Dr Kirsty Bilski
PhD, MA CCYP, MA Supervision, Adv. Dip. Couns., FdA, MBACP (Accred.), FHEA
BACP Accredited Counsellor, Psychotherapist, Supervisor, Trainer and Director of The Way Forward Centre
Director of Way Forward Counselling Services Ltd.
Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA)
BACP Register of Counsellors and Psychotherapists Certificate No: 025922
Kirsty Bilski’s website: www.kirstybilski.co.uk
BUPA Recognised Provider: http://finder.bupa.co.uk/go/mrs_kirsty_bilski
https://www.counselling-directory.org.uk/counsellors/kirsty-bilski
Experience & Qualifications
Kirsty has a wide range of experience working with clients of all ages, from the very young to the more mature. Her professional career has included supporting vulnerable adults experiencing housing need (Shelter) and the rehabilitation of adults recovering from serious mental health illness (NHS Health & Social Care Trust). In her early years of practice, Kirsty worked for a counselling agency supporting adult survivors of childhood sexual abuse, within the same setting she continued on to support adults with a more varied cross section of moderate to severe emotional difficulty (Personal Recovery Service; PRS).
After completing several years working exclusively with Adults, Kirsty then began a process of beginning to work with children and young people. Initially through a children's charity in Bristol (Help ! Counselling 9 – 25 yr Olds) and then making a jump into education. She then worked extensively across primary and secondary schools in Somerset, England (Somerset County Council), before moving to South Wales to be a part of the Welsh Government School Based Counselling Strategy in 2009. Kirsty has remained in South Wales since 2009 and provided counselling within several secondary schools and a number of primary schools across Neath Port Talbot County Borough Council (NPTCBC).
Kirsty’s work in schools came to a close in July 2014 in favour of developing a private practice in Swansea and giving more time to her academic commitments. She continues to work with Adults, Children and Young People through her rapidly expanding practice as Director of Way Forward Counselling Services Ltd. and more specifically The Way Forward Centre for Training and Professional Development.
Kirsty originally qualified as a counsellor from the Iron Mill Institute in Exeter (Now known as Iron Mill College), here she studies using an integrative approach to therapy which means she integrates a number of different theoretical styles to respond to the needs of each individual client. She describes her style of therapy as largely Humanistic (Person Centered, Gestalt and Existential), with the core conditions of empathy, congruence and unconditional positive regard very much at the foundation of her work. A lot of her Creative Approach is placed within a Gestalt frame although she also integrates aspects of Psychodynamic Theory, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Systemic Theory, Solution Focused Approaches, Motivational and Psychoeducational Techniques. When she qualified she originally worked largely with an Adult client base.Progressively through her career she has focused on younger clients and particularly specialises in teenagers however she still also works extensively with Adults. In recent years she has developed an interest in working with Adults who have experienced trauma, and more specifically through their work in the public services.
Kirsty has completed a Masters Degree in Counselling Children and Young People and a further Masters Degree in Consultative Supervision. Her studies into Counselling Children and Young People have enabled Kirsty to connect closely with the difficulties faced by this client group, on multiple levels which include ethical practice with this young client group, creative methods, child and adolescent development, child protection and safeguarding expectations. She has a natural affinity with adolescents and a specialised interest in the development of autonomy in adolescence. She has written professionally around adolescent autonomy as well as the use of sandtray in therapy and supervision. Her 2nd MA qualifies Kirsty to supervise other counsellors and helping professionals, it is an ethical requirement of all counsellors to seek monthly supervision from a qualified and exprienced supervisor. Kirsty supervises professionals who work with Adults as well as Children and Young People. More recently she completed a PhD at the University of South Wales (USW) (2022). Within her academic development Kirsty has also gained special recognition for the quality of her work: as a continued student and through the quality of her writing.
Kirsty has taught on play therapy, education, counselling and supervision undergraduate and postgraduate courses in further and higher education and she gained a Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA) recognition in 2016. Through developing The Way Forward Centre, Kirsty hopes to continue to build on her passion for teaching and supporting the professional growth of the next generation of counsellors. The Way Forward Centre is an approved CPCAB training centre providing counselling qualifications from the level 2 certificate in counselling skills, and hopes to offer all levels of training up to the level 6 certificate in therapeutic counselling supervision. Kirsty is also developing a level 5 Diploma Sandtray Therapy Practice in Counselling and Psychotherapy which will also be approved by CPCAB.
Within her career Kirsty has worked alongside individuals suffering from a wide variety of emotionally challenging experiences:
Bereavement & Loss, Anxiety & Stress, Depression or Low Mood, Chronic, Life Limiting or Terminal illness, Disability, Self Confidence & Self Esteem, Self Harm, Drug & Alcohol Issues, Identity, Sexuality & Gender, Physical & Emotional Trauma, Relationship Difficulties, Bullying or Harassment, Work Place Difficulties, Family Relationships or Difficulties, Attachment & Separation Issues, Behaviour Difficulties, Anger Management, Abuse, Domestic Violence, Pregnancy & Abortion, Female Issues, Body Image, Behavioural difficulties, Difficult Decisions, Life Changes, Personal/ Professional Growth, Independence & Developing Autonomy, Trauma, Adult Survivors of Childhood Sexual Abuse, Adolescent Development, Teenage Difficulties, Bullying, Relational Difficulties at School, Family Breakdown,Emotional Distress Experienced by Children and Young People. This list is not exhaustive but gives an idea of the extent of the work Kirsty applies herself to.
Qualifications
PhD Counselling & Psychotherapy 2022 University of South Wales
Fellow of the Higher Education Academy 2016 (FHEA)
MBACP Accreditation achieved March 2012 (BACP Accrediated Counsellor & Psychotherapist)
BACP Register of Counsellors & Psychotherapists: Certificate Number: 025922
MA Consultative Supervision University of South Wales, Newport ~ 2015
PG Dip Consultative Supervision University of South Wales, Newport ~ 2014
MA Counselling Children & Young People University of South Wales Newport ~ 2013
PG Dip Counselling Children & Young People University of South Wales Newport ~ 2012
Advanced Diploma in Integrative Counselling BACP Accredited The Iron Mill Institute, Exeter ~ 2008
Foundation Degree in Heath & Social Care with Counselling Skills (FdA) (Award with Distinction) Plymouth University Somerset College, Taunton ~ 2005
CPCAB Level 3 Cert in Counselling Studies Plymouth University Somerset College Taunton ~ 2005
CPCAB Level 2 Cert in Counselling SKills Plymouth University Somerset College, Taunton ~ 2005
Additional Training
Trauma, Eating Disorders, Self Harm, Counselling Children Young People with Specific Learning DIfficulties, Child Protection & Safeguarding, Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST), Bereavement, Alcohol and Drugs, Parenting, Transpersonal Therapy, Sand Play and Sandtray Therapy, and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT). Animal Assisted Therapy and Trauma Informed Therapy. Kirsty is in the final stages of completing a PhD through research focusing on adolescent autonomy and causal factors of change through therapy.
Published Author: My Angel Tree Apex Publishing: September 2008
ISBN-10: 1906358109 ~ ISBN-13: 978-1906358105
