Kate Smith qualified as a pluralistic therapist in 2009 and currently heads the Division of Health Sciences at Abertay University, the original home of pluralistic therapy training. Kate obtained her first and master’s degrees at Cambridge University and went on to complete her doctoral research at the University of St Andrews on the links between autobiographical memory, life stories and mental health. She is the author of numerous academic and practitioner publications on pluralism and mental health. She is a chartered psychologist, a founder member and chair of the Pluralistic Practitioner Network and co-chair of the International Conference on Pluralistic Counselling and Psychotherapy. She maintains a small practice and supervises pluralistic practitioners and is on the board of governors of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy. Kate is the mother of two sons and lives in Scotland.
Pluralistic therapy offers an open, inquiring, flexible framework for client-centred practice. It was introduced in response to the schoolism that emerged from the growing numbers of competing schools and models of therapy in the early years of the 21st century. Built on the principles of pluralism, it promotes partnership and equality between client and practitioner, client-defined goals, and a willingness…