Bettina McKinnon

Online and Face-to-Face Counselling for Individuals and Couples

Have you reached a point in life where something just doesn't feel right?

Perhaps you feel stuck, disconnected or uncertain about what comes next. You might find yourself going through the motions, questioning your relationships, struggling to make decisions or wondering why the same difficulties keep showing up in your life. From the outside, things might look fine, yet inside, something doesn't feel quite right. You may not be able to pinpoint exactly what's wrong, only that you don't want to keep feeling this way.

I'm Bettina, a BACP-registered counsellor offering online counselling across the UK and face-to-face counselling in Birtley.

People come to counselling for many different reasons. You might be dealing with anxiety, grief, relationship difficulties or a significant life change. Perhaps you've spent years putting others first, trying to keep the peace or being the person everyone relies on. You may have become so used to managing everything that it's difficult to recognise what you need yourself.

Sometimes, the things we struggle with today are connected to experiences we've had in the past, the relationships we've grown up with or the ways we've learned to cope. We might find ourselves overthinking, being hard on ourselves, struggling to set boundaries or reacting in ways we don't fully understand. Even when we recognise these patterns, changing them isn't always straightforward.

My work is about helping you make sense of these experiences and understand what might be happening beneath the surface. Not to judge your choices or tell you how to live, but to explore how you've come to feel and respond as you do, and what you might want to be different.

How I Work

My approach is integrative, drawing on different therapeutic approaches to suit you, your experiences and what brings you to counselling. I see you as a whole person, shaped by your experiences, relationships, emotions and the ways you've learned to navigate life.

I won't sit back and expect you to do all the talking. I'm happy to ask questions, explore things with you and help you make connections that might not have been obvious before. We might look at patterns in your relationships, how past experiences influence the way you see yourself, or why certain situations bring up such strong feelings.

I also recognise that understanding something intellectually doesn't always make it easier to change. Sometimes we know exactly what we should do, yet find ourselves doing the same thing again. Together, we can explore what's making change difficult, what matters to you and what feels possible, without expecting you to have all the answers straight away.

I want our work to feel collaborative, honest and relevant to your life. You bring your experiences and your understanding of yourself; I bring my training, therapeutic knowledge and perspective. We work together to make sense of what's happening and explore what you want for yourself moving forward.

I Can Help With

You don't have to be in crisis or have one clearly defined problem to come to counselling. You might recognise yourself in some of the following experiences:

• Feeling stuck, lost or disconnected from yourself
• Anxiety, overthinking and persistent worry
• Low self-confidence, self-criticism or feeling not good enough
• Putting other people's needs before your own
• Finding it difficult to say no or maintain boundaries
• Repeating patterns in relationships
• Family difficulties and complicated relationship dynamics
• Grief, loss and bereavement
• Separation, relationship changes and other life transitions
• Stress, emotional overwhelm and burnout
• Painful or difficult experiences from the past
• Wanting to understand yourself better and make different choices

You might recognise several of these, or none of them quite describes what you're experiencing. You don't need to fit into a particular category to seek counselling. Sometimes the hardest part is knowing that something isn't working for you anymore, without yet understanding why.

Couples Counselling

Relationships can bring out parts of ourselves that we don't always recognise. You might find yourselves having the same argument repeatedly, with neither of you feeling heard or understood. Perhaps one of you tries harder to talk things through while the other withdraws, or small disagreements quickly become much bigger than either of you intended.

Over time, these patterns can leave couples feeling distant, frustrated or unsure how to reconnect. Beneath the arguments, there may be hurt, unmet needs, fear of rejection or a longing to feel understood. Each partner may be responding to the situation in a way that makes sense to them, yet the two responses can leave both feeling more alone.

In couples counselling, we can explore what happens between you, how you each experience the relationship and what may be keeping you caught in the same cycle. This isn't about deciding who is right or wrong, but about understanding each other's perspectives and taking a closer look at the dynamic you find yourselves in.

You may want to improve communication, rebuild connection, work through a difficult period or make sense of important decisions about your future together. The aim is to understand what is happening in your relationship and help you consider what comes next, whether that means finding new ways to move forward together or gaining greater clarity about your relationship.

Taking the First Step

Getting in touch with a counsellor can feel like a big step, particularly if you're used to dealing with things on your own or aren't sure where to begin.

I offer a free 15-minute telephone consultation so we can briefly discuss what has brought you to counselling, what you're looking for and whether I might be the right counsellor for you. There's no expectation that you'll have everything worked out or know exactly what to say.

I offer online counselling across the UK and face-to-face sessions in Birtley.

If something here resonates with you, you're welcome to get in touch to arrange a consultation.

I offer ongoing individual therapy sessions for £50, couples counselling/relational counselling £60.

I am also open to discussing a discount due to personal circumstances. Please contact me to discuss this further by email, text, or phone, and feel free to ask any questions that you may have. We can arrange a time for a free telephone consultation so you can decide whether you would like to work with me.