Famous Psychologist, Psychodermatologist

Linda Papadopoulos | Bography 2021

Papadopoulos won the ‘Madame Figaro Women of the Year Award’ in 2008

• By Reena Chikanbanjar
• Update : July 27, 2021

---

Linda Papadopoulos is a Canadian psychologist and author. 

Who is Linda Papadopoulos?

Linda Papadopoulos is a psychologist, author, psychodermatologist, and podcaster. As a psychologist, she has appeared on many television shows, including GMTV, Favouritism, This Morning, Celebrity Fit Club, Loose Women, On the Couch, Inside the Mind of a Serial Killer, and The Wright Stuff, and given expert advice. 

She has also authored several psychology books, namely ‘Mirror Mirror: Dr. Linda’s Body Image Revolution’ (2004), ‘The Man Manual’ (2005), ‘What Men Say, What Women Hear’ (2008), and ‘Unfollow: Living Life on Your Own Terms’ (2016).

Early Life and Education

Linda Papadopoulos was born on 3 February 1971 in Canada. Being the only child of her parents, she considered her cousin Alexia as her sister. At 14, her cousin suffered from vitiligo, a severe skin condition that caused pale white patches to develop on the skin due to the lack of melanin. It changed her appearance, and it vastly affected her cousin. She then tried to hide vitiligo with her hair and avoided going out. The incident led Papadopoulos to study psychology. She researched and realized that appearance not only affects how people feel about themselves but also affects health. She also found the surprising interconnection between the skin and psyche.

Papadopoulos graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from York University in Toronto, Canada. She then earned an MSc in Health Psychology from the University of Surrey. Later, she moved to London to do her Ph.D. in Psychology and Psychodermatology from the City University and eventually graduated in 1998.

Career

Papadopoulos founded and directed a program in Counselling Psychology at the London Metropolitan University, where she was appointed Reader in Psychology in 2001. In January 2002, she started working as a Psychologist and Consultant at Mindwork Consulting Ltd.

Television Shows and Appearances

Psychologist Papadopoulos had appeared on many television shows, documentaries, and TV movies. She first appeared on television in 2000 on Big Brother, providing psychological commentary. Papadopoulos went on to appear on television shows such as Richard & Judy, RI: SE, and The Weakest Link. In 2004, she made frequent appearances on the talk show GMTV. The following year, Papadopoulos appeared in the TV movie documentary, House Doctor: We Love You, TV series Favouritism, the TV movie The Most Shameful TV Moments Ever, and TV special Greatest TV Talent Show Moments. Between 2003 and 2006, she frequently appeared on the talk show This Morning. 

Papadopoulos gained wide acclaim after appearing in several episodes of Celebrity Fit Club as an expert psychologist in 2006. In the late 2000s, she appeared in a string of TV series documentaries such as Body Image, The Most Annoying Pop Moments... We Hate to Love, and How TV Changed Britain. Between 2004 and 2011, she recurrently appeared on the news and talk show Breakfast. 

In the early 2010s, Papadopoulos made frequent appearances on The Alan Titchmarsh Show. From 2015 to 2016, she regularly appeared in the television documentary series Inside the Mind of a Serial Killer. In 2016, Papadopoulos shared her expert analysis on UKTV’s documentary series History’s Greatest Hoaxes. She also frequently appeared as a guest expert and panelist on the talk show The Wright Stuff. Her expert opinions have also been frequently featured on many news programs on CNN, Sky News, and Channel 5.

Publications

Papadopoulos has authored many self-help and academic psychology books. On 26 March 1999, her book titled ‘Psychological Approaches to Dermatology’ was published by John Wiley & Sons. She also co-authored books like ‘Becoming a Therapist’ (2001), ‘Understanding Skin Problem: Acne, Eczema, Psoriasis and Related Conditions’ (2003), and ‘Reporting in Counselling and Psychotherapy’ (2003). 

In her 2004 book titled ‘Mirror Mirror: Dr. Linda’s Body Image Revolution,’ she guides and assists individuals dealing with poor body image. In April 2005, she published ‘The Man Manual,’ in which she provides insights on how to overcome differences between men and women. Her next book ‘What Men Say, What Women Hear,’ was published on 4 September 2008. 

Home Office: ‘Sexualisation of Young People: Review’

In 2010, Papadopoulos published a book ‘Sexualisation of Young People: Review,’ for the Home Office, which made her popular among the medical community and the media. In the book, she discussed the effects of sexualized body images on children and young people. About the book, she said, “I wrote a report in 2010 for the Home Office about the sexualisation of children. I’m hopeful that it will change things – but it won’t happen quickly. The hyper-masculinisation of boys is just as detrimental as the sexualisation of girls – the two go hand-in-hand. We need good sex education. Right now, we have a bunch of pornographers teaching our children how to have sex.”

On 2 October 2014, she published another book titled ‘Whose Life is it Anyway? Living Through Your 20s on Your Own Terms.’ She then published ‘Unfollow: Living Life on Your Own Terms’ on 6 October 2016. According to Papadopoulos, her latest book was inspired by her 2010 report about the effects of online and media content about sexualization on young people.

Podcast

In 2008, Papadopoulos started a podcast titled 5 Minutes with DR. Linda, providing tips on coping with social and emotional issues. In March 2018, Papadopoulos began a weekly podcast titled The Psychology Behind. She explored various mental health and psychology issues and provided insights, actionable tips on body confidence, workplace dynamics, anxiety and anger management, and many more. 

Awards and Recognitions

Papadopoulos won the ‘Madame Figaro Women of the Year Award’ in 2008. She was also listed in the ‘Top 20 Therapists in London’ by London-based newspaper The Evening Standard.

Personal Life

Papadopoulos married a London-based investment banker Theodoros (Teddy) Pitsillides, in 1998. She first met him in Cyprus when she was 21 years old. The couple has a daughter, Jessica. Unfortunately, Papadopoulos suffered five miscarriages before welcoming their daughter. She had polycystic ovary syndrome, a condition that causes a hormonal disorder that increases the risk of miscarriage, which she was diagnosed with after her third miscarriage. The couple tried for their second child, but Papadopoulos again miscarried several times. Later, she decided not to have another child.