK) and Association for Coaching. He is a Fellow of the Institute of Leadership and Management and Royal Society of Biology. He is Co-Editor of International Journal of Stress Prevention and Wellbeing, former editor and now Consulting Editor of the International Journal of Health Promotion & Education. He has written/edited 60 books including How to Deal with Stress (with Cooper), and Handbook of Coaching Psychology (with Whybrow). He has had a long-term interest in relaxation techniques. In 1993, he authored a book, Multimodal Techniques: Relaxation and Hypnosis and has regularly written about relaxation techniques in books and articles over 30 years.
His university posts include being Adjunct Professor of Coaching Psychology, Aalborg University, Denmark, Hon Professor of Practice at the University of Wales Trinity Saint David and currently a PhD Supervisor and Director of Studies. Previously he has been a Director of the Coaching Psychology Unit, City University London; Honorary Director of the Coaching Psychology Unit at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Brazil, and BABCP London Branch Co-chair.
******************************************
Dr Siobhain O’Riordan PhD CSci CPsychol FISCP MIHPE Hon is Chartered Scientist and Chartered Coaching Psychologist. She has full divisional membership of the British Psychological Society (BPS) Division of Academics, Researchers and Teachers in Psychology (DARTP) and is a member of the BPS Psychobiology Section. She is Course Co-Director on the stress management and coaching programmes and a trainer at the Centre for Coaching. She is an Honorary Member of the Institute for Health Promotion and Education, Fellow of the International Society for Coaching Psychology and Accredited Coaching Psychologist and Supervisor. From 2013-2015 she was Editor of the International Journal of Health Promotion & Education. Currently, she is Founder Chair of the International Society for Coaching Psychology, Editor of the International Journal of Coaching Psychology, Consulting Editor of The Coaching Psychologist and Editor of Coaching Psychology International. Her other roles include supervising doctorate students at the Wales Academy for Professional Practice and Research, University of Wales Trinity Saint David where she is a Research Fellow. She is also a Director of the International Academy for Professional Development Ltd. She has published research and practice papers and her latest book is Introduction to Coaching Psychology (2021, with Palmer).
******************************************
Nikki Ayles MSc, MAPP is a Pracademic – fusing her consultancy work as a Positive Psychology Practitioner, Master Strengths Coach and Business Psychologist (specialising in L&D and Wellbeing at Work), with her role at the University of Worcester where she lectures in Positive Psychology, Coaching Psychology and Occupational/Business Psychology. Nikki began her career in the late 1990s in corporate roles, working as a Brand and Marketing Manager for Cadbury Ltd (managing Crunchie and Caramel); Kraft Foods Ltd (managing Philadelphia, Dairylea and Kenco) and in latter years was Head of Brand at Barclaycard. Nikki also held various consultancy roles within brand and consumer marketing consultancies. Throughout this ‘first’ career, Nikki drew heavily on her A Level and UG level studies in Psychology, applying Consumer Psychology, Business Psychology and Coaching Psychology in her working practice. Over time, as Nikki’s passion for Psychology took priority within her career aspirations, she made a shift towards psychological practice and gained further qualifications at Masters Level in both Psychology and Positive Psychology. Nikki is a Fellow of the Positive Psychology Guild; a Director of the International Society for Coaching Psychology and an active Member of the BPS West Midlands Committee. Nikki is currently completing a PhD in Positive Psychology (in Nature for Wellbeing).
******************************************
Conference Speakers
Dr. Yumna Ali, PhD is a psychologist and researcher with a PhD in Psychology from Hazara University, Pakistan. She is a lifetime member of the Pakistan Psychological Association and is registered with the Pakistan Scientific and Technological Information Centre (PASTIC). In 2024, Dr. Ali contributed to the Higher Education Commission (HEC), Pakistan’s international conference grant process, supporting global research engagement and academic collaboration. Her research has involved international collaborations, including projects supported through grants involving the University of Galway, Ireland, and the University of Sydney, Australia. She has recently presented her work at international conferences, with conference proceedings published in Poland, Germany, Serbia, Australia, Denmark, Russia, Japan, Moldova, the Netherlands, Norway, and Austria. Dr. Ali is part of the Editorial Panel of the Journal of Research in Nursing and Editorial Board of the MultiPsych. Through REACH-GLOBAL.ORG, she assists in international research collaborations, working with researchers across countries to advance cross-cultural psychological research, foster interdisciplinary partnerships, and promote evidence-based practice. She is on the Advisory Board of the Faculty of Mindfulness, Hypnosis and Relaxation, ISCP International Centre for Coaching Psychology Research.
******************************************
Marcela Almeida Alves is a Clinical and Occupational Health Psychologist, Psychotherapist and Coach with over 21 years of experience. She is the Founder and Clinical Director of XAMAR Saúde, Clinical Director, Pulso Portugal and Spain, and Clinical and Occupational Health Psychologist at Hewlett Packard Enterprise Portugal. Her work combines clinical psychology, occupational health, leadership, and evidence-informed approaches to promote mental health, psychological wellbeing, and healthier workplaces. She has a particular interest in integrating body-based practices with psychological science to support nervous system regulation, resilience, and wellbeing.
