Gwen Adshead

Gwen Adshead (born 1960) is a forensic psychotherapist,^[1] Visiting Professor of Psychiatry at Gresham College, Jochelson visiting professor at the Yale School of Law and Psychiatry, and consultant forensic psychiatrist at Ravenswood House.^[2]

Gwen Adshead
Gwen Adshead delivering a Gresham College lecture in February 2015
Born	14 September 1960 Christchurch, New Zealand
Occupation(s)	Psychiatrist, psychotherapist

Life

At the age of 11 Adshead flew alone to England from her native New Zealand to attend Cheltenham Ladies' College as a boarder.^[3] She qualified in medicine in 1983 and holds two master's degrees; in medical law and ethics, and in mindfulness-based cognitive therapy.^[2] She was elected a Fellow of the Royal College of Psychiatrists in 2005.^[2] She was previously a consultant at Broadmoor Hospital, where she treated people referred to by the media as "the violent insane", but whom she described as "not mad or bad, but sad".^[1] She has written more than a hundred academic papers.^[1]

In 2012 Adshead received a Jerwood Award to support the writing of A Short Book About Evil, published 28 Apr 2015.

The Devil You Know, which she co-wrote with Eileen Horne, was shortlisted for Best Nonfiction at the 2023 Ngaio Marsh Awards.^[4]

Personal life

She is the mother of two boys.^[5] She is a Christian and enjoys singing as part of a choir.^[3]

Media appearances

She was the castaway on the BBC Radio programme Desert Island Discs on 1 July 2010.^[3]

In August 2022 she was on BBC HARDtalk where she discussed her career, compassion and the concept of evil. ^[6]

In November 2024 she delivered the BBC's annual Reith Lecture series opening a 4-part discourse on BBC Radio 4 commencing 26 November 2024. ^[7]

Bibliography

• —— (2015). Short Book About Evil. Jessica Kingsley. ISBN 978-1849050548. (28 Apr 2015)
• ——; Horne, Eileen (2022). The Devil You Know: Encounters in Forensic Psychiatry. Scribner. ISBN 978-1982134808. (23 August 2022)