Penelope Bould

An Equality, Diversity & Inclusion Aware & Responsive Practitioner
Trauma Informed & Responsive

Comments form supervisees have included:

“You are so resourceful! I have really got a lot out of supervision with you in ways I did not expect!”

"Your signposting has been so very useful."

“I tell people about my lovely supervisor! You really care.” 

Discovering the right supportive, warm hearted, friendly, resourceful, and knowledgeable trained FULL-TIME supervisor (since 2013) and therapist (since 2008 at post-graduate level) is an important decision for any practitioner. I have been accepted as a supervisor by universities and other institutions. 

Having attended over 1,000 (one thousand) learning events (as at November 2023), including courses, conferences, seminars, webinars, and workshops, I can provide support for an A to Z of conditions, challenges, issues, and problems. Because I produce a detailed CV listing my training, as part of verifying my knowledge base, for court case reports when I provide expert witness testimony, I have added up the rolling total.

If you have an emergency, within reason, I am willing to be contacted
24 7, 365 days of the year. 

As an experienced trained medico-legal expert witness, since 2014, I have provided evidence for criminal and family court cases. Whilst I am not a lawyer, as a former law court reporter and news bulletin editor and through providing evidence for cases I have an awareness of the legal system.

In 2013-2014 I trained with the British Psychological Society in supervision skills in one to supervision, the supervision of supervision, and group supervision. 

Former roles have included:

·      School safeguarding governor

·      Member of the University of Warwick Medical School Advisory Board 

·      Member of the National Organisation for the Treatment of Abuse Board

·      Worked clinically in: placements I won over 2 year period at: -
        an NHS hospital (12 months)
        a school, 
        a training centre for young people, 
        a service for abuse survivors and 
        an older people's charity

·      Vice Chair Equality Council National Union of Journalists (NUJ)

·      Negotiator on behalf of colleagues when I was at the BBC, as the secretary of the chapel (local workplace section of the union) of the NUJ and elsewhere

I first helped families as a volunteer support worker with Women's Aid some years ago and have been in many welfare roles. In my practice I first worked with clients employing  Neuro-Linguistic Programming from 1997 and graduated from university in The Theory & Practice of Counselling in 2002.

My clinical placements were in five settings from 2006 to 2008.

I've been a fully qualified counsellor / psychotherapist since 2008 (so 15 years as at 2023) and after working part time I became a full time practitioner in private practice from 2009.

Originally from age 18 I read subjects at university including psychology, sociology with criminology, addiction, the sociology of education and statistics, prior to a substantial career in ethical journalism.

A key decision for your practice, or your employer if they could be engaging me, is finding mature and supportive professional supervision. That needs to be with warmth, empathy, insight, wisdom, and where appropriate a sense of humour, from a trained supervisor who is an experienced counsellor / psychotherapist who you can trust with your well-being, to provide sound supervision and practical signposting.

More unusually I am also a multi-addictions therapist, couples and psychosexual therapist. 

In addition, I have since 2015 undertaken specialist training in and experience of working with people who under police investigation, including those who plead guilty and work to help the rehabilitation of those who then serve sentences in the community. I have special training in working with survivors, especially since 2008 (15 years) and those who have perpetrated sexual offences for 8 (eight) years.

We can meet me for an initial free of charge discussion, on either FaceTime, WhatsApp, or Skype, or phone, to see if you feel a rapport between us, to make your first appointment, to aid you on your journey as a professional.

An experienced university lecturer, trainer and workshop tutor I am a trained medico-legal expert witness, a former law court reporter and experienced advocate so I am particularly legally aware and I have plenty of experience of making referrals for clients, such as to NHS mental health services and social services, including negotiating to get what clients need and when they need it from employers. 

I offer supervision for counsellors, psychotherapists, therapists, psychologists, students in training and others in the health and helping professions such as mental health advisors, designated safeguarding leaders and officers (DSLs and DSOs), teachers, tutors and lecturers. 

I also offer support for those working with the public such as police officers, fire-fighters and those in the legal professions who seek psychological and ethical support and professional development in how they handle interactions and feel after challenging experiences. This can also include handling relationships with colleagues who might be difficult, stressed, distressed, bullying, narcissistic and or traumatised and so forth.

As a trained negotiator I use mediation skills where appropriate and incorporate coaching into my work as a counsellor / psychotherapist. 

The vast majority of my work is psychotherapy / counselling with clients generally.  My clients include those who include people from across the LGBTQ+ rainbow, disabled people, people of colour and all those living with challenges of being different, including facing prejudice, discrimination and oppression.

I work with:

adults, 
children, 
young people, 
couples or people with other kinds of relationships,
and families 
plus people who have offended

presenting with an A to Z very wide range of issues including highly complex and serious situations.

I have trained GPs in subjects such as depression and empowering disabled people. I am an experienced guest lecturer and tutor, and I have run seminars, or workshops and or lectured at the University of Oxford Department of Psychiatry, Warwick and Coventry universities. 

