Our history

Established in 2002, our School brings together the departments of Nursing Studies, Clinical and Health Psychology and Counselling, Psychotherapy and Applied Social Sciences.

The school's origins can be traced back to 1956 when Edinburgh became the first British university to establish a dedicated Nursing Training Unit. This effort led to the creation of the Chair of Nursing Studies in 1972.

Clinical and Health Psychology originally sat within Psychiatry, within the Faculty of Medicine. This discipline is technically our longest-running, introduced as a subject in the Faculty of Medicine in the 1800s, and became part of our School during a University-wide restructuring. 

Counselling and Psychotherapy originated as part of Moray House (what was the Faculty of Education) and joined us in 2005, solidifying our dedication to holistic care and psychological well-being. As the landscape of mental health and healthcare evolved, so has our resolve to nurture compassionate practitioners and scholars.