Kelly Stewart, Psychotherapist & Counsellor, UKCP & MBACP (MA)
About me
Introduction
Choosing a therapist can be a daunting task. I welcome you to get in touch and try out an initial session for £30. I am a qualified Psychotherapist and Counsellor, accredited with the UK Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP) and a registered member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP).
Specialisms
I am passionate about working with trauma and loss, which is reflected in my work experience and research focus (please see below). I especially work with people bereaved by suicide. Additionally, I can support you if you're feeling stressed, anxious or low. Or if you're feeling sad, lonely, isolated, overwhelmed, struggling with a relationship, sensing a lack of direction in life or wanting to understand your feelings better.
Why come to therapy?
Sometimes life doesn’t always pan out as we’d hoped. We had great plans. But then a crisis stalls us or a familiar pattern rears its ugly head again. Perhaps we never had it easy. We talk to those around us but somehow it’s difficult to be heard. They have their own lives and troubles to contend with. How can we ask them for help? Therapy can give you a regular space to be and be heard and explore whatever it is you're struggling with.
How can I help you?
I can offer you a safe and non-judgemental space to explore life’s struggles. You may have something specific you’d like to talk about. Or you may not know the details. You’re just aware that stuff continues to niggle and you’d like help to figure out why.
My integrative training in Counselling and Psychotherapy (MA) means that I would draw from a range approaches to support you. I believe that wounds and unmet needs from childhood reveal themselves in our present lives, whether we realise it or not. You might be struggling with anxiety, panic attacks or depression, for example, and not know why. I would help you to explore these as they unfold in our sessions together, within the safety of a confidential therapeutic relationship.
Each person I work with is unique. The two of us would work together with whatever you bring, big or small. I don't promise to have the answers (in fact, therapy isn't about giving advice) but, by offering you a warm and non-judgemental space to talk freely, I will be able to help you to understand your experience better.
Practicalities
I work with individuals (not couples) long-term and short-term. Sessions last 50 minutes and are usually weekly, although twice weekly is also possible.
Where I practise
Edinburgh, EH8: Wednesday to Friday, daytime and evenings. Located in the suburb of Piershill, just beyond Meadowbank. The area is well-connected by buses and free off-road parking is available. I also offer online and phone sessions.
About me
I firmly believe that within each of us lies innate potential beyond our imagination. But life can throw things at us that block us. Deciding to train as a therapist was a significant step for me. It is a privilege to work with individuals to unpack and explore their struggles at depths that most non-therapeutic relationships rarely reach.
“Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass…it’s about learning how to dance in the rain” (Vivian Greene).
Training, qualifications & experience
Qualifications
• PhD in Counselling Studies, ongoing
• MA in Integrative Psychotherapy and Counselling, 2015
• Diploma in Integrative Counselling, 2013
• MA in Marketing, 2005
Experience
I feel passionately about supporting people through trauma and loss. I’ve published research on suicide bereavement and my PhD is exploring the intergenerational trauma of suicide in families.
Since qualifying in 2013, alongside my private practice, I’ve always enjoyed doing other work that informs my work with private clients. I’ve worked in an NHS staff counselling service. I’ve managed a team of five at Mind, the mental health charity. I’ve worked for a bereavement service. I spent two years working in the Grenfell community, setting up and developing a counselling service for highly traumatised individuals within a traumatised community. And I now teach undergraduates and postgraduates in London and Edinburgh.
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.
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.
UK Council for Psychotherapy
The UK Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP) is a leading professional body for the education, training and regulation of psychotherapists and psychotherapeutic counsellors. Its register is accredited by the government's Professional Standards Authority.
As part of its commitment to protect the public, it works to improve access to psychotherapy, to support and disseminate research, to improve standards and to respond effectively to complaints against its members.
UKCP standards cover the range of different psychotherapies. Registration is obtained by training or accrediting with one of its member organisations, or by holding a European Certificate in Psychotherapy. 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.
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
Fees
If you like what you’ve read here, please do get in touch to arrange an initial session.
First sessions cost £30.
After this, individual sessions cost £60.
Further information
In special circumstances, I am happy to offer concessionary rates. Please ask.
