Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy, UKCP Register

Psychodynamic Counselling, MBACP Register

I am a psychoanalytic psychotherapist based in Perthshire, Scotland providing psychotherapy for adults on a once or twice weekly basis. I also offer fixed-term couple counselling.

The general principle behind a psychodynamic approach is that recurring distress is caused by events in our early life that have for some reason become 'locked' in and away from our general awareness. These can act like unwelcome blueprints that impact unhelpfully on present day living. They may emerge and be experienced as poor relationships with certain others, low self esteem, depression and/or lack of a sense of purpose. Or they may result in more specific symptoms of distress.

In addition to more general psychotherapy, I am an accredited EMDR therapist. EMDR or Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing is a relatively recent treatment shown to be helpful for individuals experiencing the impact of trauma (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, PTSD).

Profesisonal Registration

I am accredited by FiP as a psychoanalytic psychotherapist and by the BACP as a psychotherapist/counsellor. My name can be found on the relevant professional registers (UKCP, FiP and BACP).

You will also find my details on the UKRCP register and in other directories, such as the Counselling Directory.

I am active member of the Scottish Institute of Human Relations (SIHR), an organisation that facilitates '...the growth of individuals in their sense of themselves, their relationships, their workplaces, and cultural environments through the application of psychoanalytic, psychodynamic, and systemic ideas.' For those who wish more information, the SIHR provides helpful information about a psychoanalytic approach.

What is psychotherapy?

Psychoanalytic or psychodynamic Psychotherapy is a talking therapy that can be helpful in a range of presenting issues, for example, for those experiencing:

Feelings of unease or emptiness, loss of meaning, direction or purpose in life
PTSD or other distressing events, recently or in the past
Abuse (sexual, emotional)
Anger
Unhelpful patterns in relationships
Low self-esteem and/or self-confidence
Stress or bullying
Difficulties with food
Self-injuring
Obsessions
Depression
Phobias

With perseverence it can lead to sustainable change.

What happens?

If you contact me as a first step to considering psychotherapy, I will arrange to talk to you on the telephone for a short time to hear briefly about your situation and explain about fees.

The next step is to arrange for you to attend an assessment interview, which is chargeable, where we take the time to explore your requirements at greater depth, consider your concerns, answer your questions and I will explain how I tend to work.

If you believe my particular approach will be of help to you and we decide to go ahead a regular appointment time will be agreed.

What will it cost?

From April 2012, fee rate is £50 for regular 50-minute consultations based on once-weekly attendance; the first, assessment, consultation of 75 minutes is £75. For couples the respective fees are £60 and £90.