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About me and how I work

Who I am

I’m a psychodynamic and Internal Family Systems trained psychotherapist. I have worked in the mental health field for 30 years with people experiencing mental health and addiction problems in NHS hospitals, prisons, supported accommodation and nursing homes. I’ve also worked in health policy and research.

I have worked with people experiencing relationship difficulties, personality disorder, depression and anxiety, grief & bereavement, childhood trauma and neglect, problem drinking, drug use and many other emotional or relational issues. I am a sex positive, LGBTQIA+ friendly counsellor and have a diverse range of clients. 

Part of my caseload is reserved for people who cannot afford private therapy, they pay me an affordable donation for each session.

What I offer

psychodynamic 1-1 therapy
We will meet, usually weekly, in the consulting room. This is an opportunity to be curious about yourself and past or present relationships and experience. To make sense of, or to reach a deeper understanding of, self and others. As our relationship to the self changes, our relationship to others also change.

Internal Family Systems & object relations
This is a way of working on past trauma, adverse childhood experience, complex grief or other deeply held wounds. This way of working can help transform destructive, defensive or addictive behaviours. Working on parts of ourselves we’d like to transform or heal.

Transpersonal integration
If you have had a transpersonal experience, whether this is through body work, breath work or psychedelic experience and would like to fully integrate this into your life, I offer this as part of my therapy practice. This might involve discussion prior to the experience about what you may wish to resolve or examine or to work out your intentions for the experience. After the experience it is important to integrate it, so the experience and insights gained are not lost. If you are interested in such work, please contact me to discuss.

All of the above ways of working can be blended in therapy according to need.

How it works

My practice is based at 5 La Belle Place in the Park/Kelvingrove area of Glasgow, as well as in Edinburgh west end near Princes Street at 3 Walker Street . The Glasgow consulting room is 10 minutes walk from Charing Cross station & St George’s Cross subway and 15 minutes from Exhibition Centre station. The Edinburgh office is close to tram and bus stops at Shandwick place and less than 10 minutes walk from Haymarket station. There is ample on street parking at reasonable cost at both locations.

The majority of clients see me at the same day and time each week. I will consider twice weekly appointments if required and have space, or fortnightly appointments if weekly appointments do not suit you. Each session lasts for 50 minutes.

Once you’ve attended an initial session and want to continue, that time and day will be unavailable on the booking page of the website. I now request you pay in advance for an initial session, more details on the booking page. 

I am a registered member of both the British Association of Counselling & Psychotherapy (BACP) and Counselling and Psychotherapy in Scotland (COSCA) and adhere to their codes of ethics and professional standards. I have regular supervision with a more experienced therapist where I discuss case work, maintaining your confidentiality, with a focus on my practice and development.

Qualifications

1996 – Diploma in Nursing (mental health), Stirling University, Highland & Islands Campus, Inverness.
2009 – CBA in management of addiction services, Glasgow University.
2011 – Masters of Research (health), Stirling University.
2019 – Post Graduate Diploma in Psychodynamic Counselling and Human Relations, Human Development Scotland, Glasgow
2023 – Internal Family Systems L1, IFS (UK), Bristol.

Continuing Professional  Development

Oct 2020 – Internal Family Systems intro workshop, IFS (UK), Bristol
Jan 2021 – Frank Anderson – Internal Family Systems for complex trauma: 12 hour training, PESI
Aug/Sep 2021 – Psychedelic Coalition for Health – Psychedelic Medicine Symposium
28 Sep 2021 – Anna Freud National Centre for Children and Families – transformation seminar – Guilaine Kinouani – Whiteness as pathology: shifting the location of disturbance to dismantle social inequality
Oct 2022 – Heart Mind Institute – Global Psychedelic Assisted Therapy Global Summit.
22 Apr 2023 – ISPT Master Clinician Workshop with Dr Jonathon Shedler: Personality Styles in Psychotherapy: A Roadmap for Deep and Lasting Change.
28 Apr 2023 – Tavistock Relationship Model Lecture: Susanna Abse – The Generation of Empathy Between Intimate Partners: Gesture and Recognition or Identity Diffusion?