About me
At times we can feel confused, distressed, anxious, depressed, angry, and not understand what is happening to us. Sometimes it is difficult to speak with friends, or family, about what is troubling us. At times like these it can be helpful to speak to someone not involved in the situation, someone who listens to you and offers you the space to speak and give voice to what is inside, helping you to see more clearly where you are.
I would hope to offer a way of being and of working with my clients which helps create a safe space in which to build a relationship of trust in order that you may feel able to explore what concerns you and brings you to counselling.
As well as the training I have done over the past 27 years, and my experience of working with clients with a wide range of issues, I also bring to my work my self with my particular life experience of joys and sorrows, loss and bereavement, which make me who I am.
Training, qualifications & experience
I trained initially with the Tom Allan Centre in Glasgow in 1992-93, and then did a Diploma in Person-Centred Counselling at the University of Strathclyde, graduating in 2001. I have a Certificate in Person-Centred Supervision (2003) from the University of Newcastle.
My background is in Social Work in Glasgow in a variety of settings. I worked for many years in the Tom Allan Centre on a voluntary basis, both as a counsellor and supervisor. I worked from 2005 till 2008, initially as Senior Counsellor and then as Director of Counselling at Cairns Counselling Centre in Aberdeen. On returning to Glasgow I continued to work at the Tom Allan Centre until 2018 while also having a small private practice.
In 2011 I returned to Mauchline where I grew up. I have worked for four years as a Counsellor with Break the Silence with clients who are survivors of childhood sexual abuse whilst continuing to have a small private practice.
Member organisations

British Association for Counselling & Psychotherapy
BACP is one of the UK’s largest professional bodies for counselling and psychotherapy. Therapists registered with the Association fall into a number of different membership categories such as Individual Member, Registered Member MBACP and Registered Member MBACP (Accred), each standing for different levels of training and experience. MBACP (Accred) and MBACP (Snr Accred) members have achieved a substantial level of training and experience approved by the Association.
Registered members can be found on the BACP Register, which was the first register to achieve Accredited Voluntary Register status issued by the Professional Standards Authority. Individual Members will have completed an appropriate counselling and/or psychotherapy course and started to practise, but will not appear on the BACP Register until they've progressed to Registered Member MBACP status.
All members are bound by a Code of Ethics & Practice and a Complaints Procedure. Accredited by the Professional Standards Authority.
Accredited register membership

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.

Areas of counselling I deal with
Therapies offered
Fees
An hour's session for individual counselling costs £35 and for couples £40 per hour. I am happy to discuss a lesser fee if this would make receiving counselling more accessible.