Kieran Smyth

Making the decision to start therapy is hard enough without having to wade through all the technical jargon or vague descriptions that don’t tell you what therapy will actually be like, so I’ll put the important facts about how I work first. As my client, your needs are my priority. I adapt my process and approach to what we agree is likely to work best for you. Some therapy work takes longer than others depending on what’s going on but my aim is always to help you achieve your goals as quickly and safely as we can. For some people the thought of speaking to someone about their deepest fears or worst days is horrifying and I get that. This shouldn’t feel forced and you shouldn’t feel pressured. I try to make this process feel like lots of manageable conversations that can add up to meaningful change. I find this conversational approach often works particularly well with teenagers and men who aren't sure about therapy. I’ll help you find a way to have these conversations, so you don’t have to worry about knowing what to say when you get here.

The first session isn't a test and you don't have to arrive with your story prepared. We'll talk about what has brought you to therapy, what you'd like to be different and what you need from me. I'll explain confidentiality, we'll talk about safety where that's relevant, and you can ask me anything about how therapy works. You don't have to talk about anything before you're ready.

Am I the right therapist for you?

Maybe. The best way for you to know for sure is for us to have a chat. If reaching out for a chat is too big of a step right now, hopefully this will give you a sense of how I work and what you can expect. There is a lot of information here as this isn’t a small decision but if you are the kind of person that overthinks and wants to know as much as possible, then maybe that makes us a good fit.

To get the professional basics out of the way: I am a BACP registered and accredited therapist, a member of the PVG Scheme, registered with the ICO and fully insured. I undertake regular clinical supervision, CPD and further training to make sure my knowledge and practice remain up to date. I’m not here to give you the hard sell or try and convince you that a comfortable chair is going to make things better. Knowing those professional safeguards are in place, you can then base your decision on which therapist to work with on whatever is important to you whether that's with me or someone else.

What might make me the right therapist for you is that I am focused, determined and committed to working with my clients and supporting them to solve their problems. I’m a puzzle person. I love figuring things out and that’s how I approach my work, supporting you and helping you figure out your questions and answers, without taking over. We can work together for as long as the work remains useful and appropriate, but my aim as a CBT therapist is not to keep you in therapy unnecessarily. By the end of our time together, I want you to feel empowered to take control and solve your problems going forward.

I work from a cabin in my back garden. Apart from being a safe and comfortable space (No plastic chairs allowed), many of my clients enjoy the anonymity and privacy that this allows. For many teenagers and adolescents, the idea of being frog marched up the main street and into an office where they might be seen is incredibly off-putting and it’s okay if this extends to you as an adult too. When you are struggling the most is not the time to add extra hurdles like worrying about bumping into the local gossip or your classmates when you are leaving your therapist’s office.

Feel free to skip to the relevant section for some more detail on how I work.

BUDDY- OPTIONAL THERAPY DOG

Buddy was adopted from the Dogs Trust in 2017 and has been coming into sessions since 2021. Buddy is everybody’s pal. He’s gentle and friendly and loves cuddles. He especially loves kids and is small enough to sit on their laps but sturdy enough that when they need a hug, he’s happy to oblige. That goes for adults too. Buddy loves his work but like all of us, some days he’d rather be in his bed, that might be in the corner of the therapy room or at home. He gets to decide. He can play an active role, there for hugs, or just be a reassuring presence in the room. It is always down to you and if you would rather it was just us in the room, he’ll be happy to step out for your session. The option is always there if you change your mind.

If you would prefer Buddy not to be there, for any reason at all, just let me know beforehand and the room will be dog-free for your session.

MY APPROACH

QUALIFICATIONS YOU CAN RELY ON

TEENAGERS, YOUNG ADULTS AND MEN

GRIEF

TRAUMA

YOUTH WORK

NEURODIVERGENCE

CARE EXPERIENCE

VISION IMPAIRMENT

WHAT IS CBT THERAPY LIKE?

DO YOU NEED THERAPY?

MY THERAPY ROOM

MY APPROACH

"I've had enough"

"I can’t do anything right"

"It’s all my fault"

"I'm not good enough"

"No one will ever love me"

We tell ourselves a lot of things and much of the time it’s horrible thoughts that come from our experiences in a world that didn’t do right by us. When we've carried a belief about ourselves for long enough, it can begin to feel like a fact. Part of our work is learning to notice those beliefs, understand where they came from and test whether they still deserve the power they have.

Sometimes we are too hard on ourselves, and that is the support that I offer first and foremost. A safe, welcoming and supportive place for you to explore, question, come to terms or overcome your beliefs about yourself or the world.

