Werner Kierski

About

Werner Kierski, DProf, MA, BACP (snr. Accred), Member of BABCP, ISST

Availability: Limited, only as 1st supervisor

Contact: [email protected]

Werner’s approach to psychotherapy research is very pragmatic, supporting your research journey by helping you to develop your interest in a way that is inspiring for you and which you can manage within your defined timeframe. An additional interest in relation to doctoral supervision is to inspire candidates to use their research for publication.

Werner’s research interests include, amongst others, qualitative methods, case study design, mixed quantitative/qualitative designs.

Research interests:

• Anxiety;
• The current renaissance of research into the use of psychedelic drugs in depression & trauma treatment;
• Depression;
• Mindfulness;
• Men and life struggles (with a particullar interest in the emotional experiences of heterosexual males);
• Bipolar disorder;
• Buddhism and therapy;
• Bereavement through suicide;
• Use of animals in therapy;
• Emotional schemas;
• Critique of medication;
• Comparing therapeutic modalities
• Client experiences (not available for studies on therapist experiences including studies on the therapist’s own experiences);
• Psychotherapy outcome studies;
• Psychotherapy process studies;
• Emotional and mental problems caused by Brexit.
• Research into psychedelics
• The experience of adults of being in a relationship with someone who has ADHD/ADD

Werner draws from a wide range of clinical experiences. He is a member of the therapy team at Schoen Clinic Chelsea. At present he is also a research therapist on two trials researching the use of two types of psychedelic compounts for the treatment of depression. Prior to that he has been, for eleven years, a senior member of the therapy team at the Nightingale Hospital. Before this he worked for several other organisations, including the Medical Foundation, now called Freedom from Torture, which is a specialist service supporting people who have survived torture. He has worked in residential addiction treatment, with survivors of childhood abuse and in other service settings. Like all therapists, who want to offer highest service levels, he is in regular supervision with a supervisor who has many years of experience.

Werner is currently involved as a lead therapist in a number of studies exploring psychedelics for the use of treating depression.

In addition to his clinical work Werner has held a number of teaching posts at several leading institutions, including Anglia Ruskin University, the Open University and the Minster Centre for Integrative Psychotherapy. Apart from that he has also held the post of editor-in-chief with Contemporary Psychotherapy, the leading international online journal for psychotherapy.

Outside of his activities as a psychotherapist and counsellor he spent six years working with wolves. This deeply moving work has helped him to understand much better how questions of anxiety, survival, communication with others and resilience are interconnected. He continues to learn about the complex and sophisticated emotional processes that these animals experience.

Previously Werner has been working internationally in qualitative commercial research for some 13 years, covering many topics. He has published a number of lengthy reports based on this work.