Dr Sofie Bager-Charleson

BSc (Hons), MSc, PhD

Faculty of Post-Qualification and Professional Doctorates

E-mail: sofie.bager-charleson@metanoia.ac.uk

Telephone: 07906599119

Biography

Sofie works as senior lecturer and research coordinator on the DCPsych, Metanoia Institute. She coordinates training for research supervisors, chairs the research group Therapists as Research-informed Practitioner (TRP) and is co-founder of the Metanoia Research Academy held annually for practitioners interested in research. 

She has published widely in the field of research methodology including 30 academic articles and text-books like Supporting Research (2022), Enjoying Research in counselling and psychotherapy (Palgrave 2020) and Practice-based Research in Therapy: A Reflexive Approach (Sage, 2014). She specialises in research methodology and professional development of psychotherapists. She is a UKCP registered psychotherapist and supervisor, and holds a PhD from Lund University in Sweden about attachment issues within families and reflective practice amongst teachers. 

Fields of special interest:

• Research methodology. Qualitative and mixed methods research

•Professional Development in Psychotherapy and Counselling Psychology; Research training, reflexivity, reflective practice and personal development; Research supervision and Academic writing

Current research:

•        Research supervision

•        Psychotherapists and Academic writing

Published recent research output. Peer reviewed journals, guest edited academic journals and text-books:

1. Peer reviewed journals

Bager-Charleson, S,, McBeath, A., Charura, D, & Symons, C. (2024 in press) Diversity and Inclusion within doctoral Research supervision. Counselling and Psychotherapy Research Journal, Special section, September 2024.

Bager-Charleson, S. & McBeath, A.G, & Challenor, J. (2023) The relational 3C model for research supervision for counsellors, psychotherapists, and counselling psychologists. CPR, Counselling and Psychotherapy Research, Early bird. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/capr.12680

Bager-Charleson, S. & Hanley, T. (2022) Embracing the Art and Science of Counselling and Psychotherapy in Research. Virtual Issue. Counselling and Psychotherapy Research. First published: 12 July 2022. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/toc/10.1002/(ISSN)1746-1405.Art-Science-Counselling-Research

Bager-Charleson, S. & McBeath, A (2021) Containment, Compassion and Clarity. Mixed Methods inquiry into Supervision during Doctoral research for Psychotherapists and Counselling psychologists. Counselling and Psychotherapy Research. December issue Volume 22, Issue 3, pp. 689-707

Bager-Charleson, S. & McBeath, A (2021) What support do therapists need to do research? A review of studies into how therapists experience research. Counselling and Psychotherapy Research. Volume 1, Issue3, 2021 Pages 555-569

Sofie Bager-Charleson, S., McBeath, A.G. & Vostanis, P. (2021) Building bridges with mixed methods research? Counselling and Psychotherapy Research. Vol 21 (1) pp. 48-51. https://doi.org/10.1002/capr.12377

Bager-Charleson, S., du Plock, S., McBeath, A (2020) Therapists as Research Practitioners. Transitions through the lenses of Access, Identity and Opportunity. European Journal Qualitative Research in Psychotherapy. EJQRP (2020) Vol. 10, 93-109 Spring issue.  file:///D:/Bager-Charleson,%20McBeath,%20du%20Plock,%20Adams%202020.pdf

Bager Charleson S. (2019) “She was on my side and grounded me when I needed it:” Research supervision in the field of therapy, based on counsellors’ and psychotherapists’ views on their engagement with research. Counselling and Psychotherapy Research. 2019;19:358–365. https://doi.org/10.1002/capr.12258

Bager‐Charleson S, McBeath A, du Plock, S. (2019) The relationship between psychotherapy practice and research: A mixed‐methods exploration of practitioners’ views. Counselling and Psychotherapy Research. 2019;19:195–205. https://doi.org/10.1002/capr.12196

Bager-Charleson, S., du Plock, S., McBeath, A (2018) “Therapists have a lot to add to the field of research, but many don’t make it there”. A narrative thematic inquiry into counsellors’ and psychotherapists’ embodied engagement with research. Journal for Language and Psychoanalysis, (7) 2018, http://www.language-and-psychoanalysis.com/article/view/2603

Bager-Charleson, S., Dewaele, J., Costa, B. & Kasap, Z.  A (2017) Multilingual Outlook: Can Awareness-Raising about Multilingualism Affect Therapists’ Practice? A Mixed-Method Evaluation. Journal for Language and Psychoanalysis, 2017, 6 (2), 56-75

http://www.language-and-psychoanalysis.com/article/view/1900

Bager-Charleson & Kasap, Z. (2017) Embodied Situatedness and Emotional Entanglement in Research. Counselling and Psychotherapy Research, Volume 17, Issue 3, pp 190–200, http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/capr.12122/full 

McBeath, A.G. & Bager-Charleson, S. (2023). The development of a research led approach to train new research supervisors for psychotherapy and counselling psychology doctoral programmes, Counselling and Psychotherapy Research. https://doi.org/10.1002/capr.12683

