Counselling in Edinburgh and Online
"Experience is, for me, the highest authority. The touchstone of validity is my own experience. No other person’s ideas, and none of my own ideas, are as authoritative as my experience."
Carl Rogers
Counselling in Edinburgh and Online
My name is Mark (he/they), I’m a qualified counsellor with 8 years' counselling experience, and knowledge and lived experiences around LGBTQ+ themes of gender identity and sexuality, neurodiversity like ADHD (whether or not diagnosed), anxiety, grief and loss, family and relationship difficulties, past childhood traumas.
These experiences shape us and my aims are to help you gain more agency and more self-confidence in who you are through managing and reducing anxiety, fear, anger, frustration and despair, so that you are able to get much more out of life, and don't hold yourself back. I am qualified with a Diploma in Therapeutic Counselling, my main training is in relational counselling - Petruska Clarkson’s 5 relationship model - and I primarily use a person-centred approach to begin with to build trust, so that the counselling can be effective, before beginning to explore more in-depth.
I'm also BACP registered 379659 and I have private and public indemnity insurance through Howdens.
How I Can Help You
I can help with and have experience of working with:
- Living with and managing anxiety
- LGBTQ+ themes around sexuality and gender identity
- Aspects of neurodiversity (eg ADHD), and to turn them into assets rather than problems
- Discrimination, eg racism, homophobia, transphobia
- Relationships with family, partners and friends
- Grief and loss
- Past trauma
I can help by providing a space that is gentle, containing, and without judgement, so that you can feel safe enough to explore at your own pace. My philosophy, coming from personal experience, is to help you to become more empowered so that you can be more confident in yourself and therefore you can get so much more out of life. Gradually, you can feel more in charge of your own life and less bound by anxieties and others' opinions or judgements. Much of my philosophy comes from personal experiences as well as my extensive work with clients.
Anxiety
Empowerment
ADHD
Family
Relationships
Work
Grief and loss
Sexuality
LGBTQ+
Gender identity
Trauma
Next Steps
After you get in touch, I would offer you a 20-30 minute consultation in person, by phone or online. This is an opportunity for you to tell me what you are experiencing and what you might like to gain from counselling. It will also allow me to decide on how and if I could help. Following this, we would then go on to arrange regular usually weekly sessions, reviewing how they are going regularly.
Sessions
Sessions are 50 minutes long, and whilst I’d recommend that these take place weekly, I appreciate that you might want more flexibility.
If you decide to take up sessions, then I would usually suggest having 5 or 6 sessions before reviewing how they are going for you, and decide on direction and next steps.
Online and In-Person Counselling in Edinburgh
I offer online and in-person counselling in Edinburgh, supporting clients throughout the city and the surrounding areas. Whether you prefer to attend sessions in person or from the comfort of your own home, I provide a welcoming, confidential space where you can explore your thoughts and experiences at your own pace.
Get in touch
If you have any questions about counselling or would like to arrange an initial assessment, please don't hesitate to get in touch. Our first appointment gives us the opportunity to explore what has brought you to counselling, discuss how therapy may support you, and see whether I'm the right therapist for your needs.
I'm happy to answer any questions you may have before booking an appointment.
All enquiries are treated in the strictest confidence, and I aim to respond to all within 48 hours.