******************************************
Adrian Barker BA, Dip Ed, Post Grad Counselling, is a therapist with a broad range of life and professional experience. A former teacher, Adrian has worked extensively in Suicide Line Services, corporate-level therapy services and now in private practice.As much as Adrian values the theory and evidence that underpin therapeutic practice, he also recognises the importance of somatic work, spirituality and our connection with nature in supporting genuine wellbeing. His approach is grounded in the understanding that healing is not only something we think about or talk through, but something we can experience through the body, our sense of meaning and our relationship with the natural world.
This is what bought him to the idea of the project – for us to better realise the potential that trees offer us all..
******************************************
Dr Gisele Dias is an Associate Professor in Psychology and Neuroscience at UCL Institute of Education, a Chartered Psychologist, Coaching Psychologist and Fellow of the International Society for Coaching Psychology. Her work focuses on translating insights from neuroscience, mental health research and coaching psychology into practical support for parents, educators, leaders and professionals working with families. Her specialist interests include emotional regulation, anxiety, wellbeing, parent–child relationships, resilience and the role of connection in supporting healthy development. She is a qualified Positive Discipline Parent Educator and co-founder of Pint of Parenting, a public engagement initiative that brings evidence-informed parenting conversations into informal community settings. Through workshops, talks and consultations, she supports parents and practitioners to move beyond quick-fix behaviour strategies and build greater confidence, cooperation and connection within families.
******************************************
Dr Liory Fern-Pollak is an Associate Professor in Cognitive and Educational Neuroscience at UCL Institute of Education, where she leads the MA/MSc Educational Neuroscience and the MSc Developmental and Educational Psychology. She previously served as Academic Head of Learning and Teaching in the Department of Psychology and Human Development. Her work spans neuroscience, psychology and education, with particular interests in reading and dyslexia, self-esteem, and the application of psychological and neuroscientific evidence to education and parenting.
Liory is also a Chartered Psychologist, qualified Parent Educator and group facilitator. Through her practice, Parenting with Brain & Heart, she provides consultations, workshops and professional development for parents, educators and schools, integrating educational neuroscience with Adlerian psychology and Positive Discipline. She supports parents across childhood and adolescence, including families navigating ADHD and other developmental and parenting challenges. She is also co-founder of Pint of Parenting, an initiative that brings evidence-informed parenting conversations and practical tools into relaxed, accessible community settings.
******************************************
Liz Hall is a certified mindfulness teacher, leadership coach, editor of Coaching at Work, and author of books including Relational Mindfulness for Coaches (with Dr Emma Donaldson-Feilder, Routledge, 2025), Coach the Team (Penguin, 2019) and Mindful Coaching (Kogan Page, 2013). She has been practising mindfulness since 2004, including in the lineage of Thich Nhat Hanh. She lives in southern Spain where being in nature, dancing with friends, painting, meditating, and eating healthy food helps her relax.
******************************************
Dr Karen E. Neil is a public health consultant and mindfulness teacher, with over 30 years of experience across mental health, pharmacy, health promotion, and wellbeing. Her work blends clinical expertise with a holistic, evidence-based approach, empowering individuals and communities to take ownership of their health. Karen contributes regularly to the Institute of Health Promotion and Education (IHPE), co-authoring position statements and rapid responses to the British Medical Journal, advocating for positive health promotion. Through her organisation, Mindful Medicine, she offers mindfulness-based health coaching and courses rooted in inclusive, person-centred practice.
******************************************
Ruby Sweeney Spitzeck is a multimedia story teller from Melbourne Australia who gained her bachelors degree in Media Production at Colorado State University Pueblo. She is honoured to tell the story of Lean Into Trees through her lens and believe this work has the power to change our relationship with nature and ourselves.
******************************************
Gaspar Tytelman is a professional musician and creator of the Conscious Rhythmic System (SRC) method, with a career that ranges from teaching and performing on national and international stages to musical creation, he has dedicated his life to exploring and sharing the healing power of music.
******************************************
Dr. Qing Wang is an educational psychologist, chartered psychologist, accredited coaching psychologist and a passionate lifelong learner. She completed PhD from University of Bristol and currently works as Associate Professor in Educational and Coaching Psychology at the School of Psychology and Cognitive Science, East China Normal University (ECNU). She established Educational Coaching Research Group (ECRG) at ECNU focusing on coaching psychology research and practice in the field of education. She is Fellow of International Society for Coaching Psychology (ISCP), Associate Fellow and Chartered Psychologist of British Psychological Society (BPS) and Chartered Member of International Association of Applied Psychology (IAAP).
******************************************
Our thanks to the International Society for Coaching Psychology who are providing the Zoom Webinar facilities.
Link to Event disclaimer.