Shona MacPherson
Verified Professional
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Counsellor and Life Coach (Dip.Couns)
Every professional displayed on Counselling Directory has been independently verified by our team to ensure they have suitable credentials to practise.
About me
I offer counselling to help you bring about effective change in your life. This could be changes in your actions, changes in the way you think, or most likely both.
The types of things people work with me on
The types of stuckness people often want to work on are sadness and depression, body image issues, anxiety, grief, stress, low self confidence and boredom with life.
What do we actually do?
In the first couple of sessions we’ll work on an assessment to get a clear picture of what’s bothering you and what you'd like to get from therapy. The assessment is part of the work and will help you gain more insight into what you are struggling with.
From here we’ll explore in more depth, working together to help you gain more understanding, find new perspectives and learn new skills, helping you move closer towards the way you want to live and be in the world.
What type of counsellor am I?
I’m an integrative counsellor which means I draw on different approaches to counselling depending on your needs. My training and experience is both in behavioural and humanistic counselling (Acceptance Commitment Therapy and Person Centred Counselling).
I'm led by you and what you bring. This doesn't mean I sit and nod and repeat things back at you the whole session (like the cliche from the movies). I'll work hard with you to navigate the situation you are feeling stuck in. Our work will be very practical, including practical exercises if you are willing.
Getting started
Email me to arrange an initial appointment. In this appointment we will explore together what you are looking to work on and I'll explain more about how I work. From here we can decide if we'd be a good fit to continue to work together.
*NB If you do email me and you don't hear back from me within 24 hours in the working week, please check your spam folder.
I'm passionate about the natural world and the importance of our connection with it. I offer counselling outdoors if you prefer this way of working. Or, if we work indoors or on Zoom, we can still find ways to bringingnature connection into the work, if this is of interest to you.
You can read more about my outdoor counselling offering on my website: http://shonacounselling.co.uk/counselling-outdoors/
Training, qualifications & experience
Training, qualifications & experience
I originally trained and worked as an nurse and then as an aid worker overseas. I was in my early 30s when I embarked on my counselling training. My formal qualifications in counselling are:
Post Graduate Diploma in Counselling (Person Centred and Existential Therapy).
Thames Valley University, London. 2008-2010
Certificate in the Integration of Cognitive Behavioural Skills.
The Grove, London. 2011.
Introduction to ACT (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy).
Praxis Online. March 2020.
ACT for Depression and Anxiety Disorders.
Psychwire online. April 2020.
DBT Skills Psychwire online. April 2020.
Taking Therapy Outdoors Certificate. Centre for Natural Reflection, Hayley Marshall, PTSTA. Taking Therapy Outdoors. October 2020
ACT for Trauma Psychwire online. (June 2020).
Registered MemberBACP British Association of Counsellors and Psychotherapist. 380820
Professional Member of Association for Contextual Behavioral Science (ACBS)
Member organisations
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.
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
Other areas of counselling I deal with
- Nature connection.
- Connection with values.
- Motivation.
- Making peace with your relationship with your body.
- Making peace with your relationship with food.
Therapies offered
Photos & videos
Fees
£45.00 per session
Concessions offered for
Additional information
£45 per 50 minute session.
When I work
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I currently have availability to take on new clients. I work Tuesdays, Wednesday and Thursdays 8am to 7pm.
Further information
I work in person in Inverness and also via Zoom for people who live further a field.
Some clients who live in more remote parts of the Highlands choose to do a mix of Zoom and in person sessions and this works well.
I strive to be aware of, and to challenge my own assumptions and biases. I actively seek to create spaces – both in-person and online – that are inclusive. I seek to be anti racist. I seek to be LGBTQ supportive.
