ictoria Christodoulides is a postdoctoral researcher working at the intersection of trauma, mental health, and creative health. Her work focuses on developing conceptual and practice-based understandings of trauma recovery beyond dominant biomedical models, with particular attention to lived experience, relational processes, and embodied knowledge.

Her doctoral research (University of Bath, Health Department) was funded by the Economic and Social Research Council through the South West Doctoral Training Partnership (SWDTP), and developed a critical and creative exploration of childhood trauma recovery through feminist participatory action research and arts-based methods. This work generated the Visual Assemblage of Trauma Recovery, a co-produced conceptual model that foregrounds affect, materiality, and public pedagogy in recovery processes.

Victoria’s research is interdisciplinary, spanning health humanities, sociology, and public health, and is grounded in post-qualitative inquiry and feminist new materialist theory. She collaborates with communities, practitioners, and organisations to co-produce knowledge and develop frameworks, methods, and creative approaches to understanding and supporting trauma recovery.

Her work includes collaboration with University College London and the Anna Freud Centre, contributing to the development of inclusive, image-based mental health measures for children and young people. This work focuses on accessibility and inclusivity, particularly for those with neurodivergence, diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds, and varying literacy levels.

She collaborates with the University of Essex and Essex County Council to develop evidence-informed approaches to outcome measurement within the voluntary and community sector, with a particular focus on capturing complex, relational, and “soft” outcomes in ways that remain grounded in lived experience.

Victoria has played a central role in shaping the theoretical and methodological foundations of the Active Recovery Project, contributing to its conceptualisation and being closely involved in its design and delivery over a number of years. This work integrates trauma-informed, creative, and participatory approaches, and has been supported by organisations including the National Health Service and The National Lottery Community Fund.

Alongside her research, Victoria contributes to data governance and ethical oversight within mental health research, including involvement in Data and Ethics Committees. She holds a leadership role as Director and Trustee at Survivors Voices, supporting survivor-led research, advocacy, and policy engagement.

She contributes to teaching and supervision, supporting undergraduate, MSc and Doctorate in Clinical Psychology (DClinPsy) students in participatory, creative, and trauma-informed research.

Victoria was awarded the Doctoral Award Winner (2025) in recognition of the quality and contribution of her doctoral research.

She has played a key role in shaping the theoretical and methodological foundations of the Active Recovery Project, contributing to its conceptualisation and supporting its design and delivery over a number of years. The programme brings together trauma-informed, creative, and participatory approaches, and has been supported by organisations including the National Health Service and The National Lottery Community Fund.

Her applied work includes the development of frameworks, workshops, and resources to support trauma-informed practice within community and voluntary sector settings.

Victoria contributes to data governance and ethical oversight within mental health research, including involvement in Data and Ethics Committees linked to youth mental health research.

She holds a leadership role as Director and Trustee at Survivors Voices, supporting survivor-led research, advocacy, and policy engagement.

She contributes to teaching and supervision, supporting MSc and Doctorate in Clinical Psychology (DClinPsy) students in participatory, creative, and trauma-informed research.

Earlier in her doctoral training, she was selected to participate in the Codeswitch and IKEEP programmes, developing skills in consultancy, stakeholder engagement, innovation processes, and business modelling.

She has also contributed to funded research and community-based projects, including work exploring women’s identity in low socioeconomic contexts through somatic and embodied approaches.