Shelagh Dougall

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COSCA (Accred.), Reg. MBACP (Accred.)
Available for new clients
Available for new clients

This professional is available for new clients.

Kirkliston EH29 & Dunfermline KY11
Available for new clients
Available for new clients

This professional is available for new clients.

About me

I work with clients face-to-face, online and by telephone, whatever you are most comfortable with. 

Our work together will always be tailored to you as an individual and to whatever it is you choose to talk about each week.

Sometimes people come saying, "this is what's going on with me, but I don't know why". In this case, counselling is a bit like detective work, working things out together.

Other times, people are very clear what is wrong or why and can feel stuck or hopeless. Then, counselling is more about helping you to work through all that is happening with you. In this case, it is likely that you will achieve improved mood, functioning and outlook over time.

I work with adults, young people and children. Sometimes people only need to come for a few weeks while others prefer to work over the longer term.

Here are some comments made by clients in our final evaluation session (shared with permission).

"Counselling is a place to talk about problems without being judged...a safe place to do this."

"I feel like I'm moving forward with my life."

"People told me that counselling was mumbo jumbo but it worked!"

"I am a more happy and confident individual and I can deal with tough situations with people/myself more easily. I've changed so much."

"I'm surprised at how quickly I managed to go back to feeling like myself."

"it helps you to talk about things that happened in the past or broken friendships."

"Counselling is something that can allow you to focus more on yourself despite everything else in your life. It gives you a chance to realise or understand more about yourself."

I have two ways of working. One is brief focal therapy, where we work together on a particular issue (perhaps anxiety, grief, friendship/family/relationship issues, bullying, self-harm, work or exam stress). Usually, there is a marked improvement in a short space of time (typically 3-6 weeks). The other way of working is over the longer term, perhaps even over a number of years, where we are able to work on deeper, longer-term issues. I have successfully worked with clients with, for example, PTSD, complex PTSD, alcohol issues, suicidal ideation/intent and issues arising from childhood sexual abuse.

Please feel free to contact me for an informal discussion about what is concerning you and to see if you would like to work with me.

Training, qualifications & experience

I completed the Postgraduate Certificate in Counselling at Edinburgh University in 2011 and then the COSCA (the Scottish professional body for counsellors and psychotherapists) Diploma in Counselling in 2013.

I am an Accredited practitioner with both COSCA (the professional body for counsellors and psychotherapists in Scotland), and BACP (the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy).

I worked in Primary schools for 2 years with Place2be and in secondary schools for the last 3 years. I also worked at Safe Space in Dunfermline for 4 years.

I have worked with individuals and couples in private practice since 2017.

I offer brief focal therapy as well as long-term work, with men as well as women.

Member organisations

Registered / Accredited

Registered / Accredited

Being registered/accredited with a professional body means an individual must have achieved a substantial level of training and experience approved by their member organisation.

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.

COSCA
College of Sexual and Relationship Therapists (COSCA)

COSCA is the professional body for counselling and psychotherapy in Scotland, and seeks to advance all forms of counselling and psychotherapy and the use of counselling skills by promoting best practice and through the delivery of a range of sustainable services. COSCA Counsellor Accreditation is a pathway to entry onto the UKRC.

It is a requirement of all individual and organisational members of COSCA to abide by its Statement of Ethics and Code of Practice and be accountable to the Complaints Procedure. Accredited by the Professional Standards Authority.

Accredited register membership

College of Sexual and Relationship Therapists
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.

College of Sexual and Relationship Therapists
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

Photos & videos

Fees

£55.00 per session

Concessions offered for

  • Low income

Health Insurance/EAP

  • Aviva
  • Axa Health

Additional information

My fee is £55 per session, however, I am very happy to discuss with you what you feel you can afford.

I charge £70 a session for couple work. 

I charge £85 per session for individuals through insurers and EAPs.

When I work

At the moment I am unable to take on new clients. 

Further information

I am a person-centred practitioner which I combine with various techniques or tools as appropriate to the presenting issues. So I might use CBT or mindfulness or relaxation techniques or sand-tray or other creative methods, for example, depending on the issues you raise. I will explain what I think and work with you on the way forward for you.

I prefer to work from home in Kirkliston (see photos of my work-space, above). I also have arrangements for access to counselling rooms in Edinburgh (near the university), Livingston and Dunfermline (also photo above). The Dunfermline practice is based at Hospital Hill and not the area shown here by Google Maps.

I particularly enjoy working with students, young people and children.

Much of my work has been with clients who have been deeply affected by childhood trauma (eg, sexual abuse). I am keen to continue working with people affected by trauma and would also like to work with other members of the family where one or more members have been affected by trauma (eg, parent, sibling).

In couple work, I understand the fear of being blamed for the situation and so aim for a blame-free environment. I work to give each of you the attention I would give an individual client so that I can work to find out exactly what your issues are with each another. From there, I draw up a list of issues along with any potential solutions which have been identified. It is very much a solution-focused approach on top of a person-centred foundation. Previous couples have taken 5-7 sessions of work together. If the issues are more complicated and likely to take longer, I will be able to flag this at the first session. You are not tied in and can stop at any time.

Kirkliston, Edinburgh, EH29

Dunfermline, KY11

Type of session

In person
Online
Phone

Types of client

Children
Young people
Adults
Older adults
Couples
Employee Assistance Programme

Key details

PVG Scheme

In Scotland, criminal records checks are carried out by Disclosure Scotland. Professionals working with children or vulnerable adults must join the Protecting Vulnerable Groups (PVG) Scheme. You can learn more at mygov.scot , or contact this professional directly.

Wheelchair user access
Wheelchair user access

Wheelchair-accessible premises should have step-free access for wheelchair users and individuals who are unable to climb stairs. If a Counsellor's premises aren't step-free, they may offer alternative services such as telephone/web-based appointments, home visits, or meeting clients in different location, so you can choose the option that suits you best.

You can contact the Counsellor to discuss the options available.

Under the Equality Act 2010 service providers have a duty to make reasonable adjustments to ensure that individuals with disabilities can access their service. You can read more about reasonable adjustments to help you to access services on the CAB website.

Online platforms

Whatsapp
Zoom

Supervision

In person
Online
Phone

As a supervisor I am person-centred and collegiate in style. I aim to offer a safe place for you to discuss and reflect on your client work.

View supervision profile

Shelagh Dougall
Shelagh Dougall