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Dr. Tim Trimble
Assistant Professor, Psychology
Junior Dean

Biography

Dr Tim Trimble is an Assistant Professor in Applied Psychology and Course Director of the MSc in Applied Psychology at Trinity College Dublin. He is a Chartered Psychologist. Tim is an expert in mental health assessment. Specifically, drawing on one of his main research areas and experience, he delivers courses in suicide risk assessment, prevention, intervention, and postvention. His Forensic Psychology experience also included working with the Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland, and Serious and Organised Crime Agency. As well as assisting in interviewing and investigations, projects here included: Production of reports on police complaints for the PSNI, Policing Board, Patten Oversight Commissioner, and Secretary of State. Conducting organizational performance monitoring, designing and managing a wide range of research projects in relation to policing, and developing operational protocols between the Tactical Command Group and external organizations involved in investigations.

Additionally, Tim is a practising psychotherapist He also has expertise in the areas of Police Leadership and Management and Security and Risk Management. These projects include policing in various countries and jurisdictions, and both military and private security operations in conflict theatres worldwide.

Current research includes: Neurodiversity in Irish Prisons. He is collaborating with key stakeholders in the Criminal Justice System to design a new wraparound model of care to support neurodiverse people in custody, and following their release to the community. Briefly, it is proposed that this model would involve the early, systematic and comprehensive identification of neurodiverse people in custody, followed by the allocation of neurodiversity Caseworkers to support their needs in prison and post-release. This is funded by the Community Foundation Ireland, with support from the Irish Penal Reform Trust. A systematic review publication is being prepared for submission.

Recent research was in collaboration with the Probation Service in Ireland and Northern Ireland, and An Garda Siochana, and the Police Service of Northern Ireland " this is evaluating techniques for sex-offender risk assessment. Research with the PBNI also includes evaluating a range of offender management and rehabilitation programmes for offenders in the community.

PTSD " Continuing in my research theme in Forensic Psychology, recent research has explored PTSD in police officers in An Garda Siochana. Work currently in preparation for publication include: The prevalence and implications of Secondary Traumatic Stress; a qualitative examination of An Garda Síochána exposed to sexual crime; and, The impact of traumatic stress on operational Gardaí. Both these studies sought to identify the impact of traumatic experience on operational Gardaí and are the first studies of their kind conducted in the Republic of Ireland.

Publications and Further Research Outputs

Peer-Reviewed Publications

Conmy, E., Prentice, G., Hannigan, B. and Trimble, T.J., The lived experiences of women who discovered their partner perpetrated a sexual offence, Journal of Criminal Psychology, 14, (3), 2024, p271 - 287 Journal Article, 2024 URL DOI

Lynn McGovern Megan Gaffney Timothy Trimble, The experience of orthorexia from the perspective of recovered orthorexics, Eating and Weight Disorders - Studies on Anorexia, Bulimia and Obesity, 2020 Journal Article, 2020

Suzanne Hughes Anne O'Rourke Timothy Trimble, The Experiences of Young Offenders (aged 18 - 21) on Protection in an Irish Prison: Using an Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA), Journal of Criminal Psychology, 2020 Journal Article, 2020

Casey Donaghey Louise Hamilton; Barbara Hannigan; Jonathan Egan; Timothy Trimble; Casey Donaghey; Kristin Osborn, An Exploration of Body Centred Countertransference in Irish Therapists, Psychology Today, 2020 Journal Article, 2020 URL

Suzanne Hughes, Anne O'Rourke & Tim Trimble, . The Experiences of Young Offenders (aged 18 - 21) on Protection in an Irish Prison: Using an Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis , Psychological Society of Ireland Annual Conference, Kilkenny, November 2019, 2019 Conference Paper, 2019

Megan Gaffney Tim Trimble, . Foundations of the RISKRES: A Theory of Psychological Resilience to Suicidality, Psychological Society of Ireland Annual Conference, Kilkenny, November 2019, 2019 Conference Paper, 2019

Eileen Conmy, Garry Prentice, Patrick Randall, Barbara Hannigan, Tim Trimble, . The Experiences of Women Whose Partner Perpetrated a Sexual Offence: Discovery and Aftermath , Psychological Society of Ireland Annual Conference, Kilkenny, November 2019, 2019 Conference Paper, 2019

Sean O'Meara Tim Trimble, The Impact of Traumatic Experience in Operational Gardaí, Psychological Society of Ireland Annual Conference, Wexford, November 2018, 2018 Conference Paper, 2018 URL

