Dr Melanie Fennell works as the Director of an advanced cognitive therapy course, which is a collaborative venture between the Oxford Cognitive Therapy Centre (OCTC) and Oxford University. One of the first clinician researchers to introduce cognitive therapy to the UK, she was a founder member of the OCTC, an internationally recognised centre of excellence in cognitive therapy and training. As a member of research teams in the Oxford University Department of Psychiatry, Dr Fennell contributed to the development and evaluation of cognitive treatment for a range of emotional problems. A recognised expert on low self-esteem with an interest in depression, she has run many workshops and presented research papers at major international conferences. She is the author of the bestselling Overcoming Low Self-Esteem.