Judith Brearley, an influential figure in Scottish social work and psychoanalytic thinking, has died at the age of 85. She was a lecturer and later a senior lecturer at Edinburgh University's social work department for 21 years, from 1970 to 1991.
During her tenure at Edinburgh University, Ms Brearley was noted for inspiring many social work students. In 2018, she was honoured with the university's Nora Milne award for her lifelong service to social work.
Ms Brearley was also a founding member of the Scottish Institute of Human Relations (SIHR) in the early 1970s. She trained as a psychoanalytic psychotherapist and was instrumental in establishing and teaching many of SIHR's courses.
Her influence extended to other areas of Scottish society, including serving as chair of Couple Counselling and the Scottish Pre-School Play Association (now Early Years Scotland) in the 1980s.