About Dr Jim Byrne, Doctor of Counselling
Background information, education, etc.
November 2016
Hello,
My name is Jim Byrne.
I have a doctoral degree in counselling (DCoun) from the University of Manchester, UK (2002-2009). A master’s degree in education (MA(Ed)) from the Open University, UK (1991-1994). And a diploma in counselling psychology and psychotherapy (DipCPPsych-Rus) from Rusland College, Bath, UK (2001-2003).
I also have two certificates in Rational Emotive and Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (RE&CBT), from the Albert Ellis Institute, NYC, with the University of Birmingham (November 2005); and the old Institute for REBT, in Bristol, UK (November 1999).
I practice a system of counselling which integrates the best and most useful elements of the fifteen or so systems I have studied, including CBT, Attachment theory, Affect regulation theory, Object relations theory, Person-centred counselling, Transactional Analysis, Gestalt therapy, and many others. (My system is called Emotive-Cognitive Embodied Narrative Therapy, or E-CENT counselling for short. What is E-CENT counselling?***) E-CENT counselling also incorporates insights into the body-brain-mind link. So we deal with the whole client, and not just with their ‘mind’.
Here’s a little video clip which explains some of the latest revisions in this system of counselling and therapy:
I am a Fellow Member of the International Society of Professional Counsellors (FISPC), and a Registered Member of Counselling (CCC.Reg).
I am in my twentieth year (as at the end of November 2017) as a counsellor in private practice, in Hebden Bridge, and all over the world via the telephone system, Skype-webcam, and by email.
Three sample client testimonials:
♣ To Jim: “…At our previous session, your main intervention had the precision of an acupuncture needle hitting the spot. I felt a great sense of relief from depression and stress immediately. I felt so light and free. Thank you. … See you next week”.
J.K.K., Wakefield, West Yorkshire. (Three sessions of F2F counselling for emotional distress).
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♣ “Dear Jim, I’ve been thinking back over the past year, and I really appreciate the great benefit I got from your guidance of my self-reflection. I have learned so much from you. And I am so much more sorted out than I was. Thank you”.
P.A.N., Crag Vale, Calderdale. (36 sessions of Face 2 face counselling for stress and anxiety, and relationship maladaptation).
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♣ “Hey Jim, … I continue to benefit from the Mind Hut, or Windows Model, at every opportunity when I’m in a bad emotional state, including depressive moments. It takes just half an hour or less and I recover a good emotional state that is also durable. … With appreciation for the work you do, I salute you and I will keep you as a reference point”.
M.V.S., Madrid, Spain (Two email counselling sessions for depression and stress).
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Further information:
# Information pack for face-to-face clients***
# Information page about telephone, email and Skype counselling***
# Unsolicited client testimonials.***
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You can contact me by phone: 01422 843 629 (from inside the UK)
Or 44 1422 843 629 from outside the UK).
Email: drjwbyrne@gmail.com
Back to ABC Coaching and Counselling Services Home Page.***
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Jim Byrne’s Autobiographical Story
I have spent some years revisiting my childhood experiences, and looking at how difficult it was for me to become an emotionally intelligent, autonomous, loving social-being. I reviewed my relationship with my mother (and later my father), and looked at how my schooling affected my development – given the home environment in which I had been shaped.
Then, because it is easier than writing an autobiography as such, I wrote a long story about a fictional character – Daniel O’Beeve – which allowed me to share my experiences of insecure attachment, and maladjustment to my society, to be explored in a way which is helpful for psychologists, counsellors, psychotherapists, and self-help enthusiasts.
This story is called, Daniel O’Beeve and the Wee History of His Part of Old Ireland.***
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Dear Dr Byrne,
Hi, My names Matthew Walters and I am a REBT therapist, based in London.
I have recently come across your work and watched your videos on You Tube and read extracts from your books with great interest. I am also interested in your E-CENT line of therapy.
I run a Facebook group called REBT and CBT group which is a sort of one stop shop for everything REBT, articles, videos, resources etc.
Your video is also on it as I like to present critique of REBT too.
The group has just under 1000 members and is a mixture of therapists, students and people with an interest in REBT ,and people having therapy.
I was wondering if at some point you would be willing to debate your case that REBT is flawed in a live web cam session with a REBT therapist.
This would also give you an opportunity to promote E-CENT.
I havnt got any details about how this would work as of yet, I really just wanted to know if it maybe something you would be interested in if it could be arranged to suit you.
Many thanks and I look forward to your reply
Matthew Walters
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Hi Matthew,
I am open to the idea you suggested, provided it is not set up in a way which will simply turn into a slanging match. I have no desire to engage in bad-tempered exchanges with anybody. My position – at root – is that Dr Albert Ellis was damaged by the childhood neglect he suffered at the hands of his parents; this resulted in his becoming a *Extreme* Stoic. That there is nothing wrong (in my view), and a lot right, with *Moderate* Stoicism; but there are huge problems with *Extreme* stoicism. I have also argued that Dr Ellis’s system of *Unconditional* Self and Other Acceptance is a form of, or route to, amoralism (or even immorality), while I am committed to promoting morality based on the Golden Rule, and Rule Utilitarianism, for which we need *Moral Should’s*, which are invalid in Ellis’s damaged worldview. Having said all that, I am open to hearing further from you about the possibility of my making some kind of presentation to your group. Please email me at jim.byrne@abc-couonselling.com with your suggestions. Sincerely, Jim.
PS: There is something I do not understand. If those individuals (in your REBT/CBT group) are so interested in REBT, why do they not read my book, and then write about what they find to be *wrong* (or right!) with it? Is it the case that most counsellors – and therefore most REBTers – are fundamentally *anti-intellectual*, or *non-intellectual*; that they do not like to read; and that they do not engage in critical thinking as part of their journey through life? Could it be the case that those individuals would be happy to ‘let off steam’ in a verbal exchange, but would be unwilling to do the *hard labour* of thinking, critically, about my arguments?
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