Fevronia Christodoulidi

Dr Fevronia Christodoulidi

Senior Lecturer

Department of Professional Psychology , School Of Psychology

Fevronia (aka 'Fenia') is a senior lecturer in counselling and psychotherapy on the BSc (Hons) Counselling programme at the University of East London. She is an accredited practitioner by the BACP (British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy) and a qualified clinical supervisor for trainees and experienced therapists. 

Areas Of Interest

  •  
  • Cross-cultural counselling and research
  • Pluralistic counselling and research
  • Existentially informed counselling and psychotherapy
  • Integrative clinical supervision
  • Inter-racial relationships and dual heritage parenting
  • Spirituality and mindfulness
  • Heuristic inquiry, autoethnography and duoethnography
  •  
Fevronia Christodoulidi

OVERVIEW

Dr Fevronia (Fenia) Christodoulidi completed her undergraduate studies at the National Kapodistrian University of Athens (Greece) and her Postgraduate Professional Counselling training at the University of Durham (UK). She also holds an MSc in Research Methods and a PhD in Counselling as a fully funded Scholar of the University of Manchester, UK. Her qualitative, heuristic doctoral study focused on the challenges and opportunities occurring for therapists moving between cultures; this research brought up significant findings on topics related to professional mobility and identity transitions for therapists and those identifying as global nomads, discourses around home and belonging, relational dynamics occurring via bilingualism and biculturalism in therapy and so on. Fenia holds a Postgraduate Certificate in Clinical Supervision and has been offering individual and group supervision from a pluralistic perspective. She has also trained in online counselling and has been actively involved in preparing resource material for working remotely with clients and offering online clinical supervision to counsellors and other professionals.

Fenia predominantly teaches on the BSc (Hons) Counselling at UEL, where she lectures as well as prepares future counsellors through the roles of skills tutor, personal tutor, clinical and academic supervisor and personal development group facilitator. She also contributes to the postgraduate teaching at the School of Psychology, including lectures on the Prof Doc in Counselling Psychology. Before lecturing at UEL, she has taught counselling at FE colleges as well as at undergraduate and postgraduate level at the University of Salford and The Metanoia Institute. She has collaborated with Prof Maria Malikiosi-Loizos for the set-up of an MA in Counselling Psychology and Counselling at the University of Athens, where she has worked as External Clinical Supervisor and Examiner. She has a keen interest in the dialogue and research around designing culturally sensitive models for the provision of counselling and psychotherapy training and practice in countries where this field is a developing discipline.

Having gained her BACP practitioner accreditation as Counsellor/Psychotherapist in 2005, Fenia has extended practitioner experience in a variety of settings, such as student and staff counselling in FE and HE, staff counselling in the NHS, offering counselling for refugees and asylum seekers, offering creative therapies to young people, working with women experiencing eating distress, offering group-work to specific client groups as well as working in the charity sector. She has also worked in humanitarian intervention projects such as volunteering in areas affected by natural disasters as well as offering culturally sensitive training to those working in humanitarian aid. For numerous years, she has been facilitating meditation and relaxation groups in the community as an active member of a voluntary group with branches in Athens and London.

In terms of leadership initiatives, Fenia has acted as course leader for the BSc Counselling, she has been co-ordinating the Admissions of the counselling programme and has been offering a leading role towards implementing the EDI (Equality, Diversity and Inclusion) vision of the School of Psychology at UEL; she is actively involved in facilitating dialogue towards decolonising the curriculum and fostering inclusive pedagogic practices. Fenia is a voracious reader and passionate about innovative developments within counselling and psychotherapy thinking, through the integration of different approaches under a pluralistic framework. She is involved in groups discussing such issues and has contributed in the field through presenting at local as well as international conferences and reviewing numerous books for academic journals.

CURRENT RESEARCH

I believe that counselling and psychotherapy research informs a practitioner's work with clients in enriching and creative ways. My research work and interests include the following topics:

  • Cross-cultural counselling and the use of second language in therapy
  • Anti-racism, otherness and social justice
  • Inter-racial relationships and dual heritage parenting
  • Motherhood: identity transition, challenges and attachment
  • Existential counselling and the use of philosophy in therapy
  • Enhancing multicultural competence in counselling training programmes & multicultural organisations
  • The role and interplay of spirituality and culture in counselling, psychotherapy, education and pastoral care
  • The experience of being a foreign/migrant practitioner or an international student - migration and professional mobility
  • The use of expressive media, metaphor and art as agents in learning, counselling practice and research
  • Qualitative research methodologies (special interest in heuristic research, auto-ethnography, duoethnography & IPA)
  • Online and telephone counselling

PUBLICATIONS

Chapters in edited books

  • Christodoulidi, F.  Seraphin, H. & Gladkikh, T., (2020) Broadening Engaging with Interaction between Visitors and Locals: Towards Understanding Tourismphobia and Anti-tourist Movements. In Overtourrism: Causes, implications and Solutions. Baningstoke: Palgrave MacMillan
  • Christodoulidi, F. & Lago, C. (2013) Client-Therapist diversity and Relational Depth. In Knox, Murphy, Wigging and Cooper, Eds. Relational Depth: New Perspectives and Developments. Palgrave MacMillan.
  • Christodoulidi, F. (2010) Counselling, Spirituality and Culture. In W. West (ed.) Exploring Therapy, Spirituality and Healing. Basingstoke: Palgrave MacMillan.
  • Christodoulidi, F & Lago, C. (2010) Tortoises and Turtles: Pittu Laungani, Cultural Transitions and Therapeutic Relationships. In R. Moodley & A. Rai, (Eds.) Building Bridges in East-West Psychology: The Work of Pittu Laungani. Delhi, India: Sage.