If you've ever stood in a room full of people and felt alone, spoken at length but not felt heard or understood, or reached a point where something has to give, you are in the right place.

If you're wondering if your problems aren't severe enough for therapy, there is no threshold or minimum. You deserve care and support and we’ll sort what you feel needs sorted. You don't need to arrive knowing what to say, what the answer is or even exactly what needs to change. We can work that out together. Whether it’s childhood trauma, work stress, anxiety, your health, relationship issues or you just find some days that little bit too difficult, I'm here to help

QUALIFICATIONS YOU CAN RELY ON

Qualifications and therapeutic approaches matter, but I try to be a person who is with you rather than an expert telling you what to do. My role isn't to tell you how to live your life or pretend I know you better than you know yourself. That’s not helpful. My role isn't to tell you how to live your life or pretend I know you better than you know yourself.

I am a registered and accredited member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) and work within its Ethical Framework. I hold full professional indemnity insurance, am a member of the PVG Scheme and am registered with the ICO for data protection.

I attend regular supervision with a qualified therapist and engage in regular CPD to ensure that my knowledge and understanding is up to date and I am able to offer a wide range of therapeutic interventions. My qualifications above my initial CBT training to become a therapist include a PG Cert Counselling Children, Adolescents and Families and an MSc Psychology.

Human beings vary enormously, and our experiences shape how we think, feel and respond to the world. I don't start from the assumption that there is something wrong with you. Together we'll look at the patterns that are causing distress or getting in your way, understand them and work out what you want to change.

I AM HERE

Three little words that can make so much difference to someone who needs to hear them. Therapy is more than ticking boxes. Being genuinely present with you matters. When a person feels that it is time for therapy, the work involved, the exploration and the self-discovery can seem overwhelming and at times scary. We will do it together.

I don’t believe that anyone is broken or damaged beyond repair. We live in a world where sometimes anything short of perfection is viewed as ‘less’ and that just isn’t true. We are usually just waiting for the right opportunity, the right support, to put the pieces of ourselves together in a way that makes sense and lets us live our lives.

MY EXPERIENCE AND UNDERSTANDING

Teenagers, young adults and men

My door is open to everyone but I would particularly encourage any man reading this to reach out and get in touch. There is no shame in asking for help, there is nothing to be embarrassed about. You are not alone and what you are experiencing is worth our time to explore and resolve. You don’t need to carry it all or deal with it alone. When your car gets a flat tire, you don’t treat it as a write-off. We just need to fix your puncture and maybe give you a mental MOT.

Many common issues that I work on with my male clients are things that we as men are taught to hide because they have traditionally been seen as shameful or make us weak. Anxiety, low mood, isolation, anger, frustration, self-sabotage, low self-esteem, addiction, poor relationships and risky behaviours or decision-making are far more common than people often realise, and none of them are reasons to feel ashamed.

Sometimes we just need help to figure them out and get through them.

GRIEF

I understand the effect that loss has on people, the effect that grief can have on the lives of those left behind and the weight of those unanswered questions, ten, twenty, thirty years later. Grief is the other side of love so rather than erase it, we’ll build the strength you need to carry it within you, to accept it and to live your life outside of its shadow.

TRAUMA

Our lives are often blighted by trauma, loss, abuse, broken relationships and families. I understand however that trauma isn’t just the big things, the car crashes or the crimes. I treat trauma as deeply personal and I am here to help you explore that. I am here to listen and to help you understand how experiences from your past may still be affecting your present, so that you can be empowered to take control of your own future.

YOUTH WORK

I have worked with and supported teenagers and young adults for almost 20 years in varying capacities. I have been privileged to work with young people from all over Scotland from all walks of life. I have run a leadership development programme for students, supporting them and encouraging them to be the best that they can be. That might not always look how parents expect and sometimes our work will involve both parents and their teen where it’s appropriate and agreed.

NEURODIVERGENCE

Human beings are incredibly varied. Our brains, personalities, histories and ways of experiencing the world aren't supposed to be identical. Some of our differences can make some aspects of life more difficult but therapy shouldn’t be one of them. No two people are the same and your experience of neurodivergence is going to be different to everyone else’s. I tailor my approach to every individual and just because you may have a diagnosed condition that doesn’t mean that that will be the focus of our work together unless you feel that it should be. It’s fine to move around, avoid eye contact, ask me to be direct, take a break, use written information or have something in your hands to fidget with while we talk. You are more than a condition. That is where we start.

