Where Healing Begins
With Being Heard
Hello, my name is Colin and I am a sincere and experienced Person-Centred counsellor and psychotherapist based in East Kilbride and I am here to help.
As an Accredited Member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) I am guided by their code of ethics and good practice.
I provide in-person and online counselling to both adults and young people aged between 11 - 18 years old.
Through the years I have worked with a wide cross-section of society, and I will always offer you warmth and kindness in our sessions together.
For many of us, life challenges can seem overwhelming and talking with a qualified professional who will listen in a confidential, non-judgmental and compassionate way can help you make sense of your worries and lead you on your first steps to a path of positive change.
It takes confidence in your counsellor to share your thoughts and feelings, and with you I will consistently offer empathy, non-judgement and compassion.
I believe that the success of counselling is based on the relationship between counsellor and client and as such I will provide a safe space to enable our relationship to flourish.
My personal belief is that positive change can happen with small steps and I will work in partnership with you to make those small steps achievable.
It was an unexpected and traumatic life event which took me on my own journey to becoming a qualified Counsellor, so I know how it feels to experience confusion and uncertainty.
Prior to becoming a counsellor, a large part of my life was spent working in industry and also volunteering in the charitable sector supporting vulnerable people.
I am committed to the improvement of mental health in society and feel fortunate as a counsellor to be in a position where offering support can change someone’s life for the better.
Over the years I have gained great experience supporting young people (aged 11 – 18 years old).
Counselling young people requires additional qualities and it can be difficult to find a counsellor with suitable qualities and experience for you or your child.
Prior to agreeing to any counselling, I am happy to discuss what support may be required and answer any questions you may have.
Working in both private practice and in a comprehensive school, I appreciate that for many people life can be difficult and overwhelming at times, which is why choosing the right counsellor with whom to take that first step is of the utmost importance.
The Person-Centred Counselling Approach is based on the belief that we all have the capacity to solve our own problems, and as your counsellor I will create an accepting and safe space where you can share and explore your feelings and thoughts.
The foundation of my counselling practice is based on the three core elements of empathy, kindness and compassion, and this is what I will offer in our time together.
Through active listening, calm reflection and self-exploration I will help you discover your own solutions and insights, offering guidance which can lead to positive change in your life.
Counselling can also be helpful for those individuals who are seeking personal growth in their life.
People who attend counselling with me bring a wide range of concerns, and as your counsellor I am here to help and support you with the struggles you may be facing.
The list below highlights just some of the issues where I am happy to be of support, and if your own concerns are not on the list then this is something I would be happy to discuss.
Abuse
ADHD
Anger
Anxiety
Bereavement
Bullying
Depression
Grief and Loss
Loneliness
Low Self-Esteem
Relationships
School Issues
Self-Harm
Suicidal Ideation
Young Peoples Counselling
At my counselling room in East Kilbride Old Village, I offer in-person counselling sessions which can be either short- or long-term.
There is ample car parking space in the area and easy access to the local train station and bus services.
The room is two floors up with no lift or disabled access at the present time.
My fee for a one hour session is £50 and counselling can take place weekly, fortnightly or monthly to suit your own particular needs.
Prior to agreeing to attend counselling I offer a complimentary phone or zoom call to discuss your goals from counselling and answer any counselling related questions.
Qualifications
Please get in touch if you wish to arrange your first counselling session or an initial phone or zoom chat.
I am happy for you to leave a message on 07984309972 and I will get back to you within 24 hours.
Counselling is often considered a short-term process and a good way to provide immediate support and guidance to manage current situations or life changes, with the aim to feel progress after a limited number of sessions.
Psychotherapy can be a longer-term process aimed at uncovering the root causes of emotional difficulties and trauma that may be having an impact on your life, with the number of sessions being open-ended.
As an experienced counsellor and therapist, I am comfortable working with clients who require either short or long-term counselling, and what is suitable would depend on the requirements of the client and what challenges they are facing at the time.
Once an agreement is reached to attend counselling I will ask you to complete my counselling agreement.
Part of this agreement covers confidentiality in a counselling session and the limits of confidentiality.
Counselling can work partly because it is confidential and although breaking confidentiality is very rare, if I believed that you were a risk to yourself or others then this is something I may have to consider.
If I had to make the decision to break confidentiality then this would be done in discussion with you in the first instance.
As a rule, I would say no, however in certain circumstances (particularly regarding counselling young people) I may permit a parent or guardian to sit in for an initial five minutes if this helps ease any anxiety for you.
The number of sessions required can vary from person to person and will depend on what issues and concerns you bring to counselling.
I do not ask you to commit to attending a particular number of sessions, though at an initial appointment, I will ask you to take time to think about what you would like to gain from counselling and if you are happy to work with me going forward.
Once this has been agreed we can agree on a number of sessions though this is not rigid with some clients requiring only two sessions and others requiring a lot more.
Counselling can be carried out on a weekly, fortnightly or monthly basis subject to agreement.
Subject to availability I would look to arrange an initial appointment within two weeks of you agreeing to attend counselling.
After an initial appointment I would wish to agree to future sessions with you.
With agreement, counselling would generally take place on the same day and time to allow you to plan your diary.
© Colin Thomson Counselling
Powered by WebHealer