Shona Mackay
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This professional is available for new clients.
This professional is available for new clients.
About me
Hello and thank you for visiting my profile. My name is Shona and I am a qualified Person-Centred Counsellor and Psychotherapist, based in Inverness.
Opening up to someone can be difficult and feel uncomfortable, so I aim to offer a safe, confidential, genuine and accepting environment where you can explore your thoughts, emotions and the challenges you are facing. A person-centred approach allows you to have control over the content and pace of your sessions, with no expectations or judgement. As we build our relationship, I want you to feel free and supported to disclose whatever is troubling you.
As your counsellor I am here to support you in your journey of personal growth, allowing you to explore and utilise your own strengths and personal identity. Eventually this will lead you to discover your own abilities and autonomy, so that you can cope with current and future problems.
Taking that first step can take a lot of courage. To help you feel secure and supported I offer a free 15 minute phone session. This gives us the opportunity to discuss what has brought you to counselling and any questions you have for me.
Please feel free to email me with any questions.
Training, qualifications & experience
My experience of counselling is in both an NHS setting and also working within the organisation, Addictions Counselling Inverness . Within these settings I have worked with adults of all ages with a wide range of issues including anxiety and depression, stress, family issues, physical and psychological abuse and bereavement.
Training and qualifications:
- Diploma in Person-Centred Counselling & Psychotherapy - University of the Highlands and Islands.
- Diploma in counselling children and young people - Essential Training Associates Ltd.
- COSCA Certificate in Counselling Skills - University of the Highlands and Islands
- BACP Online Counselling Primer - Open Learn Create, The Open University.
I am committed to continued personal and professional development, as part of this I have regular sessions with an experienced supervisor and undertake regular training.
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
£45.00 per session
Concessions offered for
Additional information
I accept cash or bank transfer.
Cancellations:
- If you cancel more than 48 hours in advance there is no fee.
- Cancellations between 24-48 hours require a £10 fee.
- Cancellations 24 hours or less may result in full payment being required.
When I work
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I have flexibility in my working hours, so please feel free to enquire.
Further information
Making sure you have the right counsellor is important to the process so I offer a free 15 minute phone call so we can connect, discuss what brings you to counselling and arrange a suitable day and time.
My working days are Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.
I offer in-person, phone or online sessions. In-person sessions are £45 and phone or online sessions are £40.
My counselling room is based in the city centre, welcoming clients from all over the highlands. Phone/online sessions are available to anyone in the UK.
The number of sessions is completely up to you. I'm happy to accommodate short and long-term needs. Sessions are one hour and usually on a weekly basis, but I am happy to discuss a fortnightly option.
