Laura McKay
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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
I have always had an enquiring mind and a deep interest in helping people, which led me to study psychology and later on to the field of counselling and psychotherapy.
Like many people I have experienced my own share of adversity, so I know first- hand what it is like to suffer and struggle through debilitating symptoms, with mood swings oscillating between anxiety and depression. It can be an extremely lonely and isolating experience and it may feel like there is no end in sight for the pain.
I took my passion in working clinically with people further by specialising in various talking modalities, trauma and loss work. I offer short and long-term counselling, psychotherapy and trauma therapy, working in Edinburgh and online with children, adolescents and adults.
I also provide CRM (Comprehensive Resources Model), CRM is a neurobiology trauma treatment option. For more information, please refer to https://comprehensiveresourcemodel.com/
As an integrated practitioner I work collaboratively with clients who either present with mild issues or prolonged mental health such as anxiety, depression, panic attacks, phobias, relationship, anger, control issues, PTSD, parenting, abuse (emotional, physical and sexual), suicide ideation and different forms of self- harm.
I have clinical experience working in various settings including Childline Scotland (NSPCC), NHS general practice and charitable organisations. I believe that in order for therapy to be successful it is important to develop and maintain a strong therapeutic relationship. I aim to provide a safe, confidential, non-judgemental and warm place to explore physical sensations, feelings, thoughts and behaviours in order to gain a deeper understanding and take steps towards the changes people desire. Each session is adapted to my client’s needs by using various approaches and creative styles.
Many people come to therapy as a result of imbalance, suffering, difficulty, trauma and loss, which leads to overwhelm, rage, grief, anxiety and depression. This may be a result of early life experiences, and this can be explored to ascertain the affect this may have on past, current, and future relationships and lifestyle.
When people experience emotional and physical pain, it impacts their cognitive processing and bodies’ responses. Everyone is a unique individual so consequently they hold traumatic experience in a different way.
For online sessions I use the Zoom platform which offers confidentiality, video and audio service. Online therapy is helpful to many people who cannot otherwise attend in person.
Training, qualifications & experience
Training
- Comprehensive Resource Model- Basic training and Case Conceptualisation.
- Comprehensive Resource Model- Working with Dissociation and D.I.D. clients
- Teaching Clients how to use Mindfulness Skills
- ASIST
- Childline (NSPCC)- Working with Self Harm/Abuse and Neglect/ Bullying/ Bereavement and Loss/Sexuality
- Integral Awareness Training
- Transactional Analysis (TA101)
Qualifications
- Post Graduate Diploma in Pluralistic Counselling
- Post Graduate Certificate in Counselling (Person centred and Psychodynamic)
- BSc Psychology (1st class honours)
- BSc Biological Sciences (2nd class honours)
Experience
As a result of working as a counselling supervisor at Childline for a number of years, I have extensive experience working over the phone and online with children and young people. This includes working in collaboration with other authorities such as CEOP, the emergency services and social services. Since then I have experience working in person with children and young people experiencing; self harm and eating disorders, bullying, exam stress, sexuality, family relationships and neurodiversity, amongst a wide variety of other presentations.
I have also worked with survivors of rape and sexual assault. This is where I first discovered and trained in CRM. This trauma model draws on the latest neuro-biological research and is a flexible and creative way of working effectively with individuals struggling to process historical trauma. This model supports safe re-processing of deep trauma, without the individual being propelled back into the lived experience again. CRM helps the person to be fully aware while they 'step back' into the painful memory in a safe and titrated way, and this in turn alters how traumatic memories are remembered.
During my two years counselling within an NHS surgery, I provided short term counselling to patients who had been referred by the practice doctors. The majority of the counselling support was based around providing a safe, empathic and confidential space. By utilising psycho-education to proffer a possible explanation of their experiences, I also adapted various cultural resources which patients could use going forward to build resilience.
Currently, as well as counselling, I co-manage the Edinburgh Centre of Nutrition and Therapy. I have worked in this role for 15 years now, and as a result have gained a considerable knowledge in how nutrition can be used effectively alongside counselling and psychotherapy as part of a holistic wellbeing approach.
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
Fees
£80.00 per session
Free initial telephone session
Additional information
COUNSELLING
- 1 Hour sessions- £80
- Initial session- 90 minutes (includes written up summary)- £140
PSYCHOTHERAPY
- 1 1/2 Hour sessions- £140 (initial session includes full write up)
