About me
Face-to-Face, Online, home visiting and Walking Therapy Available in Bonnyrigg and Dalkeith
Hello, I'm Stuart.
Taking the first step towards counselling can feel daunting. You may have been carrying things on your own for a long time, wondering whether therapy could help, or whether anyone would really understand what you're going through. Reaching out takes courage, and I'm glad you're here.
My aim is to offer a warm, supportive space where you can speak openly and be met with understanding rather than judgment. People often tell me they find me easy to talk to and appreciate having somewhere they can simply be themselves without needing to explain, justify or hide parts of who they are.
Together, we'll work at a pace that feels right for you. Whether you're struggling with anxiety, low self-esteem, relationship difficulties, loss, feeling stuck, or the impact of difficult experiences from the past, therapy can provide a space to make sense of what you're carrying and explore new ways forward.
I have experience supporting people who have experienced childhood and adult trauma, and I understand how past experiences can continue to affect the way we think, feel and relate to ourselves and others. Alongside professional training, I also bring lived experience of neurodivergence, which has deepened my appreciation of the importance of feeling accepted and understood for who we are.
My practice is LGBTQ+ affirming and welcoming of diverse relationships, including polyamory and ethical non-monogamy. I value creating a space where people from all walks of life feel respected, safe and able to bring their whole selves into the room.
At the heart of therapy is the relationship we build together. Feeling heard, valued and understood can be a powerful starting point for change. I offer a free initial consultation so you can get a sense of how I work, ask any questions you may have, and decide whether I feel like the right fit for you.
Training, qualifications & experience
I qualified with a Masters degree in Counselling and Psychotherapy.
I have experience as a counsellor-psychotherapist for the NHS, helping clients work with a very wide range of problems. I am open to all clients within my scope of practice. I have experience with clients from the LGBQT community.
I am a trauma informed psychotherapist, which means I approach trauma in a safe manner.
Further Training and Continuous Professional Development:
Trauma Informed Therapy
- Intensive Course in Trauma-Informed Practice.
- Working with Survivors of Childhood Sexual Abuse.
- Complete Trauma Immersion.
- Treating trauma, complex PTSD and dissociative disorders.
- The dissociated self and autism.
- Integrative trauma treatment masterclass.
Gender, Sex and Relationship Diversity
- Certificate in Integrative Sex and Couples
- Gender, Sexual and Relationship Diversity in Modern Therapy.
- Polyamory (and Ethical Non-Monogamy) Aware Therapy Practice.
- New ways of thinking about and labelling: gender, sex, and relationship diversity.
- Autism
- Obsessive compulsive disorder: how can therapy help?
- Can therapy help clients make better relationship choices.
- Supervision around gender and sexual diversity clients.
- The function of binging.
- Using compassion and body awareness to help people make peace with food.
- An intervention led framework for self-harm.
- Addiction: a search for a secure base?
- 'Normal' and 'abnormal' eating in a world of plentiful food and body shape pre-conception.
- Attachment theory in 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
£55.00 per session
Concessions offered for
Additional information
Therapy sessions are available on at £55 per session.
I offer students and student counsellors therapy for £45 on weekdays.
I offer NHS Band 5 and below workers therapy for £45 on weekdays.
There is a charge for home visiting dependent on distance.
When I work
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