About me
I am a fully qualified integrative counsellor registered with the BACP. I offer face-to-face and online/telephone sessions for adults and young people.
Looking for a counsellor to support your mental health is a brave step, and I want you to know I appreciate it can be hard, I myself have sat in the other chair seeking support.
It can be hard to find the words to say how we are feeling or what we are thinking whether it be related to our past or present. With me, you can come as you are, with or without a diagnosis and with no pressure or expectation.
Within my private practice I work with multiple issues that clients present with & no topic is off limit, no matter how embarrassing or shameful it may feel.
I have experience working with people, adults, older adults, young people, teens and children facing various mental health challenges and struggles including low mood, stress, anxiety, bullying, low self-esteem, neurodiversity challenges, demand avoidance, rejection sensitivity disorder (RSD), executive function issues, overwhelm, burnout, anger issues, feeling lost or stuck, grief, pet loss, trauma, shame, alcohol misuse, family issues, life transitions, relationship issues, parental issues, pet loss and more.
We can work together on whatever matters most to you to help you figure it out and move forward. Collaborating to find a style of counselling that suits you, I often incorporate creativity, or regulation tools to help you feel comfortable and reduce anxiety. We may mix sessions up a bit, incorporating walk and talk along the seafront or using creative tools like drawing or crafts to aide your experience.
In our sessions, we may talk through experiences that are affecting you in the present, explore patterns that have developed over time, and consider what might help you feel more supported, understood, and able to move forward in a way that feels right for you.
I draw on a range of counselling approaches, allowing us to adapt the work to suit your needs rather than following a fixed or rigid model. For some people, this may involve reflecting on past experiences; for others, it may be more helpful to focus on what is happening now and what could support meaningful change.
Throughout our work together, we will check in regularly to make sure therapy continues to feel useful, collaborative, and supportive for you
With me, you can explore your feelings without the fear of judgement, gain clarity, and work towards healing and personal growth.,
As a neurodivergent practitioner I work in a neuro-affirming and trauma informed way, where I prioritise understanding your unique experiences and aspirations, guiding you through processes that lead to positive change and fulfilment.
I believe that understanding ourselves and our life situations can begin to shift the discomfort of emotionally distressing times. Applying new ways to cope and self-care can build our confidence in taking one small step at a time to change our current situations.
The relationship we can build will enable you to begin to explore what's keeping you stuck, what's driving it and ways that you can unlock yourself from past thinking and behaviours that you no longer feel comfortable with. In essence, you learn to become your own therapist.
If this sounds like the kind of support you need, feel free to reach out if you'd like to learn more with a free 15 minute consultation or schedule a session. I am based in central Ayr near to transport links and with 2 hour free on street parking.
Sessions last for 50 minutes for adults or 45 minutes or less for young people.
My office has limited accessibility and is up several sets of stairs.
Training, qualifications & experience
Qualifications and Training
- Higher National Diploma in Counselling
- Higher National Certificate in Counselling
- BACP Certificate of Proficiency
- PDA Counselling Children and Young People (in progress)
- PDA in Online and Telephone Counselling
- ASIST (Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training)
- Trauma-Informed Practitioner Training
- Self-Harm Awareness Training
- First Aid in the Workplace
- BA Information and Library Studies
- My background is informed by 25 years working within the courts and tribunals services which highlighted to me the deep need for compassion and understanding for individual experiences.
I also regularly take part in continued professional development (CPD) to keep my knowledge up to date and my practice as informed and responsive as possible.
I currently work as a counsellor in private practice with adults and young people and as a volunteer counsellor within a grief support charity.
I am a PVG (Protection of Vulnerable Group s) registered with Disclosure Scotland.
Member organisations
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
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.
Areas of counselling I deal with
Photos & videos
Fees
£50.00 - £70.00
Additional information
Standard Rate:
- sessions start at £50.
Subsidised sessions:
- A limited number of reduced-rate sessions are available to ensure therapy is accessible to everyone. These are offered based on availability.
When I work
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Further information
Other areas of counselling I deal with
- Anxiety
- Mental Health Challenges
- Neurodivergence
- Executive Function
- ADHD
- Family issues
- Relationship Challenges
- Grief and Loss
- Pet loss
- Life transitions
- Menopause and peri-menopause
- Adverse childhood experiences
- Trauma
- Burnout
- Low self esteem and confidence
