ABOUT ME

My name is Andrew and have been working as a counsellor since 2018, currently employed as an Alcohol Counsellor with Glasgow Council on Alcohol but also work in private practice.  Prior to this, I volunteered as a counsellor with CRUSE Bereavement (Scotland) and with Therapeutic Counselling Services.  My working career in public, private and voluntary sectors spans 40 years, latterly managing a befriending project which seeks to provide telephone, group and one-to-one support to lonely and socially isolated persons; mostly those aged over 80. 

 

My qualifications include an MSc in Pluralistic Counselling (Distinction pass) where, in 2022, I was awarded the Sarah Fletcher Memorial Prize for Exceptional Commitment to Counselling by Abertay University. This is awarded to the MSc Counselling student who has shown to be committed to going above and beyond the expectation in theoretical, practical and personal aspects of the course. Other qualifications include a Diploma in Person-Centred counselling from New College Lanarkshire (Grade A), Emotion Focused Therapy (level 1) Certificate from the University of Strathclyde, Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Course (MBSR) from the Glasgow Mindfulness Centre and many other courses undertaken as part of my continuous personal development. 

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In 2024, I was awarded the COSCA Certificates in Counselling Supervision and Counselling Supervision Skills.

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But, although a qualified counsellor/ psychotherapist, there have been occasions in my own life when personal struggles and problems of living seemed impossible to bear. However, I discovered the benefits of seeking and engaging in professional counselling support. But I know how important it is to find the right therapist as the working relationship which develops between client and counsellor is known to be the main vehicle through which positive change can happen.

 

My relationship style is flexible, meeting the needs of clients who may need different things at different points in time. For example, it could be one of an empathic listener, a coach, a companion, someone who provides insight or one which a client suggested "nurturing parent."

 

As someone who has encountered discrimination in their lifetime, I am particularly sensitive about issues of equality and diversity. Indeed, I have worked with a range of clients from different socio-economic and cultural groups; including those from the Deaf and LGBTQI+ communities.

 

If you would like to find our more, please get in touch or use the chat key.