Megan Gaffney, Timothy Trimble, Bailey Morgan & Paul Surgenor, Risk and resilience factors for suicidality in adolescents, Psychological Society of Ireland Annual Conference, Athlone, November 2016, 2016 Conference Paper, 2016

Hallinan, P., Hannigan, B., & Trimble, T., Trauma Informed Care for People Experiencing Homelessness., Psychological Society of Ireland, Annual Conference,, Athlone, Ireland , 2016 Conference Paper, 2016 URL

H.R. Broughton, S. Cromie, T. Trimble1, J. Cummiskey, D. Corri, RugbyAthletes and the Prevention of Injuriies; an Analysis on Judgement knowledge and Decisions-made, European Journal of Sports Medicine, 3, (2), 2016, p2 - 10 Journal Article, 2016 URL TARA - Full Text

Jenny Bulbulia Timothy Trimble Jean Quigley Michael S. Gordon, Impact of Vicarious Trauma On Barristers Practicing Criminal Law: An Armoury of Resilience, Cork Journal of Applied Psychology, 2015, p33 - 45 Journal Article, 2015 URL

Timothy James Trimble , Mark Shevlin , Vincent Egan , Geraldine O'Hare , Dave Rogers , Barbara Hannigan, An evaluation of a brief anger management programme for offenders managed in the community using cross-lagged panel models, Journal of Criminal Psychology, 5, (2), 2015, p124 - 136 Journal Article, 2015 DOI

Trimble, T.J., Tierney, K. J., McDonnell, E., Exploring links between expressed emotion, challenging behaviour and burnout in learning disability frontline staff, Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities, 2015 Journal Article, 2015

Trimble, T.J. , Police Officers' attitudes towards The Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland, and the public who make complaints , International Journal of Research in Policing, 2015 Journal Article, 2015 TARA - Full Text URL

Doyle, M., Chorcorain, A., Griffith, E., Trimble, T., & O'Callaghan, E., Obsessive compulsive symptoms in patients with schizophrenia on clozapine and with obsessive compulsive disorder: A comparison study, Comprehensive Psychiatry, 55, (1), 2014, p130 - 136 Journal Article, 2014 URL DOI

Roisin Finnegan Tim Trimble Jonathan Egan, Irish Parents' lived experience of learning about and adapting to their child's autistic spectrum disorder diagnosis and their process of telling their child about their diagnosis, Irish Journal of Psychology, 2014, p1-12 Journal Article, 2014 TARA - Full Text URL DOI

Sarah Culligan Barbara Hannigan Timothy Trimble, An in-depth exploration of therapist's experience of sexual attraction to a client, Psychological Society of Ireland Annual Conference, Sligo, 8th November 2013, 2013 Conference Paper, 2013 URL

D. McGuinness, M. Dowling, & T. Trimble, Experiences of involuntary admission in an approved Mental Health Centre, Journal of Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing, 20, (8), 2012, p726-734 Journal Article, 2012 DOI

Timothy Trimble, Barbara Hannigan, Megan Gaffney, Suicide Postevention; coping, support and transformation, Irish Journal of Psychology, 33, (2-3), 2012, p115-121 Journal Article, 2012 DOI URL

Felicity Fanning, Sharon Foley, Elizabeth Lawlor, Stephen McWilliams, Deirdre Jackson, Laoise Renwick, Marie Sutton, Niall Turner, Anthony Kinsella, Timothy Trimble, Eadbhard O'Callaghan, Group cognitive behavioural therapy for first episode psychosis: who's referred, who attends and who completes it?, Early Intervention in Psychiatry, 6, (4), 2012, 432-441 Journal Article, 2012 DOI

H. Broughton S. Cromie, T. Trimble, AN INFORMATION RESOURCE LINKING PERFORMANCE TO PREVENTION OF SPORTS INJURIES - A PRELIMINARY INQUIRY, British Journal of Sports Medicine, 45, 2011, p337 - 337 Journal Article, 2011 DOI

Trimble, T.; McConnell, B.; Quinn, L & Donnelly, P., Young Children's social Identity in the border region of Ireland, Centre for Cross Border Studies, Queen's University Belfast, Centre for Cross Border Studies, Queen's University Belfast, 2011, 1-10 Report, 2011 URL

Ailbhe Booth, Tim Trimble, Jonathan Egan, Body-Centred Countertransference in a Sample of Irish Clinical Psychologists. Irish Journal of Psychology, Irish Psychologist, 36, (12), 2010 Journal Article, 2010 URL

