Gwen Adshead (born 1960) is a forensic psychotherapist,^[1] Visiting Professor of Psychiatry at Gresham College, Jochelson visiting professor at the Yale School of Law and Psychiatry, and consultant forensic psychiatrist at Ravenswood House.^[2]

At the age of 11 Adshead flew to England alone to attend Cheltenham Ladies' College as a boarder.^[3] She qualified in medicine in 1983 and holds two master's degrees; in medical law and ethics, and in mindfulness based cognitive therapy.^[2] She was elected a Fellow of the Royal College of Psychiatrists in 2005.^[2] She was previously a consultant at Broadmoor Hospital, where she treated people referred to by the media as "the violent insane", but whom she described as "not mad or bad, but sad".^[1] She has written more than a hundred academic papers.^[1]

In 2012 Adshead received a Jerwood Award to support the writing of A Short Book About Evil, published 28 Apr 2015.

The Devil You Know, which she co-write with Eileen Horne, was shortlisted for Best Nonfiction at the 2023 Ngaio Marsh Awards.^[4]

She is the mother of two boys.^[5] She is a Christian and enjoys singing as part of a choir.^[3]

She was the castaway on the BBC Radio programme Desert Island Discs on 1 July 2010.^[3]

In August 2022 she was on BBC HARDtalk where she discussed her career, compassion and the concept of evil. ^[6]

• —— (2015). Short Book About Evil. Jessica Kingsley. ISBN 978-1849050548. (28 Apr 2015)
• ——; Horne, Eileen (2022). The Devil You Know: Encounters in Forensic Psychiatry. Scribner. ISBN 978-1982134808. (23 August 2022)