Laura McGuinness

Verified Professional Verified Professional
Verified Professional

Every professional displayed on Counselling Directory has been independently verified by our team to ensure they have suitable credentials to practise.

Available for new clients
Available for new clients

This professional is available for new clients.

Newcastle Upon Tyne, NE2
Available for new clients
Available for new clients

This professional is available for new clients.

About me

I am a UKCP registered psychotherapist, IFS therapist & sandplay therapist, with experience of working within NHS primary care, private practice and the charity sector. I offer individual therapy for a wide variety of issues. I work from my therapy office just outside the city centre.


As an integrative therapist I combine a number of therapeutic modalities to tailor therapy to your needs. I hope to provide you with skills and techniques that will help you to deal with the challenges that life can throw. I work relationally and believe that what goes on between us in the room can be therapeutic in itself. In our work I will offer you the opportunity to be safe, understood and heard while we work with your story.

I value you at the heart of our work, and believe that everyone has the capacity to change and grow. We can all get lost along the way at times, and therapy can provide the support needed to develop self-awareness, modify unhelpful patterns, and make positive changes to your life.

Some people enter therapy knowing what they need to work through, others don’t. You may just have a feeling that something is not quite right. Regardless of what leads you to therapy I will meet you with warmth, empathy, and a genuine interest in whatever you bring.

Deciding on a therapist can be overwhelming and arriving at a first session can be anxiety provoking. Trust that you will be welcomed in a warm sensitive and open way, without judgement or preconceptions, and with an understanding of the thoughts and feelings that may currently be making life difficult for you.  If you are nervous and feel like you would benefit from an informal phone call or email before we meet to discuss my ways of working or to get to know me, please get in touch and this can be arranged.

I offer both short and long-term work with a wide range of issues, some of the most common include:

  • Anger Management
  • Anxiety
  • Abuse
  • Bereavement
  • Grief/Loss
  • PTSD
  • Depression
  • Work Stress
  • Study Stress
  • Trauma (Recent and/or Historic)
  • Relationship Issues
  • Family Difficulties
  • Sexuality Issues
  • Confidence/Self-Esteem
  • Panic

My specific interests are trauma, anxiety,  ADHD and Neurodiversity .

Feel free to contact me for availability or further information

~ Laura

The most beautiful people we have known are those who have
known defeat, known suffering, known struggle, known loss,
and have found their way out of those depths.
~ Elisabeth Kubler-Ross

Training, qualifications & experience

I am a UKCP registered psychotherapist and a BACP registered counsellor.

All of my counselling and psychotherapy qualifications were attained at Northern Guild of Psychotherapy and Counselling.

Experience:

  • In House Counsellor, NHS Primary Care (2011-2015) - Successfully worked with a wide range of issues and clients, both short and long term.
  • Psychological Wellbeing Practitioner, Turning Point (2014-2015) - Telephone counselling with those in long-term unemployment, where physical and mental health issues created barriers to work.
  • Therapist, WHiST (2015-2016) - Long Term therapy in women only service. Working with women with a history of domestic and sexual abuse, suicidal ideation, and childhood trauma, amongst other issues.
  • Associate Intern, Northern Guild of Psychotherapy & Counselling (2015-2016) -  Working in Private Practice with a number of issues including depression, anxiety, trauma, grief, low self-esteem and work stress.
  • Psychotherapist, Private Practice (2016 onwards)
  • Group therapist, addiction services (2019 -2020)

Qualifications:

IFS Level 1 (2022)

Diploma in Integrative Sandplay (2022)

Certificate in Integrative Sandplay (2021)

Certificate in Jungian and Post-Jungian Clinical Concepts (2019)

MSc Psychotherapy (2017)

Diploma in Integrative Psychotherapy (2017)

Post-Graduate Diploma in Psychotherapy (2015)

Diploma in Therapeutic Counselling (2014)

Certificate in Transactional Analysis (2011)

BA(Hons)


Sandy Murray Memorial Award 2016 (Psychologists Protection Society)

Member organisations

BACP
British Association for Counselling & Psychotherapy (BACP)

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

British Association for Counselling & Psychotherapy
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.

British Association for Counselling & Psychotherapy

Other areas of counselling I deal with

Parents struggling with school related anxiety, neurodiversity & what is often described as "challenging behaviour".

Fees

£60.00 per session

Additional information

£60 per session.

£80 for hour and a half (typically IFS)

I offer some discounted rates dependent on personal circumstances, please contact me for more details.

Further information

I have a special interest in Jungian Psychology, addiction, and creative methods within therapy.

Newcastle Upon Tyne, NE2

Type of session

In person
Online
Phone

Types of client

Young people
Adults
Older adults
Organisations
Employee Assistance Programme
Laura McGuinness
Laura McGuinness