About me - professional biography
Dr Caryl Sibbett (PhD)
HCPC Reg., Reg. Member MBACP (Snr Accred),
PhD, MD (h.c.), MEd (Guid. & Couns.), BA, DipCouns, CertACE, FHEA, FBACP.
My practice as a Counsellor / Psychotherapist, an Art Psychotherapist, a Trainer, and as a clinical Supervisor is trauma-informed & pluralistic, & also guided by ecotherapy principles.
Current roles include:
BACP Senior Accredited Supervisor, supervising for diverse organisations in statutory, third sector and voluntary settings; and supervising practitioners in private practice.
BACP Registered Senior Accredited Counsellor / Psychotherapist.
Art Psychotherapist (HCPC Registered).
Appointed as Regional Representative for Art Therapy / BAAT on the Advisory Committee of the Allied Health Professions (ACAHP) to the Department of Health NI. Allied Health Professionals (AHPs) (Mar. 2024 - ). Nominated by AHPFNI / BAAT.
External Quality Advisor, University of Chester, for counselling, psychotherapy, psychological trauma courses.
Trainer - I teach on several trauma-informed and post-qualifying courses:
A core tutor & curriculum designer on a Level 5 Post-Qualifying Diploma in Trauma-Informed Counselling / Psychotherapy with Children & Young People (CPCAB) (2013-ongoing). I co-designed the course and I mapped the course to BACP's CYP competences & curriculum & to BAAT & HCPC guidelines. This Post-Qualifying course is for registered counsellors / psychotherapists, arts therapists and similar.
A core tutor & curriculum designer on a Level 6 Post-Qualifying Certificate in Creative Supervision of Practice Across the Age Range (CPCAB) (2016-ongoing). I co-designed the course and I mapped the course to BACP's supervision competences & curriculum & to BAAT & HCPC guidelines. This Post-Qualifying course is for registered counsellors / psychotherapists, arts therapists and similar.
Trainer offering CPD short courses on: eco-practice, fairy tales in psychotherapy, principles of art psychotherapy - theory and praxis, etc.
Trauma Education Facilitator.
I am also:
Council member of the British Association of Art Therapists (BAAT), the UK professional body for Art Therapists / Art Psychotherapists.
Vice Chair of BAAT NI, the NI country & regional group of BAAT (Mar. 2023 - ), & committee member since Feb 2021. See: BAAT NI Instagram, BAAT NI Twitter/X, BAAT NI Facebook.
Member of the BACP's School and college counselling expert reference group, a BACP priority workstream.
Member of a NI coalition working to promote secure funding for counselling and creative therapeutic interventions in Northern Ireland’s schools. The coalition produced a report (2023): 'The case for investing in therapeutic interventions in Northern Ireland’s schools'.
Fellow of the British Association for Counselling & Psychotherapy.
Fellow of Advance HE / Higher Education Academy.
Doctor of Medicine (Honoris Causa) Medicinae Doctorem: Riga Stradins University, Latvia.
Full Member: British Association of Art Therapists (BAAT)
Full Member: British Association for Counselling & Psychotherapy (BACP)
Life member of the Northern Ireland Group for Art as Therapy (NIGAT) (Reg. Charity), having been a past Chair, Vice Chair, Secretary etc.
Member of the Pluralistic Practice Network (2019 - ).
Member: International Community for Ecopsychology (ICE)
Artist.
Owner & founder of Kairos Consultancy in NI.
I am security cleared through AccessNI.
I am registered with the Information Commissioner‘s Office (ICO) and comply with data protection requirements.
Awards, nominations / indicators of excellence:
2024: Nominated for the BAAT Award: Innovation. I was shortlisted as one of the final three UK nominees; for more information see baat.org/publications/insight/autumn-2024/nominees-announced-for-art-therapists-awards-2024/
2014: Awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Medicine (Honoris Causa), Riga Stradins University, Latvia. Awarded in recognition of my contribution since 2004 in supporting the establishment and development of the Master’s level Arts Therapy study programme, particularly in Riga Stradins University, and in supporting the establishment of the profession in Latvia.
2010: Awarded a Fellowship of the British Association for Counselling & Psychotherapy in recognition of services to counselling / psychotherapy in Northern Ireland.
2007: Awarded a Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy in recognition of teaching art therapy and counselling / psychotherapy.
2004: The Clinical Placement / Practicum Handbook I designed, created and disseminated was requested and used by Queen’s University’s Work Placement Centre as an "exemplar of good practice and documentation".
