Dr Melissa Dunlop

Founder and Director of The Interpersonal

Melissa's work is based on 16 years experience in psychology, psychotherapy, creative supervision and pioneering research into how change and growth is mediated through relationships. Melissa studied with renowned psychologists including Peter Fonagy, who emphasises that the connection between the pair is the primary catalyst for change, and Adrian Furnham, a leading figure in making academic insight into business issues practical and approachable.

Melissa is a self-confessed creativity geek, who spends much of her spare time around artists, and recognises their frequent struggles finding that elusive zone where artistic expression meets commercial gold. 

After consulting to UK Sport on supervision infrastructure for coaches to Olympic and Paralympic athletes, she realised that other industries based around elite human performance build in relational support infrastructures as standard -  but no one is focused on meeting the specific needs of creative industries professionals to have support around their relationships with their elite performers.

Through The Interpersonal, Melissa now specialises in  supervision for professionals working with elite creatives and performers in the creative and innovation. She is expert in enabling the conditions for these relationships to achieve their 'flow states', where shared insight can occur, and crucially, in helping to land these moments of resonance and connection back into reality where they can find expression as polished, commercially viable work.

In her spare time Melissa enjoys the arts, culture, outdoor sports and time in nature. She is on the Steering Committee of an independent, not-for-profit network that fosters creative development in the arts and education, and writes and speaks about her work at academic conferences and symposia.

She holds an MSc in Psychology from UCL and a PhD in Narrative and Creative-Relational Processes from Edinburgh University.