Counselling and psychotherapy in Glasgow and beyond: a space for healing and growth.
Therapy can offer so much when we need it most: warmth, empathy, compassion, guidance, support, even wisdom.
At its heart, therapy is relational. It’s about the genuine connection we build together, so that you can deepen your relationship with yourself and strengthen the connections you have with others.
My therapeutic approach: person-centred, empathic, collaborative.
I work as a person-centred therapist in Glasgow and online, which means empathy, authenticity, and unconditional acceptance are at the heart of my practice. My aim is to build a strong, trusting relationship with you so we can work together, drawing on both my knowledge and your own insight into your inner world. While my personal experience tells me that being in such a relationship is affirming and healing, scientific evidence also shows that it can be truly transformative.
I believe we all have the power within us not just to cope with difficulties but to thrive. Therapy is about discovering this power through shared exploration of any issues you want to bring.
Finding the right therapist for you
It’s important to work with a therapist who feels like the right fit for you. Therapy is an enormously rewarding but sometimes challenging journey, and you’ll want someone you can trust to accompany and support you along the way. To help you decide, I offer a brief initial video chat at no cost. We can use this time to explore whether we would work well together. If it turns out that therapy with me isn’t the best option, I’ll do my best to direct you to alternative sources of help or recommend another therapist if you’d like.
What to expect in a therapy session
A therapy session with me lasts 50 minutes, and once per week is usually a good place to start. As the work develops, we might move to fortnightly sessions or occasional monthly check-ins, depending on your needs. You can book one session at a time, or a block of four sessions per month.
In your first session, I’ll invite you to share what’s brought you here. I’ll listen carefully, aiming to put myself in your shoes and understand what it’s like to be you. I don’t set a rigid agenda; instead, we work collaboratively and follow what matters most to you.
You may have heard the phrase “safe space.” For me, this means a place where you can show up fully, without fear of being judged or rejected, even with the parts of yourself you find difficult. That’s what I aim to create for you. As Carl Rogers put it:
“The curious paradox is that when I accept myself just as I am, then I can change.”
Because therapy is so personal, I’ll check in regularly to ensure we’re working in the right way for you. Everyone’s needs are different, so we’ll tailor the process together.
For a deeper look at what counselling and psychotherapy involve and how therapy can help you, visit my Ultimate Guide to Counselling and Psychotherapy.
How therapy can change your life
Every therapy journey is unique, but here are some of the shifts you may notice:
Greater compassion towards yourself.
A sense that the past no longer defines you.
Acceptance of parts of yourself, alongside the motivation to change others.
A clearer sense of what matters most to you.
Changes in the way you relate to others.
More emotional awareness, and an ability to regulate your feelings.
Therapy can help you discover new meanings, set new goals, and make choices that create a life aligned with your values.
Therapy can also work wonderfully when combined with movement, such as personal training and yoga. If you are interested in this mind-body approach, you can read more about holistic wellbeing with me here.
If you’d like to take the first step, scroll down for FAQs, or send me an email to book a consultation.
About me as a therapist
I began my counselling practice in 2020 and have worked in mental health charities, a university counselling service, and The Priory Hospital in Glasgow. I’ve supported clients with many difficulties, including anxiety, depression, trauma, dissociation, relationship problems, bereavement, sexual issues, and stress.
Alongside my one-to-one practice, I’ve also worked as a consultant and trainer for organisations, developing workshops and mentoring the next generation of therapists. I have a particular interest in mindfulness, yoga, and other wellbeing practices backed by scientific evidence.
I’m passionate about learning and constantly seek new ways to grow personally and professionally. You can read more about my background here.
Supervision
I’m a qualified supervisor and offer one-to-one clinical supervision in Glasgow and online for counsellors, psychotherapists, and anyone working therapeutically in an adjacent profession.
My supervision work is aligned with person-centred principles and informed by my counselling and training experience and, more broadly, by my previous pursuits in the Arts and Humanities as well as my yoga practice and teaching.
Please feel free to reach out to book an initial consultation and/or ask any questions you might have about working with me.
FAQs
What’s the difference between therapy, counselling and psychotherapy?
In brief, not much! When I say ‘therapy’ I mean psychotherapy, although there are, of course, other types of therapy, not all of which involve talking. I also tend to use the words ‘counselling’, ‘therapy’ and ‘psychotherapy’ interchangeably. Sometimes counselling is thought of as short-term and psychotherapy as long-term, or counselling as solution-focused and psychotherapy as ‘digging deeper.’ In some countries you need a higher-level qualification to call yourself a psychotherapist (though not in the UK). But it is difficult to draw these lines in practice, or to pinpoint any real difference in attitudes, goals and techniques between counsellors and psychotherapists.
Who can benefit from counselling and psychotherapy?
Therapy has the potential to help anyone struggling with difficult emotions, thoughts and behaviours. You may have a medical diagnosis, such as depression or anxiety. Or you may have noticed patterns in your life that you would like to change, such as romantic relationships ending badly, or strong and persistent self-critical thoughts. It may be that, even though you are normally happy and healthy, a recent experience such as a bereavement, job loss or trauma has left you struggling to return to your ‘normal’ self. In other words, there is a wide range of circumstances in which therapy can be beneficial – even life-saving.
How long does therapy take?
Ideally as long as you need it to. It’s difficult to answer that question because we all come to counselling with different problems and goals. It is possible to benefit from one session, although single-session therapy requires a specific approach and is not the same as presenting for counselling and dropping out after one session. My own therapy lasted just over a year and ended naturally. Organisations often offer time-limited therapy usually lasting between four and 12 sessions.
It’s wonderful when you can stay in therapy as long as you need to (for you and me both). It’s important to note, however, that circumstances are rarely ideal. Cost may be an issue for you, or life changes might cut your therapy short. The best thing we can do is communicate openly about your evolving needs as well as any barriers you might be facing.
Types of therapy explained
There are many different kinds of therapy (these are called modalities), but they can be divided into three categories. Psychodynamic therapy focuses on unconscious processes and the link between early experiences and our present thoughts, feelings and behaviours. Cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT) is based on identifying and challenging unhelpful thoughts and behaviours so our feelings can change. It is quite structured and relies on tools and exercises you can do in between sessions. The aim of person-centred therapy is to create a safe space where we can access our inner resources. In other words, it’s about developing a strong relationship – a therapeutic alliance – with another (trained) person so we can hear and understand ourselves better, see the world more clearly, and accept ourselves as we are so that we can change.
What is your approach?
I’m a person-centred therapist, but I take a pluralistic approach: I believe that different people may benefit from different types of therapy at different points in their lives. This means three things in practice: 1., That I try to be as flexible in my work as I can, prioritising your needs. So if you tell me that you would like to do an exercise to help you confront one of your fears, I will do my best to accommodate your request. 2. I aim to be open and honest about what I can and cannot offer you. So if you have specific needs that I feel I cannot meet, I may suggest that you turn to a professional working in a different modality. 3. I will invite you to reflect on and express what is and isn’t working for you so that we can make changes if required, and make sure you’re getting what you need from your therapy.
As Irvin Yalom wrote in The Gift of Therapy, “The therapist must strive to create a new therapy for each patient.” I do think that’s the best way.