I designed and ran courses in assertiveness and negotiating and industrial relations skills at what is now Manchester Metropolitan University. 

Having delivered thousands of sessions, I am more than eligible for full BACP Accreditation and working on my application. 

I have worked with some particularly challenging situations. For example, pre-therapy techniques are something with which I am well familiar, in situations for example when a client unable to speak due to selective mutism. Providing the right conditions for them to feel able to speak can be a wonderful thing.

I first studied psychology at university from the age of 18 and after working in several voluntary welfare and negotiation roles using counselling skills over many years, and listening to people’s stories as a journalist and broadcaster for over twenty years, I studied Cognitive Psychology and NLP in 1997.

For 8 years I was a member of a government post-critical incident / disasters team trained to facilitate people post trauma to NICE guidelines. I received CPD in working with trauma usually every year for up to 2.5 days, until the group was disbanded following government cuts. This included all day workshops including working with groups of adult and young actors role-playing survivors.

I've also undertaken CPD of other kinds every year since 2001.

Approach: I can provide support for specific modalities as well as working integratively.
The Approaches I Employ in My Practice Include: -
* CBT - Cognitive Behavioural Therapy especially but not only around Anxiety and or Depression and Suicidality
* DBT - Dialectical Behavioural Therapy
* Multi-Addictions - based on addiction being a disease of the brain,
with approaches including Motivational Interviewing (MI)
* Anger and Stress Management
* Person-Centred Rogerian
* Aspects of Neuropsychology
* Family Therapy & Systemic Practice
* NLP – Neuro Linguistic Programming & Lifecoaching
* Psychosexual Therapy (partly with aspects of the psychodynamic approach but I am not primarily a psychodynamic practitioner, I use elements of it
* Couples / Relationship Therapy
* Somatics
* I also use elements of other approaches including:
TA (Transactional Analysis)
Existential Therapy
Psychodynamic  

Counselling & Psychotherapy Training: 

I graduated in The Certificate in the Theory & Practice of Counselling in 2002. Since then, in addition to my two year taught section of my Diploma and two years of clinical placements, I have undertaken an unusually wide range of CPD including insights and learning techniques to work with clients living with issues such as addictions, eating disorders, diversity and safeguarding. (Please see the end of this page for a fuller list of my qualifications and training.) 

Psychology: I first read psychology at university aged 18, studied cognitive psychology for a year in the late nineties and achieved excellent marks (90% exam 92% assignment marks) in my Certificate in Health Psychology: Understanding Mental Ill-health in 2004 at Coventry University, which included issues around definitions and the process of sectioning (holding /hospitalising) under the Mental Health Act. 

I feel privileged to have been able to be the guardian of secrets, listening to people’s stories for many years and working to help to empower them to make positive changes. I have also trained in helping people to spot and respond to situations such as professional burnout. 

For years before, as well as some of the time teaching assertiveness and negotiation skills, I worked primarily as a press, radio or TV journalist and public relations consultant before returning to studies in psychology and then retraining as a psychotherapist / counsellor and psychosexual therapist. 

Welfare roles: welfare and management roles at different times in my life e.g. elected roles: 
* Starting at the age of 17 as Derby College Vice President of the union
* Social science faculty rep at the University of Sheffield for two years:
* Citizens Advice Bureau volunteer advising people with a wide range of problems
* Vice Chair of the National Union of Journalists (NUJ) Equality Council
* Member of the NUJ Broadcast and also The Freelance Industrial Councils
* Course rep for graduate certificate in counselling in Coventry 

Team Output Management experience has included working as an editor and producer in BBC radio as (on remarkably low pay) Assistant Bureau Chief for Central Britain at an agency on contract with a national TV news station; 
as editor and public relations officer of the National Centre for Information and Advice on Educational Disadvantage and later additional line manager experience as founder and managing director of my news, public relations, marketing and audio production and media training agency for nine years.
Management: I have undertaken management training with Chrysalis Change Management Consultancy and Warwickshire County Council in project management, school governorship and project management. I have managed a team of press and external relations officers, newsroom output, a team for a range of publications and exhibitions.

I was a member of the University of Warwick Medical School Advisory Board (for a three-year term) and an executive board member and campaign chair of a charity employing 31 paid staff and many volunteers in several offices (for four and a half years). 

Safeguarding Trained by Several Organisations
* Safeguarding school governor for over three years
* Consulted by social workers and safeguarding boards about possible risks posed by or to clients 
*Experience of handling many safeguarding issues involving people of all ages and liaising with psychiatrists, GPs and other doctors, psychologists, social workers, health visitors, and occupational therapists plus the police, here and abroad.
* By Warwickshire County Council and other authorities in the UK in safeguarding for children, vulnerable adults and in e-safety
* By an Association of Youth Clubs in safeguarding children and young people as well as attending whole days with other organisations (e.g. £400 conference in 2018 purely on safeguarding and including full range of threats including grooming for terrorism)
* By Warwickshire Police in managing interactions with difficult and dangerous people 
* Agency Clinical Experience-
* Women’s Aid (as a support worker and volunteer counsellor) working with women and children escaping from abusive relationships (c. 3 years)

As a psychotherapist / counsellor:
* NHS Hospital with patients and their families
* School counselling children in Coventry
* Young people's training centre in a city
* Charity for survivors of sexual abuse which particularly included working with clients with personality disorders especially Dissociative Identity Disorder
* Age Concern (now known as Age UK)
* Department for Work & Pensions scheme: working with people with addiction, mental health and physical disability challenges to help them to stay in work or commit to training and finding new work Trained Tutor in Negotiation and Assertiveness Skills

* I ran courses for trade unionists and negotiators in the business school of what is now Manchester Metropolitan University. 

