Processwork UK Practitioner

Kim Ward

I work as a process work psychotherapist in a therapy centre, Wellspring in Edinburgh. I hold a process work diploma and am UKCP accredited. I am a member of Northern Guild Psychotherapy and accredited to work with children and young people. I co-lead a nurture group for children in primary school, and work 1:1 with children and young people which often involves working with families/ carers.

 As in many psychotherapy practices, developing a trusting relationship with clients creates an environment for clients to explore issues that are troublesome and often discarded or remain hidden. It takes curiosity and compassion to work through such unconscious or secondary material, and Process work offers unique ways of unfolding disturbances through our close connection with body signals and the deeper dreaming process. In this way we learn to befriend disturbances and the unpredictable; learning tools, gaining understanding and awareness skills to help us with painful and conflictual feelings and experiences. Developing such compassionate awareness can transform our experiences into a world of discovery, where our inner worlds are more prepared to meet with and relate to outer experiences, of relationships and organisations and groups and places.

My work with children and young people began with my experience as a primary and secondary school teacher for 20 years. It is a pleasure to return to schools as a facilitator, with an attitude and trust that children can find their own solutions and creativity in a supportive and playful environment that encourages many kinds of interactions including turtle wrestling, dance, soft toys, bricks, spontaneous art work, crafting or making out of simple materials like clay, playdough and cardboard. Tensions are held through dialogue and engaging in momentary interactions, and learning to get along with each other in play and in conflict, or escalating moments. Children are given the opportunity to explore their feelings and experiences of playing/ working within a group setting which brings up issues of family, school life and developmental issues.

The development of Worldwork offers great ways of facilitating the multiple layers of experiences that occur in this nurture group work, developing sense of inclusivity in welcoming the many experiences these young people have lived through and need a ‘safe space’ to explore with others, in being themselves with their own innate resources.

Through my practise I continue to learn about the interconnectedness of all things; opening up to ourselves opens us to the wider world of relationships and communities; networks of people and the networks of the natural world.  In these times of global and national crisis, Process work offers approaches to working with ourselves and others to find more resourceful and creative ways of living together.

My own resources never cease to find solace and inspiration in the natural world, in travelling and cooking, in drawing and singing; being and working with friends and colleagues.