About me
Hi, I'm Erin and I offer a humanistic, Person-Centred approach to counselling, alongside skills in sand play therapy. Qualifications aside, I am also Human.I have and do experience life and whilst I am skilled in the field of counselling, I am also on this journey , just as you are. It can be tough. Often it can feel like a roller-coaster ride. It is my own experiences and humanity alongside my qualifications, that enable me to be present and non judgemental with my clients and it is this , along with my 20 years of experience of working with children and adults, that enables me to bring a safe, open and personal approach to my counselling work. I am guessing that you are here, because you are experiencing things in your life that feel unsafe or unknown, challenging , saddening,perhaps scary. Perhaps you have experiences in the past that you want to explore and understand more. Whatever reasons have brought you to seek a counsellor, taking this initial step is courageous ,yet can often feel daunting and it is important to find a counsellor who you feel comfortable with to support you on that journey.
During these challenging times due to the corona virus, I am happy to offer counselling sessions via video link ( zoom ) or over the telephone. Video link sessions can facilitate the use of sand play, as well as talking therapy. There is always a confidential space for you to be heard during these times.
Training, qualifications & experience
I hold a diploma in Person Centred Counselling and Psychotherapy and am trained in Sand Play Therapy. Both therapies work beautifully in their own right or can be integrated, where perhaps we may feel 'stuck' in recognising our emotions or experiences .
Through talking therapy, I provide a space for you to be emotionally held and heard - to talk with privacy and confidentiality - a space where you will be met with unconditional positive regard and without judgement. Often, we can feel inhibited to talk with loved ones, family members or friends, because they are so involved with us on a personal level and can often, unknowingly, offer opinions or judgements that are unhelpful. Often we can feel like we are burdening our loved ones with our problems. To talk with somebody impartial can ease those kind of worries and I offer a calm space for you to voice and explore your internal world. To acknowledge, recognise and challenge personal difficulties in a safe and empathetic way.
Creative therapy,such as sandplay, can offer a new dimension to this, in supporting both children and adults alike. Facilitating a new dimension for you, if you feel particularly 'stuck' or are have difficulty in finding the words to express the feelings that you experience inside. This can provide a gentle and organic way for you to discover and recognise deeper, more unconscious internal processes, that can affect your conscious thoughts, offering you greater understanding and clarity.
Both of these humanistic ways of working can enable you to explore your inner self, in their own right or organically combined, working in a way that is right for you ' in that moment'.
As well as daytime, I can also offer appointments in the evenings and on weekends where required. I appreciate how difficult it can be to make that initial contact and how important it is, that the relationship feels comfortable and safe. I am happy to receive any enquiries by phone, text or email and will do my best to answer any questions that you may have to reassure you. All enquiries will be held confidentially and I will respond within 24 hours.
I am a Registered Member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy and the professional body for Counselling and psychotherapy in Scotland.
I can be found on both the BACP & COSCA Registers ,which shows I have been trained to a recognised standard on an accredited course and that I work in an ethical way.
I have experience of working with a wide range of issues including anxiety, depression, stress, illness, relationship and family issues, bereavement and loss plus many others.
I have experience in working with various Employee Assistance Programmes.
I work within the BACP/COSCA Ethical Framework for Good Practice where I receive regular Professional Supervision and Continuous Professional Development.
I hold a current PVG certificate with Disclosure Scotland.
I am registered as a Data Controller under the Data Protection Act 1998. Registration Number:A8616892 This ensures that any personal information I hold is kept securely and processed in a lawful manner which complies with requirements of the Act. .
Member organisations

British Association for Counselling & Psychotherapy
BACP is one of the UK’s largest professional bodies for counselling and psychotherapy. Therapists registered with the Association fall into a number of different membership categories such as Individual Member, Registered Member MBACP and Registered Member MBACP (Accred), each standing for different levels of training and experience. MBACP (Accred) and MBACP (Snr Accred) members have achieved a substantial level of training and experience approved by the Association.
Registered members can be found on the BACP Register, which was the first register to achieve Accredited Voluntary Register status issued by the Professional Standards Authority. Individual Members will have completed an appropriate counselling and/or psychotherapy course and started to practise, but will not appear on the BACP Register until they've progressed to Registered Member MBACP status.
All members are bound by a Code of Ethics & Practice and a Complaints Procedure. Accredited by the Professional Standards Authority.

College of Sexual and Relationship Therapists
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.
Accredited register membership

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.

Areas of counselling I deal with
Therapies offered
Fees
My Hourly rate is £40, which is payable by cash, cheque or BACS transfer, prior to, or at the end of each session.
Any sessions cancelled with less than 24 hours notice, may be subject to charge at the full session fee.