How do I know if I need therapy?

Struggling with your mental health can have a big impact on all areas of your life, such as work, academic life, friends, family and romantic relationships. It can make you not want to get out of bed, stress about ‘small’ things, and it can stop you from living your life to the fullest. If you relate to any of this, I can help.

At the same time, therapy isn’t just for big crises—it’s a place to work through stress, sadness, feeling stuck, or anything that’s hard to handle alone. You don’t need to have it all figured out to start; I can help you find ways to feel better. CBT takes a goal-oriented, solution-focused approach. We can also go deeper and explore how your childhood, past experiences or significant events may have brought you to struggle with your mental health today.

For children and teens, therapy is a safe space to talk about things like school, friendships, family, or any big feelings. Therapy isn’t about being “in trouble”—it’s about having someone to listen and support you. It’s also about learning to know and trust yourself, and understanding what tools and strategies can support your mental health long-term. If you’re feeling curious or need someone to talk to, that’s reason enough to reach out. Therapy is here to help you explore, understand, and move toward positive change.

What kinds of problems can you help with?

I have experience working with a wide variety of clients. People have asked for my support for difficulties related to anxiety, low mood and depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, eating problems (e.g. disordered eating, binge eating), panic attacks, stress and burnout, phobias, low self-esteem, sleep issues, people pleasing, relationship problems, perfectionism, overthinking, challenging family dynamics, anger, difficulties with boundaries, life transitions, trauma, perfectionism, attachment issues, and ASD/ADHD related challenges such as coping with a new diagnosis, struggling to fit in or to manage life in a neurotypical world.

This is not an exhaustive list; sometimes, what may not impact one person, can be really difficult for another. If you haven’t been feeling yourself, are having difficulties in your day to day life, feel very emotional or unable to cope with life, therapy might be good for you.

You don’t have to have hit “rock bottom” to reach out. You don’t have to have it all figured out either – maybe you just need a safe and supportive space to explore your feelings, thoughts and behaviours. That’s okay. I can help.

What age range do you work with?

Most of my clients are at least 12 years old.

Whilst I do not have a minimum age requirement, evidence suggests that CBT can be particularly helpful for clients aged 10 and up.
This however really depends on the child! I am happy to have an initial consultation with parents regarding your child and their needs, and we can assess whether and how I can help.

What happens after I reach out?

When you reach out, we will firstly schedule an initial, informal consultation that will last approximately 15-30 minutes. This will be a chance for you to briefly tell me what you are needing support with, some initial goals for therapy, and to get any questions answered. I will also tell you a bit more about my approach, discuss fees, and expectations.

If we think we’re a good match, you will receive a therapy contract outlining everything you need to know, and an intake form to fill out. We will also book your first session.

This will be an initial assessment (50-60 minutes) of your circumstances, your mental health, your support network, what you have tried before to help yourself, et cetera. I may give you some questionnaires to fill out, or diaries to bring back to me the following week. I may ask you questions about your family, your lifestyle and other information that might be relevant.

The following sessions will last 50 minutes. They will be weekly, at the same time every week – with some flexibility.

Often the hardest step is to reach out to someone for help, and then another hard step is to show up to the first session. I am aware of this and we will take it easy. We will take time to build a relationship within a space that feels safe, comfortable, and warm.

How long will I have to wait for therapy?

NHS waiting lists for psychological therapy or counselling can often be 1 year or longer, which can feel like an impossible timescale.

I am delighted to be able to offer an initial consultation within 1-2 weeks of you reaching out.

My private practice days are Thursdays and Fridays. Please see the Contact Form for updates on current availability.

I am happy to offer some flexibility whenever I can, however, clients should be prepared to commit to the same slot, at the same time each week. We will discuss this more in-depth in our initial call.

I also welcome an inquiry if you are looking to start therapy at a later date.

How much will it cost?

My fees are in line with the average cost of psychotherapy in the Edinburgh area. Please reach out and I will happily share a breakdown of my fees with no obligation to book in.

I offer a free video or phone consultation. This is where fees will be discussed alongside session frequency, based on your needs. Please reach out via the form on this website or via email if you would like to book an initial consultation.

I am aware of the difficulties in accessing mental health support due to financial restrictions. To help accommodate a range of clients and ensure that more people can access the support they need, I offer a sliding scale system for my sessions. This means I can reserve a few limited spots at a lower rate for clients who might otherwise struggle to afford therapy.

My spaces for lower-fee clients are however limited. We will discuss this during our initial consultation. Please don’t be afraid to ask, there will be no judgement and I will do my very best to accommodate your circumstances.

Payment for the initial session is made via Bank Transfer (BACS) before the session takes place. Subsequent sessions are invoiced monthly.

Online therapy vs. in-person therapy:

I currently offer in person sessions in Edinburgh West End – based at Physis Scotland, 22 Drumsheugh Gardens, EH3 7RN.

I also offer online therapy to clients across the UK.

Online therapy is a great option, and research has shown it to be just as effective as in-person therapy. With online sessions, you get the same support, guidance, and practical tools to help you feel better, all from the comfort of your own space. You can make the most of the extra perks of being in your own environment, such as having blankets, tea, your pet, your comforting objects. We might also use tools such as shared on-screen whiteboards to write things down, play games, share resources. Online therapy offers flexibility and accessibility – it might take a little while to get used to, but I promise, it works really well with some adaptations!

We can chat together about what you feel comfortable with. Sometimes, I may only be able to offer online sessions, or only in-person sessions, depending on my availability. I will do my best to accommodate your preferences.