Chris Nicholson

Dr Chris Nicholson is Senior Lecturer in the Department of Psychosocial and Psychoanalytic Studies, University of Essex, where he launched two new degrees, BA Psychodynamic Practice (which he leads) and BA Childhood Studies. Previously, he worked in therapeutic communities for traumatised adolescents, developing an assessment service, a provision for leaving care, and setting up The Junction Young Person’s service for Colchester MIND. His 2010 book, Children and Adolescents in Trauma: Creative Therapeutic Approaches, draws on these experiences. His academic research centres on the poet Robert Graves, Therapeutic communities, psychoanalysis and literature.

Chris is Chair of the charity, The Consortium of Therapeutic Communities (TCTC). He developed the Practitioner Competency Framework for TCs in 2014, and the Enabling Leadership Framework as a part of the National Enabling Environments Prisons and Probation Project in 2025. He sits on the Children and Young People’s Advisory Board at Royal College of Psychiatrists, the Hertfordshire and West Essex Integrated Care Board, and is Director of the Tavistock Discovering Leadership Group Relations Conference. He sits on the Editorial Board of the Robert Graves Review, and the International Journal of Therapeutic Communities, and provides training, consultation and supervision to therapeutic services in and the UK and abroad.

He is a Black Belt Shodan in Kyokushin Karate, and run a Dojo at Essex Sport. He enjoys running, wild swimming, and family walks with the dogs.