Niall Galligan, Timothy Trimble, Paul Gaffney, The relationship between Emotional Intelligence and Depression in an Irish adolescent population, British Psychological Society, Division of Clinical Psychology, Conference proceedings, 2010 Division of Clinical Psychology Annual Conference , Manchester, 2-3 December, 2010 Meeting Abstract, 2010 URL

Gordon, Michael S.; Shevlin, Mark; Tierney,Kevin J.; Bunting, Brendan; Trimble, Timothy, Correspondence between self-ratings and key-workers' ratings of depression in adults with mild learning disabilities , British Journal of Clinical Psychology, 46, (4), 2007, p491 - 495 Journal Article, 2007 DOI URL

Andrew Hamilton, Linda Moore and Tim Trimble, Policing a Divided Society: Issues and Perceptions in Northern Ireland, Published by the University of Ulster, Coleraine 1995, 1995 Book, 1995 URL

Non-Peer-Reviewed Publications

Trimble, T.J., Ostermeyer, M., & Craig, I. , Intimidation and harassment of lawyers by police in Northern Ireland., Northern Ireland, Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland, March, 2003 Report, 2003 URL

Trimble, T.J., Ostermeyer, M, & Craig, I , Police baton use in Northern Ireland, Northern Ireland, Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland. Policing Board for Northern Ireland, March, 2003 Report, 2003 URL

Trimble, T.J., Ostermeyer, M. & Craig, I , Public awareness of the police complaints system in Northern Ireland., Northern Ireland, Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland, April, 2002 Report, 2002 URL

Trimble, T.J., Ostermeyer, M. & Craig, I , Police use of Baton rounds, Northern Ireland, Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland, October, 2002 Report, 2002 URL

Research Expertise

Description

Neurodiversity in Irish Prisons. Along with Senator Lynn Ruane I am collaborating with key stakeholders in the Criminal Justice System to design a new wraparound model of care to support neurodiverse people in custody, and following their release to the community. Briefly, it is proposed that this model would involve the early, systematic and comprehensive identification of neurodiverse people in custody, followed by the allocation of neurodiversity Caseworkers to support their needs in prison and post-release. This is funded by the Community Foundation Ireland, with support from the Irish Penal Reform Trust. A systematic review publication is being prepared for submission. Recent research was in collaboration with the Probation Service in Ireland and Northern Ireland, and An Garda Siochana, and the Police Service of Northern Ireland " this is evaluating techniques for sex-offender risk assessment. Research with the PBNI also includes evaluating a range of offender management and rehabilitation programmes for offenders in the community. PTSD " Continuing in my research theme in Forensic Psychology, recent research has explored PTSD in police officers in An Garda Siochana. Work currently in preparation for publication include: The prevalence and implications of Secondary Traumatic Stress; a qualitative examination of An Garda Síochána exposed to sexual crime; and, The impact of traumatic stress on operational Gardaí. Both these studies sought to identify the impact of traumatic experience on operational Gardaí and are the first studies of their kind conducted in the Republic of Ireland.

Keywords

Adolescent Psychology; Adolescents; Applied Psychology; Child Abuse/Neglect; Child Psychology/Development; Child Support--Governmental/Parental; Children/Youth; Clinical Psychology; Conflict/Dispute Resolution; Counseling/Guidance; Crime Causation; Crime Control; Criminal Behavior; Criminal Identification; Criminal Information Systems; Criminal Justice; Criminal Psychology; Criminological Psychology; Criminology; Cultural Identity; Developmental Psychology; Firearms/Guns; Forensic Psychology and Crime Investigation; Homeland Security; Juvenile Delinquency; Juvenile Justice; Organizational Theory and Behavior; Penology/Correctional Institutions & Procedur; Policing Oversight and Police Complaints; Prison; Psychoanalysis; Psychodynamics; Psychometrics; Security and Risk Management; Terrorism; Violent Behavior; Vocational Counseling; Worker Attitudes and Technology; Young People and Mental Health; Young People and Suicide

Recognition

Representations

Regular peer reviewer for international leading academic journals: Qualitative Health Research Irish Journal of Psychological Medicine Journal of Criminal Psychology Journal of Traumatic Stress Pain Medicine Psychosis Current Psychology Irish Journal of Psychology Child Care in Practice Journal of Autism and Developmental Disabilities British Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology

University of Limerick " External Examiner " MSc Psychology 2009-2013

Awards and Honours

MA Jure Officii 2015

Memberships

Chartered Psychologist - British Psychological Society Psychological Society of Ireland - Secretary to the Conference Committee