Lynsey McMillan

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Pluralistic Counsellor and Supervisor - MSc, PGDIP, MBACP
No current availability
No current availability

This professional has no current availability for new clients. Please enquire with them directly to discuss availability.

Montrose, Angus, DD10
No current availability
No current availability

This professional has no current availability for new clients. Please enquire with them directly to discuss availability.

About me

My Approach

I trained at the University of Abertay Dundee where the focus was on an integrative “pluralistic” approach to counselling.

What is Pluralistic Therapy?

Pluralistic therapy starts from the assumption no two people are identical and that different people may be helped to feel happier in different ways, and that this is dependent on a variety of factors, such as:

  • The reason(s) why a particular person feels depressed or dissatisfied in the first place
  • The person’s particular personality, their background, and their current life circumstances
  • The person’s strengths and positive qualities
  • The sorts of things that, in general, have helped that person feel better or worse in their life.

Because this therapy assumes that different people need different things the first meeting is an ‘assessment’ session where you can talk a bit about your background, what has made you interested in coming to counselling and what you would want from it. If you decide you want to go ahead and start counselling, and if I feel that I can help you, I will work with you to try and help you identify what may be useful to do. This could include such activities as:

  • Understanding what has happened to you in the past that might have led you to feel the way you do
  • Learning to be more ‘yourself’ and less concerned about what others think of you
  • Learning to think about things in a more positive way
  • Changing your behaviour so that you do more of the things you enjoy, and less of the things you don’t
  • Finding ways to improve your relationships with others
  • Finding more meaning and purpose in your life
  • Coming to terms with painful experiences, feelings or losses.

If we agree not to work together, I am happy to suggest other services that may be more appropriate for your needs.

For more info on Pluralistic therapy please click here - http://www.academia.edu/1842624/A_brief_introduction_to_pluralistic_counselling_and_psychotherapy

Training, qualifications & experience

My Experience

I have many years counselling experience and began my training in 2006. I qualified as a counsellor in 2009 and went on to study for my Masters Degree which I completed in 2011 gaining a first class (A) pass.

I have been in private practice since 2013 and before that I gained a wealth of experience working for a local charitable agency seeing a wide variety of clients on a one to one basis. I work with adults aged 18+ and also have experience of facilitating therapeutic groups and teaching counselling skills part time at the University of Abertay. I have specific expertise in working with emotional eating problems and am a trained facilitator of the Understanding your Eating program http://www.understandingyoureating.co.uk/

Qualifications

Masters Degree (MSc) in Counselling (1st class) University of Abertay, Dundee.

Post Graduate Diploma in Counselling University of Abertay, Dundee.

Certificate in Counselling Skills, University of Abertay, Dundee:

N.C Criminology, Angus College

Introduction to Arts and Humanities, Open University

H.N.D Communications, Aberdeen College

Other Training and Experience

Advanced Certificate in Clinical Supervision (including online working) - Counselling Tutor (counsellorcpd.com)

Certificate in Online and Telephone Counselling, Counselling Tutor (counsellorcpd.com)

Trauma, the Brain and Recovery www.mindbodybreakthrough.net

Child Sexual Abuse - Hope for Healing (www.pods-online.org.uk)

Dissociation & D.I.D: The Fundamentals (www.pods-online.org.uk)

Treating GAD and Panic Disorders (mindbodyrecovery.co.uk)

Treating Intrusive Thoughts and the Inner Critical Voice (mindbodyrecover.co.uk)

Introduction to TRE (Trauma Release Exercises) - Pamela Martin, Bodyliving 

Introduction to Compassion Focused Therapy for Shame and Self-Critical Difficulties - Prof Paul Gilbert

Deaf Action - Deaf Awareness Training

Assist, Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training.

Advanced group leader training, Understanding Your Eating Program - Prof Julia Buckroyd

Group leader training, Introduction to Understanding Your Eating Program - Prof Julia Buckroyd

Research, Publications and Media

Featured as a contributor in this article on Binge Eating for www.popsugar.co.uk

https://www.popsugar.co.uk/fitness/what-is-binge-eating-46850819?utm_medium=redirect&utm_campaign=US:GB&utm_source=direct

Author -

The Effectiveness of a Psycho-Educational Intervention for Emotional Eating Problem, MSc in Counselling, University of Abertay Dundee, 2011.

