Counselling, therapy, psychotherapy and psychoanalysis are all forms of professional mental health support aimed at helping people overcome challenges, improve their mental health and enhance their quality of life.

They differ in focus, technique and approach. But the main difference is in the depth and duration of the work — counselling tends to be short term, goal oriented and deals with the present. Psychotherapy and psychoanalysis involve deeper, longer-term work, which explores the past and the present, as well as working to uncover unconscious processes.

All therapies involve active and empathetic listening by the therapist.

However, I feel that the therapeutic relationship between you and any therapist is as important as the approach they take.

Counselling: clients attend weekly sessions to address immediate challenges or crises; this approach is relatively short-term (perhaps 6-12 sessions).

Psychotherapy: clients also come to sessions once a week, but explore deeper emotional issues to understand why certain things are happening in the here and now. Due to the nature of this work, it tends to be longer–term (months or years).

Psychoanalysis: clients (called patients or analysands) attend mulitple sessions per week and continue analysis for many years. You may lie on a traditional analytic couch, with the analyst behind you, out of sight.

I take a psychodynamic approach. This is derived from traditional psychoanalysis — also stressing the importance of the unconscious processes along with past experiences to understand what’s going on now. This approach also explores the relationships in your life and how they have shaped who you are today.

First and foremost, I aim to build trusting relationships so that you feel able to talk about your life, exploring your feelings, thoughts and emotions. I draw from other theories and modalities when it is useful.

The BACP website has a useful guide outlining various modalities of counselling and therapy.

The important question is — do you want therapy?

Almost everyone would benefit from therapy at some point in their lives — you do not have to be in crisis to seek therapeutic help. If you’d like to find out how therapy feels, contact me for a free introductory conversation.

Therapy provides a safe and confidential space to help you process and manage emotional, psychological, or behavioural issues.

We meet weekly, ideally in person, at the same day and time each week, for 50 minute sessions. I listen, support, challenge and prompt to help you work through your challenges.

The success of any therapy depends on an individual’s participation and commitment.

The process generally involves:

• An initial assessment and information-gathering session.

• Taking time to establish our therapeutic relationship by building trust.

• Facilitating your emotional expression by encouraging self–exploration and self—awareness.

• Interpretations, interventions, observations and insights by me that can help you ‘join the dots’ between events and experiences in your life.

• Checking progress and eventually managing an planned ending that consolidates insights and gains.

This depends on you, your situation, commitment and resources.

For some people a few sessions (perhaps 4-6) can be enough to deal with a specific situation.

However, most clients attend for longer; I have worked with some clients for 3 years, until they felt better or needed a break to assimilate the work done so far.

Clients often return to therapy after a break, when they feel ready to address more or there's a new challenge in their life.

• An introductory phone call is free.

• My standard fee is £65 per 50 minute session. Initial sessions are also charged at this standard fee, but last up to 1.5 hours.

• For students, the unemployed and refugees I offer 6 sessions for £35 per session.

Please feel free to get in touch to discuss fees.

The first session is an opportunity for us to meet and see how working together might feel.

I start by outlining the terms of our therapeutic relationship, discussing my working agreeemnt so that everything is clear. for you.

I then gather information from you about what prompted you to seek therapy, your family and your background. We will also discuss your expectations of both therapy and a therapist. You can of course ask any questions that you have too.

Most importantly, the first session allows us to get a sense of each other, establishing a good foundation for our therapeutic relationship going forward.

Everything we discuss is confidential, with two exceptions:

• If you, or a vulnerable adult or child around you, is at risk of harm.

• Any legal or ethical reasons including crime.

In such instances, I discuss the situation with my clinical supervisor and if it is necessary to involve a third party, you would be notified.

Therapy provides professional, impartial support for your mental, emotional and psychological wellbeing. The ideal outcome is that you feel better and can live a more congruent, content and fulfilling life.

Therapy is:

• A safe and confidential space to explore and understand your thoughts, and emotions.

• A space for self–reflection and self–exploration to gain a deeper understanding of yourself, your motivations and behaviours.

• A place to communicate with trust.

• A supportive, empathetic environment to process and heal past traumas, allowing you to move forward with reduced emotional burdens.

• A space to enhance your self–esteem and self–confidence.

• An opportunity to break unhealthy, unhelpful patterns.

• A chance to make positive changes.

• We are required to have an undergraduate degree (I have a BSc in Computer Science and Psychology).

• Further required studies include a counselling skills foundation course plus a postgraduate diploma / masters.

• During my studies I completed 120 hours of clinical practice as a trainee on placement. My placements were at Bright Light (Relationships Scotland) and Edinburgh University’s Student Counselling Service.

• I am a registered member of the BACP, working towards accreditation; I follow their guidelines on ethics and good practice.

• I undertake regular clinical supervision, both group and individual.

• I also undertake at least 30 hours of professional development each year to develop my knowledge, theory and practice.

• Finally, I am insured by Hiscox.

Always check that your therapist is a registered member of a governing body, like the BACP in the UK.

More about my qualifications and experience here.