Kim Etherington

EMDR, Psychotherapy and Research Consultancy

Kim Etherington, EMDR Melton Mowbray

Kim Etherington

PhD, MSc, Accredited EMDR Practioner.

Since the early 90s I have been accredited as a counsellor and supervisor by the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) by whom I was honoured with a Fellowship in 2007.

I have worked in a part-time capacity for the University of Bristol since 1992, and am currently Professor Emerita alongside my freelance practice as an EMDR therapist, counsellor, supervisor, consultant and trainer in voluntary and statutory organisations. I have presented workshops and seminars in New Zealand, Malta, South Africa, Crete and the USA - as well as across the UK.

I am also an EMDR therapist accredited by EMDR UK and Ireland. This is an approach recommended by the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE).

In 2020 I was selected to receive The Lifetime Achievement Award for the International Congress for Qualitative Inquiry for my ‘lifetime contributions to the methods, theory, practice, and dissemination of qualitative inquiry’. In 2022 I received the ICAE Lifetime Contribution in Autoethnography Award from the International Autoethnography Conference.

How I work therapeutically

I have been working as an accredited BACP counsellor and psychotherapist for almost 30 years since training at the University of Bristol. My approach is underpinned by a belief that each person is unique, I therefore tailor the work to suit each person's needs and their situation. In our first meeting we spend time assessing those needs and deciding the best way forward. My goal is to provide a safe space where we can explore whatever the client needs to address within a confidential relationship.

I was initially trained in humanistic, cognitive-behavioural and psychodynamic theories and have since integrated narrative practices and ideas. I became an accredited EMDR practitioner in 2012 and have undergone several specialist trainings in that modality since then. Most recently I have undertaken training in IFS (Internal Family Systems) developed by Dr Richard Schwartz.

I find that a combination of EMDR with IFS is particularly suited to working with current or historic trauma as well as being helpful for those with issues arising from complex trauma and disrupted attachment during childhood, perhaps through separation, bereavement, hospitalisation, neglect or abuse.

I have experience of working successfully online, both as a client myself and as a therapist, using Skype or Zoom platforms. I now work entirely online two days each week.

Why have therapy

Some people come because they are experiencing feelings of depression and/or generalised anxiety, or because they have been bereaved or traumatised. Sometimes people's suffering is harder to identify: they may experience unexplained bodily symptoms, nightmares, panic attacks, unwanted thoughts or intrusive images. Occasionally, past memories and experiences can remain unresolved and might cause difficulties in current relationships; there might be difficulties at work or within the family; or concerns related to feelings of hurt or rejection and lack of confidence.

I also offer therapy to colleagues, qualified or in training, who want to have experience of EMDR or IFS as a client.

Training, qualifications & experience

I trained at the University of Bristol almost 30 years ago following a career as an Occupational Therapist when I worked for the NHS, Social Services and charitable organisations (Child Guidance Clinic and Community for Autistic Adolescents):.

  • 1989: Post-graduate Diploma in Counselling
  • 1992: MSc in Counselling (Supervision and Training)
  • 1995: PhD (Topic: a study of adult male survivors of childhood sexual abuse)
  • 2010: Qualified as an EMDR therapist by EMDR UK and Ireland
  • 2012: Accredited as an EMDR practitioner by EMDR UK and Ireland
  • 2019: Ongoing short courses with Frank Anderson and others in IFS

I am a Senior Accredited Counsellor and Psychotherapist and have been a BACP accredited supervisor since 1995. I have trained and supported counsellors, psychotherapists, health professionals, doctors, social workers and organisational managers.

Alongside my therapeutic practice I have also worked as an academic at the University of Bristol and am now Professor Emerita. As an academic I have published journal papers and books based on research from my practice - two of which focus on working with adult male survivors of childhood sexual abuse, and another on the impact of abuse and trauma on the body.

Fees

My standard fee is £105 per hour. I also offer 90 minute EMDR/IFS informed sessions for £140 per session. One-off assessments can be arranged. I have a few concessions available for those on limited income.