Articles

Conference proceedings/presentations

Invited addresses (as guest speaker):

  • Christodoulidi, F.  & Wood, N. (2015) Upholding professional and ethical issues during training at undergraduate level. UEL Professional and Ethical Practice Conference, London, July 2015.
  • Christodoulidi, F. (2012) Creative Expression in University Group-work as a means of facilitating resilience and attending  to the non-academic needs of doctoral students. NCCPR 6th Annual Conference at Newport University.
  • Christodoulidi, F. (2011) Counselling, Spirituality and Culture. A day-school/book launch event at the University of Manchester, School of Education. 28.1.2011
  • Christodoulidi, F. (2010) The Practice of Spiritual Healing in Greece: a positive example of approaching health and well-being from a spiritual perspective. Ethnic Health Initiative Conference: Traditional Healers and Mental Health Services, London, UK, 10.10. 2010.
  • Christodoulidi, F, Khurana, I., Lago, C. and Watson, V. (2009) The I-We Debate in Person-Centred Theory & Practice. Keynote Address at the BAPCA 20th International Conference, University of Reading, UK, 10-13 September 2009.

Following accepted abstract submission:

  • Christodoulidi, F & Wood, N. (2015) Upholding professional and ethical issues during training at undergraduate level. UEL Professional and Ethical Practice Conference, London, July 2015
  • Christodoulidi, F. (2012) Creative Expression in University Group-work as a means of facilitating resilience and attending to the non-academic needs of doctoral students. NCCPR 6th Annual Conference at Newport University.
  • Christodoulidi, F. (2011) Chorodromena: attending to the transpersonal dimension through the dancing therapy of the soul. 15th Annual Conference, BPS Transpersonal Psychology Section, Cober Hill, 17 September 2011.
  • Christodoulidi, F. (2011) Chorodromena: movement and music as media for an 'intimate encounter' with self and others. 5th Annual Counselling Conference, University of Keele, 26 March 2011.
  • Christodoulidi, F. & Adam, S. (2010) The Challenges of Researcher Reflexivity: toward academic rigour that entails identity change. London, BACP Research conference, May '10.
  • Christodoulidi, F & Adam, S. (2009) The use of Metaphor, Poetry and Art as agents in the qualitative research process. Student Research Conference, School of Education, University of Manchester, UK (30 June 2009)
  • Christodoulidi, F. & Malikiosi-Loizos, M. (2008) Counselling in the Greek Culture. XXIX International Congress of Psychology, Berlin, Germany (20-25 July 2008)
  • Christodoulidi, F. (2008) A synthesis of Counsellor, Healer and Researcher: an auto-ethnographic account of my cultural influences as a therapist, drawing on personal, professional and research narratives. Building Bridges for Wellness through Counselling and Psychotherapy: An International Conference, Bangalore, India (9-11 January 2008)
  • Christodoulidi, F. & Adam, S. (2008) Dr Who? A question of researcher identity in the doctoral PhD research process. Student Research Conference, School of Education, University of Manchester, UK (1 July 2008)
  • Christodoulidi, F. (2007) Counsellors moving between cultures: where is 'home' and how does this affect our sense of self and practice? Student Research Conference, School of Education, University of Manchester, UK (3 July 2007)
  • Christodoulidi, F. (2006) The transition from Counsellor to becoming a Researcher. Presentation at the Counselling Research Group, University of Manchester, UK (25 October 2006)
  • Christodoulidi, F. (2006) Cross-cultural Counselling: an exploration of the effect/role of Spirituality & Culture upon Counsellors' identity and Therapeutic Practice. European Association for Counselling Conference, Panteion University of Athens, Greece, (30 March - 2 April 2006)
  • Christodoulidi, F. (2006) Exploring Spirituality & Culture in relation to Counsellors' identity and Therapeutic Practice. Counselling and Psychology Conference, Moscow School of Social Sciences, Moscow - Russia (14-15 April 06)
  • Christodoulidi, F. (2006) Spirituality & Culture in Counselling and Psychotherapy: Practitioners' perspectives. Presentation at the Counselling Research Group, University of Manchester, UK (17 October 2006)

FUNDING

  • 2005-2006: £15,750 MScEdRes Studentship by the University of Manchester, UK 
  • 2006-2010: £45,000 PhD Studentship by the University of Manchester, UK

MODULES

  • Person-centred counselling (Level 4)
  • Becoming a competent practitioner (Level 6)
  • Clinical practice and supervision (Level 6)
  • Existential philosophy and existential counselling (Level 6)
  • Qualitative research methods
  • Clinical supervision
  • Core counselling skills
  • Group work
  • Guest lectures on postgraduate/doctoral programmes

EXTERNAL ROLES

  • External examiner at Leeds Beckett University: 2014-2018
  • External examiner at Sheffield Hallam University (Oldham College): Sept 2021 - to date
  • Advisory position: Member of the QAA Subject Benchmark Statement Review Panel for Counselling & Psychotherapy (draft was completed in Nov 2021, final publication in March 2022)
  • External assessor for validation events of counselling and psychotherapy courses