McBeath, A., Bager-Charleson, S., & Finlay, L. (2023). Views about mixed methods research from counselling and psychotherapy research students and supervisors. European Journal for Qualitative Research in Psychotherapy, 13. Retrieved from https://ejqrp.org/index.php/ejqrp/article/view/196

McBeath, A.G., du Plock, S., & Bager-Charleson, S (2020) The challenges and experiences of psychotherapists working remotely during the coronavirus* pandemic. CPR Journal. Volume20, Issue3. September 2020. Pages 394-405 

McBeath, A.G., Bager-Charleson, S. & Abarbanel. A. (2019) Therapists and Academic Writing: "Once upon a time psychotherapy practitioners and researchers were the same people". European Journal for Qualitative Research in Psychotherapy, 19, 103-116.

2. Guest edited journals:

Bager-Charleson, S,, McBeath, A. & Challenor, J. (2024 in process) Good Practice in Research Supervision: Special journal issue. Counselling and Psychotherapy Research Journal, CPR.

Bager-Charleson, S. and McBeath, A., Panos Vostanis (2020) Guest editors: Special Issue on Mixed Methods. Research, for Counselling and Psychotherapy Research (CPR) Volume21, Issue1. March 2021. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/capr.12377

Bager-Charleson, Du Plock, McBeath (2019) Guest editing two Special issues for the Counselling and Psychotherapy Research Journal (CPR) about “Therapists and Knowledge” Volume 3 and Volume 4.

Bager-Charleson, S (ed) (2016) Guest editor for a spring issue of the Psychotherapist Journal: Creative and Effective use of self in research. Issue 62:16. UKCP: The Psychotherapist   https://issuu.com/ukcp-publications/docs/the_psychotherapist_spring_web

3. Textbooks

Bager-Charleson, S. and McBeath, A. (2022) Supporting Research in Counselling & Psychotherapy. Qualitative, Quantitative and Mixed methods Research. London: Palgrave-MacMillan https://link.springer.com/search?dc.creator=Sofie+Bager-Charleson

Bager-Charleson, S. and McBeath, A. (2020) Enjoying doing Research about Therapy Qualitative, Quantitative and Mixed method Research. Book. London: Palgrave-MacMillan https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-030-55127-8

Bager-Charleson, S. (2020) Reflective Practice and Personal Development in Counselling and Psychotherapy. 2nd ed. London: Sage

Bager-Charleson, S. (2014) Practice-based research in therapy – a reflexive approach. London: Sage

Bager-Charleson, S. (2012) Personal Development in Counselling and Psychotherapy. Exeter: Learning Matters

Bager-Charleson & Van Rijn, B (2011). Assessment in Counselling and Psychotherapy. Exeter: Learning Matters

Bager-Charleson, S. (2010) Why Therapists choose to be therapists. London: Karnac

This included literature review, a survey targeting 230 counsellors and six case studies.

Book chapters:

Bager-Charleson, S., McBeath, A., Atito, M & McPherson, A. (2024 in process). Research journeys and publications. In. C. O’Brien & D., Charura. The Handbook of Counselling Psychology and Psychotherapy: A Training Companion. London: PCCS books

Bager-Charleson, S. (2017a) Countertransference in Reflective Practice. An integrative approach to monitor self-awareness in clinical practice. In P Valerio, Introduction to Countertransference in Therapeutic Practice: A Myriad of Mirrors pp. 145-167. London: Routledge

Bager-Charleson, S. (2017b) Countertransference in Research: An intersubjective reflexive approach. In P. Valerio, Introduction to Countertransference in Therapeutic Practice: A Myriad of Mirrors pp. 167-185. London: Routledge

Further output

Bager-Charleson, S., McBeath, A.G., van Rijn, B. (2021) Relational Research Supervision. London: Metanoia Institute  https://www.metanoia.ac.uk/research/relational-research-supervision-for-doctoral-psychotherapy-research/

Bager-Charleson, Mahmood, Pybis et al. (2021) BACP Good Research Resources. Video: Critically Appraising Research

https://www.bacp.co.uk/events-and-resources/research/good-research-practice/

Recent Seminar and Conference Presentation

March 2022 Seminar speaker. Research Supervision; the Relational 3C model’. Research Academy, Metanoia Institute.

January 2022 Keynote speaker. Research Supervision; the Relational 3C model’ University College Cork (UCC)

February 2021 Seminar speaker, Metanoia Research Academy. About Quality on Qualitative Research

July 2020 Seminar speaker: Therapists as Research Practitioners. Transitions through the lenses of Access, Identity and Opportunity. UKCGE, Glasgow

July 2020 Workshop speaker: Making the Transition from Therapist to Research Practitioner: The role of Reflexivity in Constructing Professional Identities.  University of Glasgow. UK Council for Graduate Education (UKCGE)