Helping Clients Address Eating Problems (in The Handbook of Pluralistic Counselling and Psychotherapy, Sage Publications 2016) https://uk.sagepub.com/en-gb/eur/the-handbook-of-pluralistic-counselling-and-psychotherapy/book243250

Co-Author-

Factors influencing student nurse decisions to report poor practice witnessed while on placement,R. Ion, K. Smith,S. Nimmo, A.M. Rice, L. McMillan, Nurse Education Today, Feb 2015.

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

UNDERSTANDING YOUR EATING

For those struggling with emotional eating problems I can offer the Understanding your eating (UYE) programme on a one to one basis. UYE is a psycho-educational approach to emotional eating problems which was devised by Professor Julia Buckroyd. I have been fully trained by Julia to offer the programme and have extensive experience delivering this programme both in groups and in a one to one setting.

http://www.understandingyoureating.co.uk/

ONLINE COUNSELLING

I also have experience of delivering counselling online and am happy to discuss this option with you if you find attending sessions difficult at all.

Fees

£50.00 per session
Free initial telephone session

Additional information

Payment per face-to-face 60 minute session is £50 for individuals and £70 for couples

Online sessions £50 for 60 minutes
Telephone sessions £50 for 60 minutes

Initial 30 minute telephone consultation FREE on request.

Therapeutic emails also available, please ask me if you are interested in this option as costs vary.

Fees are payable by cash or bank transfer on a session-by-session basis on the day of the session. A fee of the cost of the session applies for late cancellations (48hrs or less) Some people prefer to pay for sessions as a block and I am happy to discuss payment options with you at an initial consultation.

I understand it can be difficult sometimes to find time for counselling between work and other commitments therefore I aim to be flexible where possible in terms of availability and will endeavour to provide a time which best suits us both.

Duration

Each session is 60 minutes long. Longer sessions are available on request (cost adjusted accordingly).

Between us we will decide how many sessions you may like to start out with. It is often helpful to check progress approximately every 4 sessions so that we can evaluate where we are in terms of your goals and your overall satisfaction with the counselling and decide from there how best to proceed.

Location

I have my own tranquil therapy room which is on the ground floor and accessible via a walled garden. The room offers a view of the garden and is very quiet and private. I am based in a central location in Montrose close to local shops and amenities with ample on street parking and several nearby car parks.

When I work

Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun
Morning
Afternoon
Evening
Night

Mon-Thurs appointments 9-5.30 and limited evenings (after 5.30pm). Enquiries typically answered mon-thurs 9am-5.30. Please note Friday/weekend enquiries may not be answered until Monday.

Further information

Supervision

As part of my commitment to counselling I receive regular monthly supervision from a trained Supervisor. One of their important roles is to ensure I am working ethically at all times and to maintain professional standards.

Click the link below for more information about the role of supervision

http://www.counsellingme.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/What-is-supervision.pdf

Client Testimonials

"I look backwards over life in a much more, well, clearer manner; I can see a lot more patterns of behaviour more clearly, I would say its opened doors of understanding of past history" (Male client)

"First of all I don’t criticise myself now, I don’t wake up in the morning and think “oh my god you look horrible!” now it has changed - I smile more, even if I look in the mirror I smile and I think it’s easier now to go through the day "(Female client on the Understanding your Eating Programme)

"The world revolved...just chocolate all round really and now the chocolate is further away and I'm just a real person and so yes it’s there, but it’s not controlling me” (Female client on the Understanding your Eating Programme)

Please feel free to get in touch and I will be happy to arrange a no-obligation brief telephone consultation to help you decide if counselling is right for you. You may also like to make an appointment for an initial consultation to discuss your concerns and find out how I might be able to help.


In Crisis?


Here are some useful numbers if you are in serious crisis and need immediate assistance:

Community Mental Health Team

  • Forfar/Kirriemuir: 01307 475239
  • Arbroath/Carnoustie/Monifieth: 01241 437200
  • Brechin/Montrose: 01356 692856

NHS 24

dial 111

Breathing Space

A confidential phone line for anyone in Scotland feeling low, anxious or depressed.- 0800838587

Samaritans

24hr helpline number children and adults 08457 90 90 90

Childline

24hr helpline for children and young people 08001111


Montrose, Angus, DD10

Type of session

In person
Online
Phone

Types of client

Adults
Older adults
Couples
Employee Assistance Programme

Online platforms

Zoom

Supervision

In person
Online
Phone

Pluralistically trained experienced counsellor & specialism in disordered eating issues.

View supervision profile

Social

Lynsey McMillan
Lynsey McMillan