About Ken
Council Estate to Royal Artillery to MA Qualified Therapist
If you've always felt like the black sheep, you'll fit right here. I know what it's like to feel like you have to prove you belong. To hold it together for everyone else. To make yourself smaller, quieter, more acceptable - and still feel exhausted and disconnected. I grew up on a council estate in Wakefield. On benefits. Didn't finish school. Bounced from job to job until I joined the Royal Artillery in my early 20s. That life taught me what it costs when you carry everything quietly. It also taught me that fitting in isn't the same as belonging. For years I thought being different was a flaw to fix. Therapy helped me understand it was information to listen to. That's why I called this Black Sheep Wellbeing. This is a space for people who've felt on the outside. Maybe you're neurodivergent, LGBTQ+, care-experienced, from a working-class background, or you've just never felt at ease in the systems around you. You don't have to explain why you don't fit here. You don't have to mask.
How we'll work together
I won't put you in a box or give you worksheets to perform. I won't tell you to just think positive.
My approach is integrative and pluralistic - I shape the work around you, not a fixed programme. It's grounded in my Black Sheep Model of Trauma Recovery.
In plain English:
1. We find solid ground first. Safety comes before the hard stuff.
2. We process at your pace. Using pendulation, we gently move between what feels difficult and what feels resourced, so you don't get flooded.
3. You reclaim your life. On your terms.
I'm more direct than most therapists. You're investing time, energy and money. I take that seriously. You'll get warmth and compassion, plus structure and clarity when you need it.
You bring lived experience. I bring clinical training and honest, straightforward support.
Who I help
You don't need a diagnosis to start. Many people come because something just doesn't feel right.
Maybe you recognise this:
Past experiences still feel present - on edge, numb, easily triggered
Your mind is busy and you can't switch off
You feel like a fraud at work, in relationships, or in life
Shame and self-criticism are loud
Childhood experiences still shape how you are now
You feel disconnected, like an outsider
You're the one who holds it together, and you're tired of coping alone
If you see yourself in any of that, you are not alone. And you don't have to work through it alone either.
Who I am
Who I am
I am Ken Etchells MA, MBACP 00988492 - Registered Member BACP, SCoPEd Column B - Working towards BACP Accreditation & Column C.
Before qualifying I served in the British Army - Royal Artillery - then worked in engineering and spent 15+ years supporting adults in health, social care and veteran-facing roles.
I left school early, came back through Access to Higher Education, then BSc 2:1 Counselling Psychology at Leeds Trinity University, then MA with Merit in Integrative Counselling and Psychotherapy at Leeds Beckett University - a BACP Accredited course. I'm now completing a specialist Diploma in Trauma Therapy at The Grove Practice.
Find me on the BACP Register: https://www.bacp.co.uk/therapists/420338/kenneth-etchells/pontefract-wf9
I'm based in Hemsworth. I work online UK-wide via secure Konfidens video and telephone, plus Walk & Talk and home visits within 20 miles of WF9 4, subject to risk assessment.
Bound by BACP Ethical Framework. Fully insured. Enhanced DBS checked - Adults & Children Barred Lists - on Update Service. ICO Registered. Monthly supervision, 30+ hours CPD per year.
This is not an emergency service. If you need urgent support right now: Samaritans 116 123 / Text SHOUT to 85258 / Emergency 999 / NHS 111 / Op COURAGE 0300 034 9991.
Ready to see if we fit?
Book a free 20-minute chat. No pressure, no commitment.
info@blacksheepwellbeing.com | 07468 727721
Qualifications & Professional Memberships
Qualifications & Professional Standing
Ken Etchells MA, MBACP 00988492 – Registered Member BACP – SCoPEd Column B working towards Colum C
Current Specialist Training — 2026/27
Postgraduate Diploma in Trauma Therapy — The Grove Practice (Sept 2026 – in progress)
I'm now completing a specialist Diploma in Trauma Therapy at The Grove Practice.
Specialist training in trauma & PTSD – phased approach, safety at centre
Postgraduate
Master of Arts with Merit in Integrative Counselling — Leeds Beckett University (BACP Accredited Course)
Allows me to tailor therapy to you, not fit you to one model
Undergraduate
Bachelor of Science (2:1) in Counselling Psychology — Leeds Trinity University
Grounding in how past experiences shape present struggles – BPS accredited course
Professional Standing & Safety
Registered Member MBACP 00988492 — British Association for Counselling & Psychotherapy
SCoPEd Column B – Qualified Integrative Counsellor – Working towards BACP Accreditation & Column C
Bound by BACP Ethical Framework, monthly clinical supervision 1.5hrs minimum, CPD 30+ hrs/year, complaints procedure
Safety
Fully insured – ICO Registered – Enhanced DBS Adults & Children on Update Service – Barred Lists Checked
Presenter — 32nd International BACP Conference
Postgraduate research: Supporting the Developing Therapist — Imposter Experiences in Training, Supervision & Belonging
Find me on the BACP Register:
https://www.bacp.co.uk/therapists/420338/kenneth-etchells/pontefract-wf9