Female Counselling in Edinburgh, SCT

I work with individuals aged 12 and up at the moment. You may have issues with anxiety or trauma and are looking for ways to regulate yourself and work through the trauma. There may be attachment issues established in childhood that have been unhelpful in adulthood. Perhaps you require a confidential place to process distressing things you have experienced, or somewhere to take ownership of your story and change your narrative.

At Summerside Counselling we can help with issues including stress, anxiety, depression, loss, and low self esteem amongst many others. Our experienced counsellors are fully qualified and offer effective and affordable counselling. We can help you explore your thoughts and feelings, allowing you to have a better understanding of yourself which in turn brings acceptance and healing.

I offer professional psychotherapy and counselling services to adult clients and teenagers who are experiencing psychological distress or living with mental health conditions such as anxiety, depression, trauma, grief, stress, and/ or chronic illnesses. The ultimate goal is to empower my clients to excel themselves with self-compassion and confidence and to live a life with pride, respect and love to self and others. I strive to serve with heart and create a safe and secure space for my clients to excel with mental health wisdom and confidence.

Here is a safe place where you can bring what’s on your mind and together we can make sense of it to find a clearer way forward. Sometimes troubles can feel too stuck or confusing to find words for. In sessions with me, along with words, we can use art materials, or any to hand objects, like a pencil, a piece of paper or string to express what is happening for you. This can give a cathartic sense of difficulties as if lifted from you and shared. Working together in this way can support new ways of thinking and improve relationships through increased self-awareness and emotional mastery.

Having worked in the field of mental health for over 26 years, I have a deep understanding of the challenges people are faced with on a daily basis. How we experience these challenges can become overwhelming and we can feel alone, helpless and disconnected. There may be times when it's useful to seek help outside of your current circle of support by talking with a counsellor and I can help you find new ways to explore and manage the difficulties you are experiencing. I work with individuals & couples to offer short-term counselling to address immediate concerns, and long term counselling to address complex issues.

People usually come to therapy when they feel that they no longer have the ability to deal with the difficulties they are experiencing, or maybe when they identified a pattern in their behaviour that creates suffering, when many emotions or thoughts come at the same time and make it impossible to cope with them, when they want to learn about themselves and get deep down to get a better relationship with oneself, when the previous ways of coping and support by friends and relatives are not enough to offer them the solutions and relief they seek. Either the reason to come to therapy, it's valid because it's your own.

Have you ever thought, "why do I act like this? Why do I think this way? I wish I didn't!" You are not alone, but it is not always easy to discuss these things with friends or family. Exploring how past and present intersect can help you understand why you respond the way you do. I help my clients to discover who they are and how that is linked to their past. In counselling jargon, this is called psychodynamic work. You can gain insight into patterns of behaviour or thoughts, which is the first step towards changing them. This is not about managing symptoms but addressing the underlying cause.

Are you finding it all too much? Stressed out? Not sure which direction to take? Or maybe you are struggling with isolation or lack of confidence in social situations? Maybe you are dealing with being neuro-diverse (ADHD or autism) in a neuro-typical world? Perhaps you want to be more your authentic self or make a transition in your life? Are you trying to cope with a difficult situation such as grief, loss, illness, caring or a break up? In all these situations I can listen to you, support you and help you to find ways forward.

Has your child anxiety? Sensory or motor issues? Struggles at school? Can you cope with these? Have you had any assessment and/without medication but it seems not to be enough? Your child might have ADHD, Dyslexia, development delay or something else, but solutions offered do not improve their quality of life? Primitive reflexes integration therapy can help. Neuroscience techniques are developing quickly nowadays, and therapies based on neuroplasticity stimulation are under science research giving great results.

I provide a welcoming and therapeutic environment for adults and young people over the age of 16 who are struggling with a range of mental health difficulties, to help them explore and make sense of the experiences they have had. Through the use of evidence-based psychological therapy I aim to work collaboratively with people to improve their daily functioning and help them build skills to live the life they want to achieve. I use a number of therapeutic approaches in my work including Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Compassion Focussed Therapy and systemic approaches.

Thank you for taking the time to read my profile. Maybe you’re looking for psychotherapy for yourself, or for someone you care about. In the 34 years I’ve been a practicing psychotherapist I know that people usually try a variety of things before they finally reach out and contact a professional. It feels awful, frustrating and overwhelming to feel stuck. One of the things I love about my work is coming alongside someone and helping them find their unique way of becoming free from that stuck place.

My approach to working with clients is honest, genuine, straightforward. I am gentle when required to be and direct and challenging when I’m needed to be. I am warm, engaging and have a great sense of humour! We will work together to make you more self aware and able to find a way forward .

I am a Person-Centred counsellor, which means I work collaboratively with you to develop a personalised approach that fits your unique needs. I especially enjoy supporting individuals dealing with ADHD, Autism, navigating questions of identity and sexuality, or struggling with work stress and burnout. I'm committed to working with neurodivergent clients in a neuro-affirming way, valuing their unique experiences and strengths. I also strive to create a safe and affirming space for LGBTQAI+ individuals and members of other marginalised communities.

"The effort to become human is among the very few things in a person's life that may over time come to feel more important to him than his personal survival" (T Ogden 1997). I am a professionally qualified and experienced psychodynamic psychotherapist, counsellor and supervisor. I have undertaken extensive continued professional development which has included training in the Dynamics of Attachment in Adult Life; Therapeutic Assessment; Infant Observation and Therapeutic Supervision. I have a particular interest in the relationship between shame and trauma.

I work with individuals and couples, specialising in relationship counselling, sex therapy and sex addiction & compulsivity therapy. As a relationship counsellor, I support couples with various complex issues, including dealing with the impact of porn addiction on their relationship.

When we are trying to make sense of our situation or understand ourselves, we may feel we need someone to hear us. It could be something in particular that is causing you difficulties such as anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, low self confidence, bereavement or relationship issues (family, personal or work). Or it can be a feeling of uncertainty, something about how you are feeling isn't quite right. We are all part of an interconnected world influenced by and influencing our relationships and situations. For this reason I give attention to what is happening now, your personal history, life situation and narrative.

I get that it’s not easy to ask for support and admit to vulnerability. I view therapy as as a journey of discovery, healing and growth. Through 'experiential learning' and 'dialogue' we will work with your ‘embodied awareness’ of ‘how’ you are in relationships, ‘how’ you make choices and ‘how’ you co-create your world. We will look at where you feel 'stuck' and what seems 'difficult'; we will 'stay with' the feelings and complexity that may unfold. I believe change happens organically when we have enough 'support', fully acknowledge the situation we are in, and commit to work.If that resonates with you, please contact me.

It’s a big step to come to therapy, especially if you’ve had a lifetime of feeling different and not understood or heard. Maybe you experience anxiety and it’s starting to impact your life? Perhaps you have poor self-esteem and would like to set better boundaries? Have you or someone you care about recently received an autism or ADHD diagnosis and you’re having complicated feelings, not sure what to do now? Are you keen to please others but really harsh on yourself? I regularly work with people who answer 'yes' to these types of question.

I am a fully qualified and BACP-registered counsellor. I am dedicated to offering you a space of psychological safety, compassion and genuine human connection within my therapeutic practice. In a world where feeling truly heard can be a rarity, I believe in the profound healing power of real conversation and empathetic listening.