Solution Focused Psychological Therapy and Holistic Life Coaching in Edinburgh and Glasgow.

We are complementary health practitioners, not alternative health practitioners. This means that we work WITH the medical profession. If you have an illness or injury, or if you are going to embark on a new diet, fitness plan or if you have any uninvestigated symptoms, you must consult your medical doctor. 

Psychological therapy & Counselling in Edinburgh and Glasgow

Stuart and Denise are Life Coaches and Solution Focused Holistic Therapists who also have qualifications at levels 3 and 4 in Psychotherapy and Counselling.  Having completed this professional training guides and informs practice, although implementation remains coaching, empowerment and solution focused.

Naturally analytical and listening skills from psychotherapy and counselling are often used in coaching, personal training, NLP, hypnotherapy and generally in holistic and complementary therapies.

Solution focused therapy is results and outcome based, but is often guided by theory and thinking from subjects including Eastern Medicine, Philosophy, Theology, Social Policy, Health Education and Psychology. Eastern models include Taoist healing methods and eastern Zen & Buddhist models including Morita, Naikan and Buddhist Object Relation Theory and Mindfulness. Meditation, Qi Gong and Reiki are also employed.  Stuart and Denise have completed a range of training courses and qualification courses in these topics and are committed to further University study of these topics in order to inform and develop professional practice.

Currently the UK Government has tasked the HPC to regulate counsellors and psychotherapists.  There is uncertainty as to whether this may restrict the service registered counsellors and psychotherapists can offer clients. If this regulation does limit the models of therapy and services we can offer our clients then we will reject the new regulation and cease the use of the protected titles. In this event it will not be our service that changes, it will be the definition of "counsellor" and "psychotherapist", which will no longer accurately describe the service we offer. Until that time Denise remains a CCC registered counsellor, and Stuart remains a NACHP registered Counsellor and Psychotherapist. 

There are many different sorts of psychological therapy and theory. These include:

• Personal Development therapy: Using listening skills and appropriate therapy skills to assist a client in moving forward in their lives and tackling blocks and barriers to progress.
• Personal emotional therapy: Using listening skills and appropriate therapy skills to assist a client in moving forward in their lives and tackling emotional issues and problems.
• Clinical psychotherapy: Due for probable regulation: Using only specific psychotherapy skills and methods to address clinical conditions and mental health conditions directly. This is different to our holistic approach.
• Pastoral therapy: Using listening skills and appropriate faith related therapy skills to assist a client in moving forward in their lives and tackling spiritual and faith issues.
• Couples therapy: Using couples facilitation and group facilitation skills, listening skills, negotiation skills and other methods to enable better communication and understanding.
• Addictions therapy: Using listening skills and appropriate therapy skills including motivational models to assist a client in moving forward in their lives and tackling addictions and dependencies.
• Person Centred therapy: A particular method of very much "listening skills" driven therapy.
• Humanistic therapy: A method very much focused on achieving balance and progress in areas of life leading to an optimum state of well being.
• Psychoanalytical therapy: Traditionally psychotherapy with it's roots in Jung and Freud. Driven to tackle deep underlying issues and patterns. Business analysis and NLP analysis models are also common.
• Transactional Analysis: Related to psychoanalysis it is a modern model of analytical therapy and uses modified patterns and terminology. Very useful in coaching and counselling methods, especially where relationships and interpersonal dynamics are being examined.
• Primal therapy: Based on Psychodynamic psychotherapy this deals with primal and crucial experiences, often using rich imagery in the therapy process.
• Philosophical theory: A number of schools of philosophy in both the East and West have contributed a range of models and ideas relating to mental health and how human beings think.
• Theology: A number of religions in the East and West have contributed methods that can be used in a secular way to assist people. Just as many people enjoy Yoga or Tai Chi in a secular manner, so mindfulness and meditation techniques can assist without any religious belief. 
• Gestalt psychology: A model which is useful in a number of ways and is often used in coaching, NLP, counselling and psychotherapy. Particular useful models include explanations of how past events effect us now.
• Ritual and Symbolism: A number of great thinkers such as Jung, Wagner, Freud and Nietzsche have contributed to the debate on how symbolism, art and ritual effect us consciously, spiritually and unconsciously. Various religions in the East and West have also contributed to the debate. These principles can be used in holistic therapy to guide personal medications and self development exercises.
  

Cognitive Behavioural Training / Therapy / Coaching

CBT or CBC is referred to by different therapists as either Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, or Cognitive Behavioural Training / Coaching. The difference is in the approach and practice style of the therapist. As the name suggests CBT is about:

• Cognitive: changing perceptions and the way we feel about things
• Behavioural: changing the way we behave towards things
• Therapy: The change process (alternatively Coaching in CBC)
  

CBT works best when combined with other methods and styles like life coaching and hypnotherapy. A good CBT practitioner will have comprehensive psychotherapy and counselling skills. A common form of CBT is "Stress Innoculation Therapy" which is a process used to address phobias, fears and feelings of discomfort.

Qualifications and Standards

As with all therapies the practitioner should adhere to the National Occupational Standards (NOS Counselling) and have recognisable qualifications. These include ASET 3 and 4 awards.

Stuart: Integrated Therapeutic Counselling ASET Level 4, Psychotherapy ASET level 3 & 4, Counselling Grief and Bereavement ASET level 3, NVQ accreditation in appropriate area of competence, Multiple diplomas in Psychotherapy and Counselling.  Denise holds an ASET Level 4 in Professional Therapeutic Counselling and other diplomas in counselling and psychotherapy.

Stuart is a full member of the National Association of Counsellors, Hypnotherapists and Psychotherapists and a Fellow of the International Society of Professional Counsellors. Denise is registered with the CCC Counselling register.

Stuart and Denise do not use the job titles Psychotherapist or Counsellor since these titles reflect a different working modality where practice is rooted in one or more theoretical disciplines and is counselling based. The service provided at Scotlandtherapy is solution and outcome focused and uses empowerment and coaching principles in application. Naturally, as in many therapies, counselling and analytical skills are employed. These include listening skills, open questioning, analysis methods, body language analysis, dream symbolism analysis, reflection, mirroring, summarising and other interviewing skills.  Although these are used in counselling work as well, they are established methods also used in professional life coaching, interviewing, personal training and NLP.

The  UK Government in 2009 is trying to regulate psychotherapy even though this is a dynamic, progressive and holistic field which draws from many different cultures. We are against this "white coat" approach which will limit what psychotherapists can offer and therefore we will avoid using those job titles, and will continue to offer the full range of therapy methods. More information on the limits of this UK Government initiative HERE . Information on why the HPC may be inappropriate as the body to regulate counselling can be found HERE        It has also become apparent that the HPC feel able to claim ownership of certain techniques as belonging to just one regulated therapy, rather than being methods that exist in multiple models of therapy (e.g. hypnotherapy, NLP, Life Coaching, eclectic therapy, holistic therapy). Therefore we categorically state that although both practitioners hold multiple counselling and psychotherapy qualifications, all the methods we use exist as known methods in models of therapy outside of counselling and psychotherapy.

In the first instance drop us an email or use the feedback form to contact us. We can then advise whether we feel we can appropriately assist you.

To Contact Therapy Services 

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Assistance is not just for individuals. Assistance is available for couples, families and those who care for others.