About me
Welcome and thank you for looking at my profile.
I am a Health & Care Professions Council Registered and British Psychological Society Chartered Clinical Psychologist with more than 30 years of experience of helping people with a wide range of problems. Some examples are anxiety disorders (panic attacks, generalised anxiety and phobias), depression and persistent feelings of sadness or grief, stress disorders including PTSD, obsessive-compulsive disorder, perfectionism, difficulties with self-esteem or confidence and underpinning relationship and family issues such as those linked to experiences of abuse or a degree of neglect in childhood.
Clinical psychologists become qualified by first obtaining an Honours degree in Psychology followed by a doctorate degree or equivalent, recognised award after three years of specialist study and professional training. This background enables us potentially to draw flexibly on a broad range of knowledge, ideas, theories and practices in our efforts to help clients in distress.
My approach to therapy is called "integrative" which means that I may incorporate elements from two or more approaches. I try to build and maintain a good therapeutic relationship or alliance with clients as this is often an important framework which can, of itself, be of lasting benefit.
Initial assessment (usually over 2 or 3 sessions) will give us both a good idea if we are likely to "click" and work well together. During this time, I will also begin to try to understand why your problems may have developed, how they may be connected with each other, what may be maintaining them and how they could be best addressed or remedied. I will share these early impressions with you and seek your views at this point and later on. These conversations can be useful to help clients to start to identify or recognise certain issues or factors and to begin to reflect on and process matters more deeply than has happened before. If I don't think that the service which I offer is right for you, however, I will let you know a.s.a.p. and suggest an alternative path.
Please note that confidentiality is respected as far as possible but that appropriate authorities may be contacted in certain circumstances according to professional guidelines and legislation. It should also be borne in mind that GP and GP practice name and contact details are kindly requested. It is not essential to disclose these but psychologists in independent practice such as myself often ask clients for this information at the outset because of safety concerns that may arise later on.
Training, qualifications & experience
I graduated from the University of Glasgow in 1979 with the degree of M.A. Honours in Psychology.
Following a spell of employment by Glasgow University as an assistant research psychologist on a joint Psychology/Medicine project, I began postgraduate study and clinical training in 1982 under the auspices of The British Psychological Society. I was awarded the Society's Diploma (recognised equivalent to the Doctorate degree) in Clinical Psychology in 1985.
I commenced employment within NHS adult mental health services after qualifying in 1985, working within a Clinical Psychology outpatients department until 1994 then within a multidisciplinary Community Mental Health Team, seeing people with more complex and severe difficulties, from 1994 until I retired in 2014. In addition, I have been running my own independent practice for many years. My experience includes not only clinical work with individuals and couples but also teaching and writing published material.
I have statutory registration with the HCPC and am an Associate Fellow, with Chartered Psychologist status, of the British Psychological Society. I am a member of the Society's Division of Clinical Psychology.
Member organisations
Registered / Accredited
Being registered/accredited with a professional body means an individual must have achieved a substantial level of training and experience approved by their member organisation.

Health and Care Professions Council
The HCPC are an independent, UK-wide health regulator. They set standards of professional training, performance and conduct for 16 professions.
They keep a register of health professionals who meet their standards, and they take action if registered health professionals fall below those standards. They were created by a piece of legislation called the Health Professions Order 2001.
Registration means that a health professional meets national standards for their professional training, performance and conduct.
Areas of counselling I deal with
Other areas of counselling I deal with
I have a special interest in psychological resilience
Fees
£ Negotiable face-to-face consultations (currently unavailable due to COVID19)
Telephone/digital media consultations:
£45 for up to 30 minutes
£90 for 31 to 60 minutes
The full fee is normally payable with respect to each missed appointment or late cancellation (less than 48 hours before the appointment was due to begin
Credit cards not accepted - sorry.
Concessions offered for
Further information
The main clinic, affording comfortable seating, privacy and pleasant decor in a convenient location, is situated in Bath Street near Glasgow Central railway station (Hope Street exit). It is also convenient for bus routes.
An alternative location within a Glasgow suburb may be offered which is also close to a railway station.
COVID19 Update
Please note that face-to-face appointments were suspended in March 2020 because of the pandemic. They may be resumed in the future but for the time being appointments are only available by telephone or online. Thank you for your understanding.