Rylee Spooner

Postgraduate Associate

About

Rylee is a postgraduate associate in psychology. Rylee is currently studying for their PhD investigating LGBTQ+ identity abuse in romantic relationships – see PhD summary below. Rylee obtained their MSci in advanced applied psychology at the University of Chichester in 2023. Their undergraduate research utilised a mixed-methods design to investigate lesbian internalised homophobia and self-harming behaviours. For their master’s research, they assessed perceptions of identity abuse within the LGBTQ+ community, as it is a lesser-known form of abuse within this demographic. Rylee teaches on various modules such as PSY101, PSY405, PSY205, and PSY207. They also contribute to the psychology and criminology social media campaigns.

Professional

Rylee is a member of the British Psychology Society and a committee member for the Psychology of Women and Equalities Section (POWES).

Rylee has been awarded LGBTQ+ Undergraduate of the Year and named one of Attitude’s trailblazers for LGBTQ+ activism due to their research and work on progressing LGBTQ+ inclusivity in higher education.

Rylee also delivers LGBTQ+ inclusivity training to university staff and students, as well as those in care roles such as counsellors and support workers

Publications

Journal Articles

Spooner, R., Taylor-Jones, J., & Canessa-Pollard, V. (2025). Vocal behaviour affects the expression of empathy in trained and untrained speakers. British Journal of Guidance & Counselling, 1-12.

Sharpe, B. T., & Spooner, R. A. (2025). Dopamine-scrolling: a modern public health challenge requiring urgent attention. Perspectives in Public Health, 145(4), 190-191.

Spooner, R., & Cleveland, M. (2023). Exploring lesbian internalised homophobia and self-harming: A thematic analysis. Psychology of Women and Equalities Review (POWER), 6(2), 12-23.

Book Chapter

Spooner, R. (2025). How to talk about sexuality and gender. In Difficult Conversations in Education, Health and Social Care(pp. 126-142). Routledge.

Conferences

Spooner R (2025, August) LGBTQ+ Identity Abuse: A Scoping Review. International Conference of Gender Studies and Sexuality Annual Conference. Berlin, Germany.

Spooner R (2025, July) LGBTQ+ Identity Abuse: A Scoping Review. Psychology of Women and Equalities Section (POWES) Annual Conference. Oxford, England.

Spooner R (2025, July) Facilitators and Barriers of LGBTQ+ Children and Young People in West Sussex. . Psychology of Women and Equalities Section (POWES) Annual Conference. Oxford, England.

Spooner R. (2024, July) Perceptions of LGBTQ+ Identity Abuse within the LGBTQ+ Community (Poster). Psychology of Women and Equalities Section (POWES) Annual Conference. Birmingham, England.

Canessa-Pollard V, Spooner R (2024, July) Exploring Predictors of Bystander Intervention to Prevent Sexual Harassment: A Theory of Planned Behaviour Approach in Secondary Schools. Psychology of Women and Equalities Section (POWES) Annual Conference. Birmingham, England.

Spooner R. (2023, July). Exploring lesbian internalised homophobia and self-harming: A thematic analysis. Psychology of Women and Equalities Section (POWES) Annual Conference. Windsor, England.

Canessa-Pollard V, Spooner R. (2023, June). The Sound of Empathy. Division of Counselling Psychology (DCOP) Annual Conference. York, England.

Research

Rylee’s research interest lies within understanding social issues around stigmatised and marginalised groups, most prominently the LGBTQ+ community, and how support for this community in clinical settings can be improved.

Rylee is also pursuing PhD research around domestic violence within the LGBTQ+ community and how best to support survivors with understanding of minority stressors.

Rylee’s research is under the supervision of Dr Valentina Canessa-Pollard who heads the sexualised abuse and violence lab. Their work also falls under the Global Research on Gender, Sexuality and Identity (GROGSI) lab.

PhD

Rylee’s current PhD explores the lived experience, prevalence, and perceptions of identity abuse within queer romantic relationships. Identity abuse is a form of ‘weaponised oppression’ that leverages systemic oppressive beliefs on sexuality and gender identity to harm an individual. Their findings will be applied to the ecological model of domestic abuse. The project’s findings will be used to inform domestic abuse services whilst also contributing to an important field of research which is often overlooked.