Katie Doherty
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This professional is accepting new clients but may have a waitlist. Please enquire with them directly to discuss availability.
This professional is accepting new clients but may have a waitlist. Please enquire with them directly to discuss availability.
About me
Hi there, I’m Katie. I'm a BACP-registered counsellor and psychotherapist working from a quiet garden room in Edinburgh, with online sessions also available.
If things are difficult right now, I'm glad you're here.
If you’re feeling overwhelmed, disconnected, or exhausted from holding everything together, therapy can offer a place to pause and breathe.
You might be facing something particularly painful, questioning who you are, or simply sensing that something needs attention. You may be longing for a space that feels safe enough to unpack how you’re feeling, especially when even close relationships carry expectations, roles, and unspoken dynamics.
I offer a non-judgemental, compassionate space where you don’t need to be anything other than you are. Therapy with me is somewhere you can expect to be met with genuine presence and care; to be seen, heard, and understood.
How I work
I work in a person-centred way, which means I see you as the expert on your own life. I believe we each have an inner sense of what we need, so my role is not to 'fix' or direct you, but to offer a genuine, supportive relationship where you can hear yourself more clearly and find your way, however that looks for you.
I'll do my best to understand what it means to be you, with deep respect for what I can never fully know. I follow your lead and share my reflections along the way. You trust me with your inner world, and I meet that trust with honesty and care. This trusting relationship is at the heart of the work.
We work at your pace, with room for uncertainty, slowness, and not having it all figured out. We can take things slowly as we begin to make sense of what you’re carrying, together.
Who this space is for
I offer a particular welcome for anyone who has been left with the sense they are “too much,” “not enough,” “wrong,” or “broken.” I work in a trauma-sensitive, anti-oppressive way, holding space for you to define your experiences on your own terms.
While my work is shaped by lived experience and awareness of LGBTQIA+ and neurodivergent experiences, my practice is open to anyone seeking a space where context, power, and difference are held with deep respect and care, and where no assumptions are made about who you are or what you need.
The Shed
My counselling space is a quiet garden room, which I lovingly call The Shed. It is surrounded by trees and bird life. I have a range of optional resources available, including art materials, reflective card decks and sensory tools, if you’d like to use them. My cat has access via a cat flap, though this can be locked if cats aren't your thing.
Getting started
Reaching out for therapy can feel like a risk, especially if you've been let down or misunderstood before. I offer a free 15-20 minute introductory call so you can get a better sense of me and how I work, with no pressure to commit.
If anything here resonates, I warmly invite you to get in touch and we can take it from there.
Warmly,
Katie
Training, qualifications & experience
- I trained and later volunteered as a counsellor at St Columba's Hospice, working with bereaved family and friends.
- Previously, I also volunteered with LGBT Health & Wellbeing's national helpline. As a queer person myself, I bring lived experience and understanding to working with LGBTQIA+ clients.
- As a neurodivergent person, I have lived experience of both medical diagnosis and self-identification. I'm deeply committed to neuro-affirming practice that is inclusive to your needs.
- Before training as a therapist, I studied History of Art and Italian, and worked for 7+ years in a small independent art school. This background in the humanities and creative arts shapes how I think and work, especially my interest in creative exploration and meaning-making.
Qualifications:
- MSc Counselling & Psychotherapy (distinction), University of Strathclyde
- COSCA Counselling Skills Certificate, Edinburgh College
- Impact of Trauma on Mental Health, University of Glasgow
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
Therapies offered
Photos & videos
Fees
£50.00 per session
Concessions offered for
Additional information
£50 per 50-minute session.
I have a limited number of reduced-rate spaces for anyone who would struggle to pay my usual fee.
If you're able to comfortably pay £55 per session, I welcome this as part of a pay-it-forward system that supports me to offer reduced rates to others who couldn't otherwise access my services.
When I work
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