Barbara Hendrie

Face to face short and longer term counselling and time limited  telephone counselling available where appropriate

Any of us can become stressed or low when life feels difficult. We may be able to turn to friends and family for support, but counselling can also help.I am an experienced counsellor working privately and in community counselling, with over 20 years' experience. I began my professional career in 1986 as a teacher, then a community development worker. I have a long experience in building facilitative relationships with people of all ages, backgrounds and difficulties. I offer a relationship in which you will find the support to explore , understand and gain personal insight and a way forward.

I work in hour-long sessions, on a short or longer term basis. My areas of experience include anxiety, depression,stress, bereavement,work and relationship problems,childhood issues, trauma, abuse, parenting/caring, health, disability,culture,life transitions,loss and change, personal development,life crises of purpose and meaning.

I meet people as individuals, responding flexibly to needs, encouraging collaboration and the experience of feeling/becoming more' fully yourself'. I am committed to my own ongoing growth through therapy/personal development as self-knowledge is an essential requirement of counsellors .

Free brief initial telephone consultation before booking first appointment.

£50 per hour of counselling. Initial meeting – £25

Please note, the above EAP information refers to contracts mediated by organisations One Bright, Axa, Health Hero and Care First, to whom I am contracted. Please contact your insurance provider to check the procedures for referral , as it may not be possible to self-refer direct.

About me

My counselling work has grown out of other work supporting people: first teaching children, then adults in Spain, and twenty years’ project development  / co-ordination in both community care and children and families’ settings. These streams of experience inspired an interest in child development and how our childhood influences how we are as adults, as well as a desire to support people at a more personal, individual level. I qualified in counselling in 1998, and in working over the years with a wide range of issues and people of all ages and backgrounds, I have come to include different approaches, developing a more ’integrative’ style, meeting people as individuals and agreeing with them what may be helpful.

In line with much current teaching about shock, stress, and the effects of these on the nervous system, as well as seeking to offer an experience  of safety in the therapeutic relationship itself, I may actively explore what helps individuals access their own internal feeling of calm and security.

Working Together

Most important is the relationship of trust I will build with you ; a confidential  relationship which is accepting, understanding and honest, so that you can share openly, explore, understand and feel / become more fully yourself. Because you are not alone on the journey, you can feel more motivated to continue.

‘Integrative’ (‘fitting together’) refers both to the counselling process which aims to bring all our experiencing together, into a unified whole, and to a way of working: bringing together different approaches in a flexible response to individual need.

We can think of counselling as a partnership, in which you are an expert in your own life, and I collaborate with you through bringing active listening skills,knowledge and understanding about human development and emotional health. The interactive process of counselling can reduce confusion and distress by increasing personal insight and acceptance of yourself and helping resolve inner conflict; leaving you freer to choose differently, with more energy to concentrate on your present life.

For some years now my continuing professional development has included a deepening understanding of the effects on the nervous system of shock and stress, of implicit memories that sometimes result in difficulties in the present, but which may have originated as protective strategies. Our work may therefore  where appropriate include fostering a sense of physical safety in the present, to encourage the feeling that a difficult experience is really 'over'.

Making a start / Appointments

You can ask for some more information by e mail if you wish, or look at my website.The next step would be for us to have a consultation on the phone to exchange some information and after that, if we both feel it's appropriate and helpful, to arrange an initial appointment. This would be at the reduced fee noted above. This may feel a bit different to an actual counselling hour, as I may ask you more questions to find out about you and what you are looking for. It is also an opportunity for you to ask me questions.

After this, if we both feel it would be helpful to continue, we can agree an ongoing number of sessions. It is at this point we have entered into an agreement to explore, understand and work together on whatever outcome you wish from counselling.

Availability

Daytimes  Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday aftrnoon and Thursday

Accessibilty

I work within 5/10 minutes' walk of main bus routes, from Edinburgh numbers 26, 44,30 will all bring you here. I am about 15 minutes walk from Musselburgh station,the journey is about 5 minutes by train from Edinburgh.
There is parking available, and I work on the ground floor.