* Experienced Mediator

As well as working professionally as a mediator for clients such as employers and professional workers, I have been in roles mediating between varying organisations, groups and companies and individuals and have chaired a variety of meetings involving local and high-ranking officials. 

Happy to deal with more straight forward work, if you have challenging situations, I have the kind of experience which means I am not fazed by severe situations and complexity. 

Stability: I worked with the same main supervisor for 10 years, from 2006 to 2016 when he went into semi-retirement and another since 1997 which is ongoing. I have been with my current main supervisor since 2016 and currently in addition to occasionally taking consultations from specialists. I have been in continual practice to BACP standards from 2006. 

Qualifications & Training Has Included for Example:
* Clinical Supervision (British Psychological Society Learning Centre 2013-2014)
* Diploma in the Theory & Practice of Counselling (Distinction in Advanced Counselling Skills & Clinical Placements marks 95% to 100% included an NHS Hospital, a centre for abuse survivors, a training centre for young people, school & Age Concern; Merit marks in all other assignments including highest mark of the year in the research project and presentation) (I was offered a place at Warwick University but the two massive flights of stairs were not accessible to me at the time so I studied at Warks. College, validated by ABC Exam Board.);
 * Graduate Certificate in the Theory & Practice of Counselling (Coventry University, 2002); 
* Certificate in Health Psychology: Undertanding Mental Ill-health (Coventry University 2004, exam 90% mark, assignment 92%); 
* Psychosexual Studies: Understanding the Sexual relationship (London, 2011-12); 
* Certificate in Lifecoaching with NLP (Neuro Linguistic Programming) (NCFE, 2006);
* Cert. Intermediate level Couns. (NOCN, 2001); 
* Cert. Working with Survivors of Sexual Abuse (included dissociation and personality disorders) (OCN, 2008); 
* Cert. Bereavement Care (charity, 2005). 
* Psychology, Sociology & Politics with Statistics (University of Sheffield /Open University 1997, 240 points towards BA)
 
Also trained amongst an A to Z of conditions and challenges and issues, for example in:- Stress Management (CBT approach): Psychology & Neuro-Science of Family & Couple Relationships;
Neuro-Psychology - Psychological Support & Counselling Working with Disabled People & Their Families (NHS);
Addiction – 12 Step Programmes (Special & Different); Drug Awareness to DANOS Standards (WDAAT); Eating Disorders (NHS); Family Therapy & Systemic Practice (NHS); Post Critical Incident Psychological Welfare (Centre for Trauma Resilience & Growth / NHS Notts. / University of Nottingham / Warwickshire County Council Emergency Planning – c.1 to 3 courses per year since 2007-2014); Communication During & Post a Disaster (Home Office Emergency Planning College); Managing a Disaster (Warwickshire County Council / National Fire & Rescue College); Equality & Diversity (various e.g., University of Warwick /Colin Lago; WCC / IDEA ; Council of Disabled People Cov. & Warks.; National Centre for Advice & Information on Educational Disadvantage); Chairing Meetings (WCC); Managing Difficult People (Warwickshire Police); Safeguarding Children & Adults (various WCC courses) e-safety (WCC); Leadership (WCC); Project Management (WCC); School Governance (WCC); Successful Management (Chrysalis Change Management Consultancy). Other counselling roles have included Women’s Aid & in university and college union welfare roles.

Past diversity roles have also included: Editor and Public Relations Officer of the National Centre for Information & Advice on Educational Disadvantage; Vice Chair of the Equality Council of the National Union of Journalists (NUJ); Member of the UK Disabled People’s Parliament. Trained at what is now Manchester Metropolitan University in negotiation skills and by the NUJ in assertiveness skills.

Courses, conferences, webinars, and workshops in working with children and young people, people with multiple types of addiction and or sexual issues are amongst a host of specialist trainings I have undertaken.

Media trained in journalism, broadcast editing, production and presentation: Radio Hallam, The London College of Printing (now called London College of Communication), BBC and the National Council for the Training of Journalists.

You can have a free of charge initial call by phone or via Facetime,  Skype, or WhatsApp, to see if you and I feel a rapport between us to aid you on your journey as a professional.

Please call me on mobile 07432 849 739. I also have a landline which I turn on mostly by appointment, due to the previous volume of scam calls.

Penelope Anne Rose Bould: Empowering Potential Positive Change