Stuart Morgan-Ayrs BA BSc BA MSc(Psy) FRSSA FRSPH FNCP FICP

Training, qualifications & experience

Registrations:

• CNHC Registered (Complementary and Natural Healthcare Council)
  (voluntary regulator and PSA AR under Hypnotherapy)
• Fully accredited Fellow of the National Council of Psychotherapists
• Fellow of the International Council of Psychotherapists
• Accredited Practitioner of the National Association of Counsellors Hypnotherapists and Psychotherapists
• Full Practitioner member of the Federation of Holistic Therapists
• Mindfulness Association: Mindfulness including Compassion and Acceptance-based
• Fellow of the Royal Society of Public Health: Psycho-education and Public Health
• Guild of Holistic Therapists (Body-mind work: Acupressure and Seated Massage)
• UKAHPP Ordinary level Practitioner, Psychotherapeutic Counsellor, only applies to humanistic work.

I have regular personal therapy and engage in professional development training and supervision. My primary registrations for psychotherapy, psychoanalysis, counselling and hypnotherapy are with the National Council of Psychotherapists (Fellow) and National Association of Counsellors Hypnotherapists and Psychotherapists (full accredited practitioner).

My background and qualifications:

After completing a BSc(Hons) in IIT specialising in human resources and analytic modelling including SSADM, I began my therapy training post graduation: I trained 1993-96 with a diploma in Humanistic, psychodynamic and Cognitive behavioural psychoanalysis and clinical hypnotherapy. Externally validated via City & Guilds NVQ (Part 1 Mini award C21, D32, Part 2 C25, Part 3 Full level 4). T&D level 4 (QCF level 5). This is an approved CHNC PSA AR route (Hypnotherapy via SSM). This was a graduate level award.

Further accreditation 1999-2002 NACHP (National Association of Counsellors Hypnotherapists and Psychotherapists) in humanistic counselling, cognitive behavioural therapy, psychoanalysis, and clinical hypnotherapy. Humanistic component designed in conjunction with HIPC. CHNC PSA AR route (Hypnotherapy). This was above level 5 and a post graduate level award.

More recent accreditation process with the National Council of Psychotherapists, and their sister organisation the International Council of Psychotherapists (for international work), first as a Senior Accredited Practitioner, and then promoted to Fellow. CHNC PSA AR route (Hypnotherapy). Areas: Psychoanalysis, Humanistic Counselling, Clinical Hypnotherapy, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and Life Coaching.

Extensive personal and professional training and study of eastern psychology including Mindfulness. Listed on the FHT (Federation of Holistic Therapists) who also hold a PSA AR as a practitioner providing Hypnotherapy, EMMETT and Mindfulness Therapy, and on their PSA AR under Hypnotherapy.

I am a registered practitioner with the Mindfulness Association, requiring me to commit personally and professionally to ongoing and daily mindfulness practice. I am therefore actively engaged in practising what I preach!

I have completed University certificate of education (undergrad) certification with the University of Lampeter, and Edinburgh University in related subjects. Additional study includes a BA(Hons) Open in Philosophy, politics and psychology topics, a BA (Hons) in Philosophy and Psychology, and a MSc Psychology. MSc speciality areas: identity and neurology (brain and behaviour)

CPD level awards include:  Life coaching (lvl 3), NLP (lvl 3), psychotherapy (lvl 2 & 4), Grief counselling (lvl 3), Hypnotherapy (lvl 4), Sidereus Hypnosis, Mental Health (lvl 4), MBCT, MBSR, Mindfulness, CBT, meditation. Psycho-education qualifications include NVQ Level 4 T&D in context of complementary health education. Fellow of the Royal Society of Public Health. Fellow of the Institute of Health Promotion and Education.

Body work trained a seated Acupressure massage practitioner (Diploma qualified) and a Chi Gung Practitioner (Lvl 3) and Martial Artist (5th Dan).

I have completed extensive complex PTSD training updates and continue to do so. I am particularly focused on Trauma based training updates since this is a specialist area of mine.

Every year I usually complete more than 100 hours of Continuous professional development, often largely at university, otherwise specific clinical and holistic therapy awards. I also receive ongoing supervision and personal therapy.

