Kieran Smyth

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 it out of the way, You are in safe hands. All Insurance, appropriate qualifications, registration with the right governing bodies (BACP, ICO, PVG) are taken care of. I undergo continuous training and development/further education as well as regular professional supervision to make sure my knowledge is up to date. Im not here to give you the hard sell or try and convince you that a comfortable sofa is going to make things better.  These are the bare minimum that you should expect from any therapist. Knowing these are there, you should feel safe to 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. I will work with you for as long as you need but my goal as a CBT therapist is for that to be as short a period of time as possible to achieve your goals. 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 its 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 therapists office.

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

TEENAGE, ADOLESCENT AND ADULT MEN

GRIEF

TRAUMA

YOUTH WORK

NON NEURO-TYPICAL / NEUROP-SPICEY

CARE EXPERIENCE

WHAT IS CBT THERAPY LIKE?

DO YOU NEED THERAPY?

MY APPROACH

"I've had enough"

"I can do anything right"

"Its all my fault"

"I'm not Good enough"

"No one will ever love me"

We tell ourselves a lot of things and most of the time these things just aren’t very nice.

Just because we think something or even believe it, doesn't make it true and that can be the hardest thing to come to terms with during therapy.  On a deep level we want to think that we are alays right and sadly that carries over to the mean things that we say and think about ourselves. We believe that they are true because we think them.

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, If you've ever spoken at length and not felt heard or understood. If you've reached a point where something has to give, You are standing where hundreds of my clients have found themselves before. If you're wondering if your problems aren't severe enough for therapy, be assured, there is no threshold or minimum. You deserve care and support. All you need is the desire and determination to change, to make things better, to heal and to move forward. Whether its childhood trauma, work stress, anxiety due to the pandemic, 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

As a fully qualified CBT therapist, I offer what is considered the gold standard in terms of therapy, but tools and approaches aside, I offer a safe, welcoming and non-judgemental space where we can explore your problems together and find real solutions that you can implement in your day to day life. Change is hard but I will be with you every step of the way.

I am registered member with the BACP and follow their ethical guidelines and I have full, professional indemnity insurance. I am also PVG a member with Disclosure Scotland. I am also registered with ICO.

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 training to become a therpist include postgraduate certificate and Masters level courses in counselling and Psychology.

I believe that we exist on a vast spectrum of normality. We are uniquely variable and shaped by our experiences. There's nothing wrong with 'you', there are just unhelpful ways of being, thinking and feeling which can cause upset. You are wonderfully you so I will bring all the knowledge and understanding that I have gathered, and we'll work together to change the unhealthy thoughts and feelings, letting your best self shine.

I AM HERE

Three little words that can make so much difference to someone who needs to hear them. There are a lot of things that I will offer but first and foremost that is what I promise. 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 but I will be here with you and we will do it together. 

I do not believe that anyone is ever truly broken or damaged beyond repair. We live in a world where sometimes anything short of perfection is viewed as ‘less’ and that simply isn’t true. There is beauty and there is strength in our struggle and our ability to rise above that which holds us down. We are never broken, we are just waiting for the right opportunity, the right support, to put the pieces of ourselves together in a way that makes sense and makes us the best version of ourselves that we can be. 

MY EXPERIENCE AND UNDERSTANDING

Teenage, adolescent and adult 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. I am here, you are not alone and what you are experiencing is worth our time to explore and resolve. You do not need to carry these feelings or deal with them alone. Times are changing and men’s mental health is finally being given the time, care and attention that it needs. 

Many common issues that I work on with my male clients are things that we as men are taught to hide because it they have traditionally been seen as shameful or things that make men weak. Anxiety, Low mood, Isolation, Anger, Frustration, Self Sabotage, Low self-esteem, addiction, poor relationships and risky behaviours/ decision making, the reality is, we all experience these at times. Sometimes we just need help to figure them out and get through them.

• Three times as many men as women die by suicide 
• Men aged 40-49 have the highest suicide rates in the UK                              
• Men report lower levels of life satisfaction than women according to the Government’s national wellbeing survey
• Men are less likely to access psychological therapies than women: only 36% of referrals to NHS talking therapies are for men
• Nearly three-quarters of adults who go missing are men
  87% of rough sleepers are men
• Men are nearly three times as likely as women to become dependent on alcohol, and three times as likely to report frequent drug use
• Men are more likely to be compulsorily detained (or ‘sectioned’) for treatment than women.
• Men are more likely to be victims of violent crime (1.5 more likely than women)

Men make up the vast majority of the prison population. There are high rates of mental health problems and increasing rates of self-harm in prisons.
 

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. I don’t believe that it is possible to take away our grief but I can be here for you, to help you build the strength you need to carry it within you, to accept and to live your life outside of its shadow. 

Trauma

Our lives are blighted by trauma, the trauma of loss, the trauma of abuse, the trauma of broken relationships and families. I understand however that trauma isn’t just the big things, the car crashes, the crimes, I understand that trauma is deeply personal and I am here to help you explore that. I am here to listen and to help you understand why the moments of your past have taken control of your present so that you can be empowered to take control of your own future 

Youth work

I have worked with and supported young adults and teenagers for almost 20 years in varying capacities. I have been privileged to work with young adults from some of the most deprived areas in Scotland and with young adults throughout Scotland’s universities and colleges. I have run a leadership development programme for students, supporting them and encouraging them to be the best that they can be.

Neuro-spicey

Ism’s and exia’s and all sorts of things make some aspects of life more difficult but therapy shouldn’t be one of them. No two people are the same and your version of neuro-spicey 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.  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. My clients and their needs come before everything else and that includes social work, carers or anyone else. Their voice is the one that matters.  I am patient and understanding. My career has been dedicated to making the lives of young people better and that it is something that I take into the therapy that I provide.  If you are care experienced or support someone who is care experienced and needs support, please do get in touch. 

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 resistance and helps 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 help you identify the source of your distress and change how you think and act 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. 

DO YOU NEED THERAPY?

I have worked with people who could have carried on, living their lives without therapy. But the quality of those lives have been so greatly improved by therapy that I don’t believe they would chose differently a second time around. 

Everyone can benefit from 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. Could you continue without therapy? You probably could. But the quality of your life could dramatically improve if you take that step. 

CBT can help with everything from relationship difficulties, childhood trauma, self esteem issues, work stress, anxiety, depression and lots more.  CBT gives you the opportunity to take control of your thoughts and feelings and build resilience.

Teenagers

Young men 

Young adults 

Adolescents 

Care experience

Animal/pet bereavement

Session costs as of January 2025: 

£50.00 per session

SPECIALIST CLIENTS

In order to support the mental health of young men who may struggle to engage with or afford therapy, a reduced rate will be offered for male clients that fall between the ages of 14 and 18 who’s parents rely on universal credit/CDP/ADP. Please enquire for further information.

Concession rates for charitable organisations available on request .

Free initial telephone consultation . 

A £5 supplement per session is charged for Pet assisted therapy. This fee covers additional grooming and training, and care costs associated with being a working animal. This fee is waived for all clients under the age of 21.

Whilst I will try to offer clients appointments at the same time every week, this may not always be possible due to changing shift patterns of multiple clients. 

I work from home in Motherwell which allows me to offer a safe, comfortable and private space. I use a purpose built summerhouse which is equipped with everything we need to carry out successful therapy sessions. 

The cabin is nice and private and has no windows onto public spaces so you can be assured that your privacy is paramount. It is tastefully decorated with comfortable furniture, providing a relaxing environment. Off street parking is readily available and access to the

Entry to the cabin is via a side gate at the side of my house.