Alastair MacKinnon

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Counsellor, Dip Couns.,Regd MBACP, CMCOSCA, FRSA
Available for new clients
Available for new clients

This professional is available for new clients.

Edinburgh, Lothian, EH6
Available for new clients
Available for new clients

This professional is available for new clients.

About me

Hi, my name is Alastair MacKinnon and I am a qualified counsellor and Registered Member of the BACP, working in Edinburgh. I provide counselling and psychotherapy in a safe, friendly and non-judgemental environment.

Finding the right counsellor or psychotherapist is important and I invite you to have a look around my web-site, www.populitherapy.co.uk.

I qualified as a counsellor after experience of working in various settings -  working in senior positions in the public sector and community organisations. I have also studied pastoral care, and find that my work experience often helps others to connect with me.

I have over ten years of experience of working with young people and adults in private practice, including working with individuals, with relationships, couples and family issues,  and with people from all sexual orientations.
I see both individuals and couples on either an open-ended basis or for an agreed time period. Self-funding costs: My fees range from £45 daytime (individuals), evening appointments after 6pm have a higher fee. Couples fees are from £50 (initial hour), £60 ongoing work. After 6pm (couples) £70 per session.

Please enquire for corporate /organisational rates if this is relevant.

Training, qualifications & experience

I trained for four years in counselling and hold a Diploma in Counselling (Transactional Analysis).(COSCA accredited).I am a Registered Member of the BACP (MBACP), and a Counsellor Member of COSCA (Counselling and Psychotherapy in Scotland). I hold a Diploma in Counselling Supervision (Physis Training).

Counselling and psychotherapy can help us to understand our past, how we develop as individuals, as well as helping us to explore and to change our current situation. By using this approach, we can better understand both our ourselves and how we are with others.

My approach is to work with you - I won't 'do it' for you or to you, and I will fundamentally value your individuality, your views, fears, hopes and insights. Your goals and how we achieve these will form the basis of our contract or agreement to work together and we will ensure this is regularly reviewed.

As a qualified practitioner I am required to have my work supervised. I have individual supervision with an experienced supervisor.

I adhere to the BACP Ethical Framework and COSCA Code of Ethics.

I am a member of the Scottish Transactional Analysis Association.

Member organisations

COSCA
College of Sexual and Relationship Therapists (COSCA)

COSCA is the professional body for counselling and psychotherapy in Scotland, and seeks to advance all forms of counselling and psychotherapy and the use of counselling skills by promoting best practice and through the delivery of a range of sustainable services. COSCA Counsellor Accreditation is a pathway to entry onto the UKRC.

It is a requirement of all individual and organisational members of COSCA to abide by its Statement of Ethics and Code of Practice and be accountable to the Complaints Procedure. Accredited by the Professional Standards Authority.

BACP
British Association for Counselling & Psychotherapy (BACP)

BACP is one of the UK’s leading professional bodies for counselling and psychotherapy with around 60,000 members. The Association has several different categories of membership, including Student Member, Individual Member, Registered Member MBACP, Registered Accredited Member MBACP (Accred) and Senior Registered Accredited Member MBACP (Snr Acccred).

Registered and accredited members are listed on the BACP Register, which shows that they have demonstrated BACP’s recommended standards for training, proficiency and ethical practice. The BACP Register was the first register of psychological therapists to be accredited by the Professional Standards Authority (PSA).

Accredited and senior accredited membership are voluntary categories for members who choose to undertake a rigorous application and assessment process to demonstrate additional standards around practice, training and supervision.

Individual members will have completed an appropriate counselling or psychotherapy course and started to practise, but they won’t appear on the BACP Register until they've demonstrated that they meet the standards for registration. Student members are still in the process of completing their training.

All members are bound by the BACP Ethical Framework and a Professional Conduct Procedure.

Accredited register membership

College of Sexual and Relationship Therapists
Accredited Register Scheme

The Accredited Register Scheme was set up in 2013 by the Department of Health (DoH) as a way to recognise organisations that hold voluntary registers which meet certain standards. These standards are set by the Professional Standards Authority (PSA).

This therapist has indicated that they belong to an Accredited Register.

College of Sexual and Relationship Therapists
British Association for Counselling & Psychotherapy
Accredited Register Scheme

The Accredited Register Scheme was set up in 2013 by the Department of Health (DoH) as a way to recognise organisations that hold voluntary registers which meet certain standards. These standards are set by the Professional Standards Authority (PSA).

This therapist has indicated that they belong to an Accredited Register.

British Association for Counselling & Psychotherapy

Other areas of counselling I deal with


Retirement and life transitions
School and college issues
Clergy, religious and ministers counselling

Photos & videos

Fees

£50.00 - £75.00

Concessions offered for

  • Students
  • Trainee counsellors

Additional information

Sessions costs for ongoing individual work range from £50 to £60 (individuals daytime). My fee for couples work is £60 per session for ongoing work and £70 per evening  session (after 6pm).

You can call me or email me (I would follow up your email with a phone call to you.)

I will ask you about yourself, what has brought you to counselling and what you would like to achieve. It is also an opportunity for you to ask any questions you may have. It will give us the chance to decide if we can work together and whether, or not, I am able to offer you the support you are seeking.

An individual session is for one hour, and for couples therapy a session can also be for an hour and a half long ( by agreement ) 

In order for you to benefit from counselling it is important that you attend each session. I require 48 hours notice to cancel a session otherwise you will be charged the normal session fee.

When I work

Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun
Morning
Afternoon
Evening
Night

I am offering in-person and online video (Zoom) appointments. I offer morning appointments from 9am. Please contact me to discuss your needs.

Further information

Areas of special interest to me

I enjoy working with people from a range of sexual orientations and genders, and from diverse cultural and spiritual backgrounds. With a training in pastoral care, I am also comfortable working with clergy and ministers.
I have experience of working with students, and people with a range of addiction issues.

Although I work mainly within a counselling Transactional Analysis framework, I am influenced by other types of therapy including Person-Centered, CBT and Existential Psychotherapy.

Edinburgh, Lothian, EH6

Type of session

In person
Online
Phone

Types of client

Young people
Adults
Couples
Organisations

Key details

PVG Scheme

In Scotland, criminal records checks are carried out by Disclosure Scotland. Professionals working with children or vulnerable adults must join the Protecting Vulnerable Groups (PVG) Scheme. You can learn more at mygov.scot , or contact this professional directly.

Two small steps up from from path

Online platforms

Zoom

Supervision

In person
Online

I provide professional clinical supervision to qualified and in-training professional counsellors and psychotherapists.

View supervision profile

Social

Alastair MacKinnon
Alastair MacKinnon