Other areas of counselling I deal with

I am also I have a particular interest in different cultural groups and their intersection (I specialised in identity and neurology in my MSc Psychology), and frequently work with different faiths, gender identities, non neurotypical, and sexual identities such as LGBT*, BDSM, Queer, Kink and people who have worked within strong cultural industries such as the security forces, health professions and Armed forces. I have contributed journal articles on political ethics, institutionalised attitudes, politics of the industry, cognitive behavioural analysis, and regulation, as well as several clinical reviews.

I am also involved in complex PTSD ongoing training and research.

I am also very interested in different identity areas, gender, history, ethnicity, sexuality and personal development.

Search Terms include:

• Complex PTSD holistic treatment
• Complex PTSD Edinburgh
• Complex PTSD Falkirk
• Complex PTSD Scotland
• Anger Management Edinburgh
• Anger Management Falkirk
• Anger management Scotland
• Identity Psychoanalysis Edinburgh
• Identity Psychoanalysis Falkirk
• Identity Psychoanalysis Scotland
• Polyvagal theory based therapy
• Mindfulness based therapy
• Compassion based therapy
• Acceptance based therapy

Further information

The therapy process:

The process of therapy is often likened to a journey. The therapist accompanies the client(s) on a journey of self-discovery and change, hopefully leading to personal development and resolution of issues. The word therapist comes from the meaning of a person walking with someone. This journey is often broken down into three stages: Self-awareness (working out what is going on / has happened), self-acceptance (letting go of self-blame, guilt and anger), and self-responsibility (positive change processes). The Journey tends to go through these stages repeatedly as progress is made. Some clients only need short term interventions of 6-18 sessions, other clients have long term or deep-rooted problems that require long term work together. Either way regular attendance, usually weekly or fortnightly is required to “keep the conversation live” (maintain the clinical effectiveness and momentum of change).

• Trauma, PTSD and Complex PTSD. I have particular interest and experience in working with all forms of trauma, from Child sexual abuse and Domestic violence to other sexual violence, incest, psychological violence and Battlefield Trauma
• Clinical cases: if you have a diagnosis such as anxiety or depression, then we can have a conversation about how various therapy methods might be appropriate.
• Non-clinical counselling. I welcome cases of personal development, identity and self understanding, and respond with analytic and cognitive behavioural models as appropriate.
• I combine Eastern and Western philosophy and psychology models. This includes mindfulness, acceptance, compassion based models such as MBCT and MBSR.
• Student counselling and psychotherapy -  Part of my client base at any one time is about one-third students, and I have personal experience of graduate and postgraduate study.
• LGBT* BDSM Queer Kink and non-traditional (see below) is a speciality area
• Non-neuro typical e.g. dyslexia stress, high functioning adult autism etc also a speciality.
• I only deal with weekly or fortnightly committed clients willing to engage on a regular basis, booking their slot and understanding our policy of
  "your time is yours to attend or miss, but it is charged for"

Multimodal is similar to integrative therapy, in that it combined multiple therapy models where appropriate. However, where Integrative therapists are often core trained in one model and use others as well, Multi-Modal therapists are core trained in MULTIPLE CORE MODELS. In my case, I am NACHP fully accredited in:

• Psychoanalytic (psychodynamic, hypnoanalytic / analytical hypnotherapy, cognitive behavioural analytic, systems analytic, mindfulness-based analytic),
• Cognitive behavioural (CBT, CBASP, MBCT, CBH, DBT),
• Humanistic (eastern and western psychology models including mindfulness and Zen mindfulness: Naikan, Morita, Satori), and
• Clinical hypnotherapy (hypno-analysis or analytic hypnotherapy, Ericksonian and cognitive behavioural). I am especially experienced and interested in hypnoanalytic and psycho-analytic work. Hypnosis based psychoanalysis is very useful in processing repressed trauma, and body-mind linked information.

Voluntary Positions and professional life:

I am actively involved in the politics of our profession as a member of the Alliance of Counselling and Psychotherapy and the Psychotherapy and Counselling Union. I have held several roles for professional bodies in advisory, board, development and ethics capacities, and am currently the Scotland Representative of the NACHP, and on the Advisory Board of the SFT Register.

I am also a voluntary rep with the PCU (Psychotherapy and Counselling Union)

I am published in a major work on the future of the profession by John Lees, and I regularly contribute journal articles to publications including Self and Society, where I have a regular column. If you search for Stuart Morgan-Ayrs online you will be able to easily see mention of my journal publications.

• Also registered with Hypnotherapy Directory