Embracing Change
Professional Counselling Services
Hello, and thank you for being curious enough to visit my website. I understand that choosing the right counsellor, or even the right type of counselling, can feel overwhelming. Over the next page or two I’ll tell you a bit about me and my experience, and I’ll say a bit about how I work as a psychodynamic, attachment focussed counsellor.
So even if you decide not to reach out for a free consultation with me, you might leave with a better idea of what you are looking for in your counsellor.
About Me
Hi, I’m Pete. I’m a psychodynamically trained counsellor, working in the South Lanarkshire & Glasgow areas.
My path to this profession has been a winding one. My journey started with spending several years volunteering with Samaritans; I then worked in supported accommodation for homeless people, and have led a team of community based mental health & wellbeing workers with a local charity in South Lanarkshire. I currently provide counselling to the homeless as part of a charity in Glasgow.
About Me
Before that I spent some time in more mainstream jobs like catering, manufacturing and factory operations, whilst figuring out who I was and what I might want to do with my life. That last sentence doesn’t quite convey the sense of being lost, or being a passenger in my own life, that I would often feel. Feelings that I often see my clients struggling with, reminding me that we are all of us just trying to figure out who we are, and how we might like to live our lives.
My own experience of counselling is that each time I’ve gone through the process as a client it has helped me make a little more sense of where I’ve come from. That has enabled me to take more control of where I'm headed in life, and to have more confidence in myself and better understand my relationships to other people.
I would like the chance to offer you the same, as your counsellor.
Our Approach
Psychodynamic counselling is an approach that takes our past experiences into account, when looking at our present circumstances. This approach can help us to find some insights about our unconscious processes, how we form attachments to others, and it can help us to feel less powerless in our own lives.
This type of counselling can help with many different issues including:
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Feelings of depression or anxiety
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Processing traumatic life events and significant changes
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Interpersonal relationship issues
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Eating disorders
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Addictions
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Processing grief & navigating bereavement
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Coming to terms with changes in how you yourself identify, whether in terms of gender/sexuality or neurodivergence.
Our first step would be to have a chat on the phone about what it is you are looking for help with. There is no charge for this initial conversation, and it shouldn’t take longer than 20-30 minutes.
If we decide to work together then we will arrange our first session, where we will agree a working contract between us. This will set out things like the frequency and duration of our sessions, and my ethical duties as your counsellor.
During our work I will be curious about significant events and people in your life, but I will not usually dictate the topic or set a specific agenda. The overall idea is for me to get a sense of how you have come to be the person you are now, and how we can leverage the unique strengths and insights you may not realise you have, to get you closer to where you want to be in life.
I would be delighted to talk more about how counselling might be of use to you, or about any aspect of the process that you might like to discuss. Simply fill out the contact form on this website, or drop me an email or a text. I aim to respond to all enquiries within 24 hours.
Location & Cost
I offer appointments in both central Glasgow, and in Strathaven, where there is plenty of free parking nearby and good public transport links from Hamilton and East Kilbride.
Sessions are £50 for 50 minutes. Depending on caseload, I am sometimes able to reduce the cost to make counselling more affordable.
I can be contacted using the form on this page or directly using the details below.
Email:
peteharriscounselling@gmail.com
Phone:
07421 242 942