Dr Tim McConville (DMin, MA, MBACP (Accred.), MCOSCA, FHEA)
Teaching Fellow in Counselling and Psychotherapy
Contact details
- Email: tmcconvi@ed.ac.uk
Address
- Street
-
Counselling, Psychotherapy and Social Sciences
College of Arts, Humanities and Social Science
University of Edinburgh
Elsie Inglis Quad, Doorway 6
Teviot Place - City
- Edinburgh
- Post code
- EH8 9AG
Availability
I am a part-time tutor. During term time, I teach on Mondays. Wednesday I can usually be reached in the Pg Cert team office
Background
Current Posts
I primarily consider myself a therapist. However, I genuinely enjoy teaching. I believe that as a tutor my first concern is to create an active learning environment. I appreciate the students engaging with their different tasks as they grow into their calling.
I am the clinical lead & senior partner at West End Therapy Centre. I hold a diverse caseload, working with individuals, couples and families.
Summary
I have been a successful counselling service lead on both sides of the Atlantic, managing both small and large clinical and supervisory teams in a professional and ethical manner developing best practices in demanding environments, seeking excellence from all practitioners. I have been involved in developing and implementing cutting edge psychological interventions, especially around intimate partner abuse and ethical masculinities.
My professional profile also includes:
- Cross-cultural specialisms in pastoral and counselling settings
- Lecturing and training in counselling and psychotherapy.
- Working with youths caught in the gangs in Central America concentrating on addressing hyper-masculinity and promoting non-violence, using psychologically based interventions and community-based support.
I worked with the Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13), and 18th St Gang in Soyapango. While working with Latino youths in the gangs, rather than simply relying on ‘Western’ counselling techniques, I placed my therapeutic frame within a pre-Christian Nahuatl spirituality. I used the temescal (sweat lodge) for guided imagery and dream work. I also used the nahual (animal spirit guide) in group work to help the clients to get in touch with their inner selves. Finally, I employed myths and archetypes from that Mesoamerican culture. (An example would be Chacmool, or Tlaloc, the god of rain.) Often, I needed the clients to lead me in exploring the meaning of these figures.
Originally trained as an integrative practitioner, my further training has focused on Rogerian counselling, the psychodynamic perspective, and systemic therapy. I am fascinated by the interpersonal dialogue between the person-centred approach, and psychodynamic psychotherapy, and their central focus on the therapy relationship as an intersubjective process rather than simply skills and techniques.
My further interests include relationship therapy as it rises to meet the challenges of diverse relationship styles. Emotionally Focused Therapy for relationships, Emotion Focused Therapy for individuals, spirituality, dream work, counselling supervision, ethics, and professional standards. I served on the Ethics Committee at COSCA (Counselling & Psychotherapy in Scotland) I served on their complaints panel. I also worked as a board member for PPS Trust.
Qualifications
University of Edinburgh: Pg Cert. Academic Practice 2021
ICEEFT, Ottawa: Cert. emotionally focused therapy 2016
Family Therapy Training Network, Glasgow: Intermediate PG Cert. in Family Therapy / Systemic Psychotherapy 2015
Family Therapy Training Network, Glasgow: Foundation PG Cert. in Family Therapy / Systemic Psychotherapy 2014
Relationship Scotland: Diploma in Casework Supervision (COSCA Accredited) 2012
Relationship Scotland: ACCEPT Certificate in psychodynamic relationship counselling (COSCA Accredited) 2009
CTU, Chicago: Doctor of Ministry (D. Min.), Cross-cultural Practical Theology, 2004 – 2007
Loyola University of Chicago: MA Counselling, 2002 – 2004
Responsibilities & affiliations
Fellow of the Higher Education Academy
Certified Member ICEEFT (International Centre for Excellence in Emotionally Focused Therapy)
Member of AFT register for systemic practitioners #2040439
Accredited member of BACP Register of Counsellors and Psychotherapists # 018172 (member # 611369 since 2007)
Accredited Trainer, COSCA (Counselling and Psychotherapy in Scotland) (member # 1827 since 2007)
Member American Counselling Association # 6197660 (2002 – 2007)
Postgraduate teaching
Postgraduate Certificate in Counselling Studies: Core tutor
Research summary
My research interests include the critical studies of maleness and power relationships, and gender-based violence. Relationship between therapist and client in counselling. The place of emotions in interpersonal dialogue and intrapsychic experiencing. I am fascinated by the configurations of self as they arise in dreamwork. I am intrigued by the exploration of spirituality as an internal locus of experiencing and its relationship to religion as an external locus of evaluation, especially within the three "revealed religions".
Working with my colleague Bob Goupillot I have until recently co-led a practice-based research programme in developing a ‘Couple counselling in safe mode’ to support relationship counsellors working with couples where there is conflict and coercive control.