About Kim S. Golding CBE
I am a clinical psychologist with over 30 years of experience working within the NHS.
With an early life touched by the mental illness of a close family member it is perhaps not surprising that I chose Clinical Psychology after graduating from Cardiff University. I gained an MSC from Leicester University later returning to Cardiff to top this up to a doctorate in Clinical Psychology.
Always working with children and families I have done a range of things including supporting children with Down’s Syndrome; sleep difficulties; on the edge of care; and living within or adopted from the looked after system. Within all this experience I have always been interested in working with parents to develop their parenting skills tailored to the particular needs of the children they are caring for.
I am proud to have been involved in the setting up and evaluation of the Integrated Service for Looked After and Adopted Children, in Worcester, UK. This service provides support for foster, adoptive and residential parents, schools and the range of professionals around the children growing up in care or in adoptive families.
In my practice I focus on understanding the impact of early experience on the development of children. I explore ways to support and parent these children so that they can overcome their fear of being parented. In this way children can develop to their full potential, feel safe in relationships and go out into the world able to follow their dreams.
I have been fortunate to have been trained and mentored by Dan Hughes in the use of Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy and Practice (DDP). This approach, based on what we understand about the attachment and trauma needs of the children, underpins the support that we offer through Consultation, Training and Supervision. I have also been exploring the application of DDP to adult therapy, working with adults who have experienced developmental trauma within their childhoods.
In 2020 I was proud to be awarded a CBE for services to children and young people as part of the UK Queen’s birthday honours list. Although the notion of empire is outdated and with uncomfortable associations, I am honoured to be given an award that celebrates British excellence amongst the general public within my multi-cultural country. I hope that this award goes some way towards recognising the ongoing needs of vulnerable children, young people and families, especially those touched by relational traumas.
Trainer; Author and Story Teller
As a child I was always inventing stories, a pleasure I have passed on to my son Alex and daughter Lily. We named a tree we passed going to and from school ‘the story tree’. We would pause there on sunny afternoons to tell each other stories. In our way we have each continued to have stories as an important part of who we are and what we do.
Communicating through story and through the written and spoken word has therefore been an important part of my journey as a Clinical Psychologist both through training and group work as well as through writing.
About the Company
We set up Kim S Golding Ltd. at the beginning of 2015 to provide clinical psychology services.
Our vision is to provide a service that communicates psychology clearly so that others can increase their understanding and ability to help traumatized children.
Drawing on Kim’s experience of working with parents and children, we provide training, consultation and supervision to those parenting and supporting children who have experienced trauma early in life from within their biological families.
The company is run by Kim and her husband Chris Barrett.