Lloyd Whyman

Welcome to my page, where I’ll try to help you decide how counselling with me could benefit you.  If your search has brought you here, you have recognised that something in your life isn’t right and it may help to talk to someone, but it can seem difficult to find the right person.

There are many problems in life that we experience and find hard to share with others, for various reasons, and this can leave us feeling isolated and unable to cope.  From low self-esteem to anxiety, or work-related problems to depression, whatever may be affecting us, we can sometimes think that no one else will understand, and perhaps we can’t risk talking about it.

I believe strongly that in counselling it is essential you feel welcomed and valued, and have the same right as anyone else to seek happiness.  So often in life we feel we just want others to accept us, not to judge us or try to change us, but to see things from our perspective.  My goal as a counsellor is for you to experience this, in a setting that feels as natural and relaxed as possible.

Counselling provides a place for you to explore your feelings, thoughts and emotions, and begin to make sense of what is troubling you.  Professional counselling offers confidentiality and a safe environment, and speaking with someone who is separate from friends or relatives means you can talk without feeling judged or worrying that you may be burdening someone you care about.

I work as a person-centred counsellor, meaning that I work with you, taking your lead in a collaborative approach that is based on the principle that you are the best authority on your own experience. I want to offer you the opportunity to feel truly accepted, to be listened to, and to have your experiences shared in an open and honest way.  Through this process, the way you see things can start to change, and so too how you think and feel about them, then a way forward may begin to emerge that moves towards a lasting change.  This process is unique for each person, and so the amount of counselling required varies with every individual. As well as talking problems through, there are many other aspects to counselling which can be beneficial, for example: to experience the relief from simply saying out loud something that you have thought but never said; or to have a positive experience that is so different to past relationships that it changes how you understand relationships, and your place within them.

As with anything in life, there are no guarantees, but I am committed to working with you to achieve the best possible outcome.  We will always work at your pace, which allows trust to develop naturally, and means you speak about things only when you feel ready to do so – you are in control.

To make getting started feel as simple as possible, I welcome enquiries via phone call, text or email, and I can respond to questions you may have about counselling.  I also offer a 20-minute free initial phone conversation, where we can explore what you may be looking for, and see if you feel working with me would be right for you.  If you wish to proceed, we can then make an appointment to meet.

You can expect to be at the counselling sessions for one hour, with 50 minutes dedicated time for you.  The cost per session is £40.  There is no obligation to continue after our first meeting, but if we agree that working together could benefit you, we can arrange a day and time to meet again, often this would be the same weekly appointment, although this can vary depending on circumstances.

My counselling room is conveniently situated in central Ayr, yet is in a private and discreet location, and is a short distance from rail and bus services, with car-parking close-by.  The venue is a welcoming and friendly complementary health centre, has a managed reception that allows you to feel comfortable on entering; and has a separate, peaceful and confidential room set aside for counselling.  Please note that there are two steps for routine access to the room, however provision can be made for access involving specific mobility requirements if notified in advance.

If you wished, it is possible for enquiries and bookings to be handled through the health centre also. This would always be coordinated with me, and I can respond to you directly if you have any questions or want to discuss something before meeting.

The first step of starting to seek change can be empowering, so if I can help you at all at this stage, I would like to hear from you.