Inaugural Lecture - Professor Divine Charura

This event will be in person

Join Professor Divine Charura for his inaugural lecture exploring how experiences of trauma shape mental health across the lifespan, and how inclusive, compassionate, evidence‑informed approaches can transform psychotherapeutic practice. Drawing on his nationally funded and international research, alongside his clinical work as a practitioner psychologist and psychotherapist, he will examine the intersections of trauma, identity, and inequality. He will also reflect on his collaborations with the NHS and global organisations, outlining pathways that foster recovery, connection, and human flourishing.

This lecture will offer compelling insights into advancing trauma‑informed, relational and inclusive mental‑health practice for diverse communities. Finally, the lecture will reflect on the significance of his recognition in HM The King’s New Year Honours List (2026) for services to inclusion and the advancement of counselling and psychotherapy in research and practice. It offers an inspiring vision of how the psychological therapies and mental health professions can continue to advance in evidence‑informed practice and respond creatively, ethically, and courageously to contemporary challenges, while also encouraging each of us to nurture our own mental health, strengthen our relationships, and play an active role in promoting social justice.

Biography:

Professor Divine Charura is a Professor of Counselling Psychology and a registered counselling psychologist, licensed with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) in England. He is also an adult psychotherapist and a Coaching Psychologist. His research focuses on mental health and trauma across the lifespan, and he has worked nationally and internationally with individuals experiencing psychological distress and trauma. In 2021 he was awarded an Honorary Fellowship and in 2024 he was named Senior Researcher of the Year by the United Kingdom Council for Psychotherapy in recognition of his distinguished contribution to the field of psychotherapy.

Divine’s research has shaped psychotherapeutic training curricula and counselling psychology practice, embedding trauma informed, inclusion and equality at the centre of Clinical Practice. Since joining York St John University in 2021, He has collaborated on projects attracting over £600,000 in funding from the NHS, the National Institute for Health and Care Research, and voluntary organisations. During the COVID‑19 pandemic, he designed training for more than 300 NHS psychotherapists on diversity and trauma, strengthening therapeutic responses. His expertise is sought internationally, including in South‑East Asia, the USA, Canada, Africa and Europe. In December 2025, he was invited to the UNHCR Global Refugee Forum Progress Review in Geneva, a high‑level meeting co‑hosted by Switzerland to assess progress on the Global Compact on Refugees. Divine has co‑authored and co‑edited 10 books, including three on the therapeutic relationship and love; Black Identities + White Therapies (2021); The Handbook of Social Justice in Psychological Therapies (2023); Trauma Demystified (2025); and the forthcoming Handbook of Counselling Psychology and Psychotherapy (2026). He was named in HM The King’s New Year Honours List for services to inclusion and the advancement of counselling and psychotherapy in research and practice.

For more on Divine’s publications please visit: https://ray.yorksj.ac.uk/profile/2104

Timings and Refreshments

This event will finish at 7.00pm and will be followed by a drinks reception from 7.00pm - 7.45pm for all attending.

Venue: De Grey Lecture Theatre, York St John University, Lord Mayor’s Walk, YO31 7EX.

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