Maggie Costella

Hello and welcome here.

I am an Integrative Counsellor, who has a special interest in working with people who have experienced Trauma or had difficult early starts in life. I offer Internal Family Systems & Integrative Counselling. Adults/inperson/online.

I have over 25 years experience working in this field and I bring a wealth and depth of knowledge and experience to my work. 

I work relationally. This means the relationship we build together during our sessions, is just as important as the models I have trained in and offer.

As an Integrative Counsellor, I have trained in several different models of Counselling, these include Internal Family Systems Level 1 &2, Polyvagal Theory, Psychodynamic & Egan. 

With expereince in a few Counselling models to work with allows you to find a way to work together that's a 'best fit' for you and what you bring.

My original training was in Psychodynamic Counselling. I have since completed many other trainings, to allow me to understand myself and work with people who have experienced Trauma, or had difficult early attachments to their parent or caregiver.

I like to work creatively, if thats for you?

I really enjoy my work and often have a few other Counsellors, Psychotherapists, Psychologists or Energy workers as part of my client group. 

Counselling for Trauma

I understand that seeking professional help and sharing at this level is a powerful and courageous step to take. I will be mindful of where you are at on your journey and we will work together at your pace.

The therapeutic space I co-create is a safe, non judgemental place, to come and start and/or continue to explore what is currently troubling you.

IFS is the main model I am drawn to work in my Counselling Practice as I have seen profound results with it both personally and professionally. 

Complex Trauma & Difficult Early Attachment

Complex Trauma & Developmental Trauma comes under many guises and often goes alongside growing up with a difficult or disrupted early attachment to a parent or caregiver. This Trauma is passed down unconsciously through parent/carers own unresolved, unhealed Trauma parts. 

Resulting in significant times in childhood when you were not seen, heard or acknowledged and or you had difficult later life experiences too.

Together they result in complex trauma that comes from a variety of sources. These days we can also understand Trauma as individual, generational or collective.

If this is part of your experience, you may be experiencing some of the following?

Or in IFS language, these are some of the different parts of you and what they hold.

• Anxiety
• Panic
• Stress
• Depression
• Suicidal Thoughts
• Anger/Rage
• Addiction(s)
• Emotional abuse
• Sexual abuse
• Post-traumatic stress disorder (ptsd)
• cPTSD – complex post traumatic stress
• Relationship issues
• Self Harm
• Bereavement
• Mood swings

Unfinished Business

I believe coming to therapy is about exploring our unfinished business.

I also believe, most therapeitic work is the work of grief or loss or change. Any or all of these, that were not witnessed, held, seen or believed.

All our unresolved life experiences and our early attachment patterns are deeply etched in the neuroplasticity of our brains, it’s hard wired if you like.

These patterns repeat physiologically and make us who we are in the present moment time and result in current symptoms. If our symptoms and these old patterns or ways of relating are triggered, this is usually what drives us to seek help.

Sessions

Sessions are in the main weekly to start with, fortnightly sessions may be possible if there is another client who also wishes the same arrangement at same time. 

From August 2026, I will be working in person on Fridays from a beautiful office in Cupar or on Tuesdays online, with Adult clients. 

I hold professional membership with COSCA (Counselling & Psychotherpay in Scotland)

Creative

I really enjoy being creative in my work and if this is for you we can include this in our work together if that suits you.

Working creatively, I use a variety of creative means, to enable clients to have a better understanding of their current situation e.g. drawing, visualisation and naming parts -all of which help externalise the issue and allow meaning that is beyond words.

I have Neurodivergent parts who find the written word challenging.

My pronouns are she/they.

There is a lot more information on my website. I invite you to explore it
maggiecostella.com

Please get in touch

If you feel connected to anything written there, please don’t hesitate to be in touch and we can organise a complimentary zoom call, to begin to explore if it feels right to begin to work together.

With best wishes, Maggie

I offer a free 20/30 minute chat by zoom before sessions can commence, please email me to arrange this. Thank you.

I have a sliding scale for payment-

• Internal Family Systems/Counselling £50/55/60
• Sessions last between 50 to 60 mins. 
• Payment in advance or on the day of the appointment, Cash or Bank Transfer - BACS.

Thank you