Researching relationships: Attachment, affairs, and sex and intimacy over 65

In her inaugural lecture, on 26 September 2024, Naomi Moller, Professor in Psychology and Psychotherapy in the School of Psychology and Counselling in The Open University's Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, talked about her research into relationships.

She asked how do (good) relationships contribute to our wellbeing? How does research on relationships, relationship therapy, and relationships in therapy support improved relationships? This lecture examined these questions through a focus on her research on attachment, affairs and emotional, physical and sexual intimacy for older adults.

This talk is a reflection on Professor Moller’s work as both a researcher and a psychotherapy practitioner on researching relationships. It combines a semi-chronological survey of her research on relationships with (anonymised) client case examples that illustrate the relevance of her work for psychotherapy practice, and considerations of the personal history and circumstances that shaped her engagement with these research projects.

Watch the recording of Naiomi Moller's inaugural lecture