About me
Hello, I’m Ruth. I’m a person-centred counsellor based in Edinburgh, with a particular interest and experience in grief, loss and the changes and transitions we find ourselves navigating throughout life.
I believe there is no right way to feel, cope or respond when life becomes difficult. Grief, relationships, identity, endings, beginnings and everything in between can leave us feeling a little less sure of ourselves and the life we thought we understood.
Sometimes we know exactly what has brought us to counselling. Other times, something just feels off. You might be experiencing anxiety or overwhelm, questioning something about yourself or your relationships, navigating a significant change, or simply looking for somewhere to properly talk about what's going on.
Working from a person-centred perspective means keeping you and your experience at the heart of our work together. I want to understand what life feels like from where you are, rather than assuming I already know. I'll be alongside you with warmth, empathy and curiosity, listening closely, asking questions and paying attention to what feels important as it emerges.
You may find yourself feeling conflicted about what you want or how you feel, or noticing a gap between what you know rationally and how you feel emotionally. Counselling offers an opportunity to explore these experiences together, make sense of what you're going through and develop a greater understanding of yourself.
Grief and bereavement
Much of my counselling experience has been within bereavement services, including hospice and charity settings. It's work that has taught me a lot about grief, but also about relationships, identity and what it means to find ourselves living a life that perhaps looks different from the one we imagined.
Loss rarely exists neatly on its own. It can change the way we understand ourselves, our relationships and our place in the world. There can be grief for what we have lost, but also for the routines, roles, possibilities and imagined futures that existed alongside them.
There is no set timeline or right way for grief to unfold. Whether your loss is recent or something you have been living with for many years, I'll meet you wherever you are in that experience.
You don't have to be grieving to work with me. Whatever brings you to counselling, we can start there.
Training, qualifications & experience
I hold an MSc in Counselling and Psychotherapy and practise from a person-centred approach.
My clinical training and experience have included counselling within several bereavement services across Edinburgh where I have supported people navigating grief, loss and significant life changes.
Alongside my clinical work, I bring experience from a range of professional settings, which has contributed to my understanding of the different pressures, expectations and transitions people encounter in everyday life.
I am a member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) and work in accordance with its Ethical Framework. I undertake regular clinical supervision and continuing professional development to support my practice.
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
£35.00 - £60.00
Additional information
- Initial consultation: Free, 15 minutes
- Individual counselling: £60 per 50-minute session
- Student concession: £35 per 50-minute session
I offer a limited number of reduced-fee spaces for students, subject to availability.
Counselling is open-ended, with regular opportunities to review our work together. There is no requirement to commit to a fixed number of sessions.
A 48-hour cancellation policy applies. Further information about fees, cancellations and session arrangements will be provided before we begin working together.
Further information
I offer a free, informal 15-minute introductory consultation. This gives us an opportunity to meet, talk a little about what has brought you to counselling and see whether working together feels right for you. You're also welcome to ask any questions about me, my approach or how counselling works.
If you decide to go ahead, our first full session will last 50 minutes. We'll spend some time getting to know one another, discussing our counselling agreement and exploring what you might hope to gain from our work together.
There's no expectation to share everything in your first session, or even to know exactly what you want to talk about. Some people arrive with a clear understanding of what's troubling them, while others simply know that something doesn't feel quite right.
I offer open-ended counselling, with regular opportunities to review how our work together is feeling and whether it's meeting your needs.
Sessions are available in Edinburgh and online. Please get in touch to enquire about current availability and arrangements.