2003: The Clinical Placement / Practicum Handbook, Placement Information Pack, and E-Portfolio: Reflective Journal and Practicum Log which I designed, created and disseminated were awarded as 'demonstrating excellence': Developing Learning & Teaching (DLT) project “Embedding Work-based Learning Placements and Portfolio Dissertations in the Curriculum”. Selected as demonstrating excellence by Professor Graham Gibbs (Teaching Quality Enhancement Fund) at a University Celebrating Learning & Teaching event.
Awarded Life Membership of the Northern Ireland Group for Art as Therapy (NIGAT), Reg. Charity, for services to NIGAT and art therapy in Northern Ireland since 1992.
Past professional activities include:
Alternate representative for Art Therapy / BAAT on the AHPFNI.
Immediate past Vice-Chair of the British Association of Art Therapists (BAAT) (Jul. 2021 - Jun. 2024) (elected).
Senior Lecturer - lecturing in Art Psychotherapy; retired.
BAAT NI Committee representative on the AHP Non HSC Professions Forum (Mar. 2021 - 2023).
Elected Deputy Chair of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) (Nov. 2017-Dec. 2020).
Elected Interim Deputy Chair of BACP (May 2017-Nov. 2017).
Elected as Trustee on Board of Governors of BACP, Nov. 2011-2014, re-elected Nov. 2014-2017, re-elected Nov. 2017-2020).
Director, BACP Enterprises Ltd.
Elected as Council member of BAAT (2018-2019).
Director: Arts Therapies NI (C.I.C.).
Joint Co-ordinator of the BAAT Regional Group 20 (Northern Ireland) (2017-2018).
Editorial Review Board Committee Member: CATA-ACATJ (Canadian Art Therapy Association: Journal).
Member of the Allied Health Professions Federation NI (2014–2016).
Associate Fellow: Centre for Lifelong Learning, University of Warwick.
Appointed as Chair of the Counselling Children & Young People Training Consortium (NI), a group of key stakeholders / service providers of counselling services in NI (2010-2013).
Member of the Mental Health, Ageing & Learning Disability Translational Research Group.
Lecturer: Queen's University Belfast (2002-2012), lecturing in education, special needs, art therapy, counselling.
I founded Art Psychotherapy MSc level qualifying training in Northern Ireland in 2002. Designing the MSc programme from the mid/late 1990s as trauma-informed, I led its initial CPSM / HPC approval & University validation and subsequent HCPC approvals & re-validations. After establishing the training in 2002, I led it as programme leader in Queen's University, and then in the Belfast Health & Social Care Trust until 2016. In 2015/2016, I re-designed the training as 'trauma-informed pluralistic art psychotherapy', i.e. grounded in pluralism, pluralistic practice, trauma-informed care principles and sound ethical governance. I retired as a Senior Lecturer & Programme Leader in Autumn 2019. I continued to give teaching inputs in Master's level Art Psychotherapy from 2019 to late Summer 2023.
I continue as a core tutor on Post-Qualifying Art Psychotherapy and Counselling / Psychotherapy courses.
Chair of the NI Counselling Children & Young People Training Consortium.
Member of the Executive Committee of the BACP Counselling Children and Young People division (2010-Nov. 2011).
Invited onto the national Steering group of the BACP CYP PRN, Children & Young People Practice Research Network (2010-2012).
Member of an expert group guiding tender specification for Independent Counselling Service for Schools – Department of Education NI.
Invited member of the BACP Children and Young People Stakeholders Reference Group (2010–2013).
Appointed in 2008 as the first co-ordinator of BAAT NI, the BAAT Regional Group (20) for NI.
Contractual partnership as Registrant Assessor with the Health Professions Council (2005-2006).
Elected as Chair of the Allied Health Professions Research Forum for Northern Ireland (2007-2010).
Member: Ecopsychology and Ecotherapy Association of Ireland.
Elected member of the central Advisory Committee of the Allied Health Professions (ACAHP) to the Department of Health NI (2003-2009). ACAHP was a statutory Advisory Body whose function was to provide advice to the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety NI (DHSSPSNI) on the planning and provision of Allied Health Professions’ services in NI.
Elected as Council member of BAAT (2005-2006).
Invited as a member of the Arts Therapies Benchmark Group of the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education, a small group contracted by the HPC, to author:
- QAA (2004) ‘Arts therapy. Benchmark statement: Health care programmes’. Phase 2, QAA.Invited as a member of the Arts Therapies Working Group of the Health Professions Council & the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education, a small group contracted to author:
- HPC (2003) ‘Standards of Proficiency - Arts Therapists’.Elected Chair, Vice Chair, Secretary and Committee Member of the NI Group for Art as Therapy (NIGAT), over several decades.
Education Officer, NI Council for Postgraduate Medical & Dental Education.