CARE EXPERIENCE

I have been involved with young people who have experienced the care system for the last decade. There is a difference between supporting a care experienced person and being on their side. When I work with a care-experienced young person, they are my client. Their voice, wishes and experience stay at the centre of our work, even when carers, social work or other professionals are involved. I will always be clear with you about confidentiality and the limited circumstances where safeguarding means I may need to involve someone else

Their voice matters, and it should remain central. It’s important to remember that even when fostering, kinship care or adoption has been loving and positive, the story often began with loss, separation or disruption. I think that understanding matters.

It’s also important to see the person, care might be part of your past but it doesn’t mean that’s the root cause of everything. If you are care experienced or support someone who is care experienced and needs support, please do get in touch.

VISION IMPAIRMENT

I am an RNIB-accredited sight loss counsellor and have undertaken specialist RNIB training in working with adults, children and young people affected by sight loss. I combine this with my wider counselling and CBT training to adapt therapy around the individual.

One area I regularly work with is the emotional impact of chronic illness and sight loss, including where type 1 diabetes and changes to vision intersect. For young people especially, illness and sight loss can affect independence, confidence and their sense of control over the future. Therapy gives us somewhere to make sense of that, while keeping the person—not their diagnosis—at the centre of the work.

WHAT IS CBT THERAPY LIKE?

I specialise in cognitive behavioural therapy(CBT). CBT is a talking therapy that takes a structured approach to building your resilience by identifying the relationship between thoughts, feelings and behaviour and understanding patterns that keep difficulties going, helping you change how you think and behave.

When we first meet I will carry out a risk assessment, and if needed we will agree a safety plan so that you have a plan of what to do if things start to feel like they are too much.

On a weekly basis we will work together to build an understanding of what's happening, what may have contributed to it and what is keeping the problem going now so that you can take a more objective approach, allowing you to take a step back from what it is that causes you distress.

We will put in place new coping mechanisms, ways for you to deal with difficult thoughts, feelings and situations and build a toolkit that you will be able to use going forward.

Whilst we work together, we are a team but I will also teach you how to be your own therapist. I will explain what we are doing and why and you will be able to use what you learn going forward. The aim is that you leave with skills and understanding you can continue to use independently long after therapy finishes.

DO YOU NEED THERAPY?

We sometimes think that our problems aren't severe enough, the things that cause us pain would be ridiculous to others, that we would just be wasting someone’s time, when there are people so much worse off than us.

The truth is, your pain, your anxiety, your depression, your fear, is just as valid as anyone else’s and you are just as worthy of support. You don’t have to wait until you are in crisis to come to therapy.

CBT can help with a wide range of difficulties, including relationship problems, low self-esteem, work stress, anxiety and depression. It can also help you understand how experiences from your past may still be affecting you in the present, and help you respond differently to difficult thoughts and feelings.

MY THERAPY ROOM

Having spent years working in white rooms, I felt that when the hurt is in your heart or mind, those cold white walls just don’t sit right. I didn't want my therapy room to feel clinical. I wanted to create somewhere warm, interesting and comfortable, somewhere you can look around when eye contact feels like too much, pick something up while you think, or use the room itself as a moment's distraction when you need one. I’ve tried to build a therapeutic space where 12-year-olds will feel curious and excited, where teenagers have a hundred things they can ask about when they aren’t sure what to say, somewhere that gives adults an escape from the world for an hour. I wanted all my clients to feel safe, warm and cosy. If you are discussing the hardest parts of your life, you shouldn’t have to feel like you are in a hospital waiting room whilst doing it. I will work with you, so if you need a moment’s distraction to order your thoughts, my room is designed to support that rather than trying to force your brain into a rigid way of working. Why focus on a mark on a white wall when you can focus on the wings of a butterfly or pick up and hold a 400 million year old fossil? Therapy is a journey of curiosity and discovery and that is what my room represents, a place in time, outside of and separate to the world you live in, where you can just be you.

Teenagers

Young men 

Young adults 

Adolescents 

Care experience

Vision Impairment

Session costs as of January 2026: 

£60 per session

SPECIALIST CLIENTS

Concession rates for charitable organisations available on request .

Free initial telephone consultation . 

Sessions take place in my private therapy cabin at my home in Motherwell. The space is separate from the main house, giving you privacy and discretion when arriving and leaving.

There is plenty of free on-street parking nearby. I’ll provide you with everything you need to find the therapy room before your first appointment, so you don’t need to worry about where to go when you arrive.

Buddy, my optional therapy dog, may be around for sessions. If you would prefer a completely dog-free session for any reason, just let me know beforehand.

If there is anything that would make attending easier or more comfortable for you, please feel free to ask before your first session. I’m happy to discuss reasonable adjustments and how we can make the space work for you