Dr Jim Schirmer

Dr Jim Schirmer is a Lecturer in the Master of Counselling Program and has taught into that program in a variety of roles since 2012. Over that time, Jim has developed a speciality in teaching integrated and applied theory, practical professional ethics, and supervision of new counsellors' first years in practice. He has published scholarship of teaching in all three of these areas and has co-authored the open-access textbook, The Practice of Counselling and Psychotherapy.

Coming from an academic background in the humanities (philosophy, ethics and theology), his research focuses on the expansion of therapeutic theory and practice through the integration of other intellectual disciplines. His doctoral project used the foundations of the philosophy and science of virtue to develop an operational theory of how counsellors and psychotherapists cultivate and express their 'way of being' with clients. The theory has the potential to further research into influential therapist variables and support training and supervision through understanding how these traits can be intentionally developed.

Jim remains closely tied to the world of practice where he has a particular focus in working with loss, grief and trauma among young people, refugees, and in prisons and detention centres. At UQ, Jim has led the establishment of two early-intervention counselling services - UQ With You and UQ Counsellor Connect - which concurrently deliver no-cost, easy access counselling options to UQ students and the wider community, as well as providing a high-quality learning environment to final year postgraduate students of counselling and psychology.