Stephanie Mackenzie

Sessions are charged on a sliding scale based on total household income, to ensure that services remain accessible and inclusive. 

Students and those earning under £15K - £60.00

Under £25K - £65.00

Under £40K - £75.00

Under £60K - £80.00

Under £80K - £90.00

Under £100K - £95.00

Over £100K - £100.00

People seek counselling for a large number of issues that are affecting their lives in various way. Whether you are going through a present crisis and you are struggling to function in the day-to-day, or you’re experiencing mental and/or emotional challenges that are holding you back from reaching your full potential, therapy may be for you.

In counselling with me, we will use our therapeutic relationship and what’s happening between us in the “here-and-now” to get to know your patterns in relationship with others outside of therapy. I believe in the power of the therapeutic relationship to become a “secure base” from which you can learn more about yourself and heal from relational wounds you have from past experiences. I will help you develop a better relationship with yourself in which you are empowered get your needs met in healthier ways in the present.

I work using an integrated model of counselling, which means I draw from several schools of thought in my own unique approach. My work is informed by trauma theory, Transactional Analysis and Internal Family Systems. As increasing evidence demonstrates trauma is held in the body, I incorporate what is being held in the body throughout my therapeutic work and help clients tap into the rich information our bodies provide us with to enhance the healing process.

Due to the relational quality of my therapeutic work, I tend to work with clients on a long-term basis but am happy to work with short-term clients too using more solutions-focused methods. I am familiar with 12 Step Fellowships and am used to working alongside these programmes with clients in recovery.  

In therapy with me, we will…

- Become aware of the patterns of behaviour and thinking that are keeping you stuck, unhappy or distressed;

- Discover the roots of these patterns and investigate generational trauma;

- Equip you with knowledge about the mind-body connection and the nervous system;

- Give you tools which will help you with emotional regulation. This in turn reduces levels of depression and anxiety, and our ability to cope with life’s stresses;

- Help you learn to recognise patterns of self-abandonment and foster a better relationships with yourself. This greatly improves our relationships with others;

- Help you start to make more authentic choices in life that better align with your values and beliefs.

Ultimately, counselling and psychotherapy aim to improve our quality of life through change. This helps us lead more fulfilling, satisfying, and productive lives. They can be highly effective in helping individuals address a host of psychological and emotional issues, as well as behavioural changes. Here are some of the ways therapy can help:

Emotional Understanding

You will gain more insight into your emotions, thoughts and behaviours. This will help you unlock the root causes of your emotional distress and develop healthier emotional regulation strategies.

Improved Coping Skills

You can learn new, healthier ways of coping with life’s challenges. This may include stress management techniques, communication skills and strategies for handling difficult emotions.

Meaning 

We may explore your life’s meaning and purpose so you are able to live a more purpose-driven existence.

Increased Self-Awareness

The hope in therapy is that you will be better equipped for self-reflection and self-awareness. Through increased self-understanding you may be able to make more authentic choices in your life that align with your values and beliefs.

Boundaries work

We may work to help you develop better boundaries in the areas of life you feel need working on.  

How it works 

When you place an enquiry, I will ask you to complete an online referral form (accessible via a link I will send you). This is so I can learn a bit about you and why you are interested in counselling. This referral form gives you the chance to include your availability so we can find a time to meet.

If I think I might be able to help, we will arrange an initial, 50 minute consultation (held online or in-person). This is charged at the same rate as usual therapy sessions. During this consultation, I will ask you further questions about your background, current situation and desired outcomes for counselling. I will take notes during this first meeting; following this I will take notes after our sessions. For more information about how I collect and store your data, please refer to my website.  

Following this consultation, if we both think we are a good match and will be able to work together, we will meet for weekly, 50-minute sessions on an open-ended basis. Our sessions will be focused on meeting your goals for therapy. Occasionally sessions will be about other topics and issues that crop up for you whilst you're having counselling - this is normal and allowed! The sessions are there for you to use as you wish. I conduct regular reviews to see how you are finding the counselling, and to help best meet your goals. Naturally goals shift and change over time, so these reviews are useful in checking in on what you feel is most pressing to work on at the time. You can have counselling for as long as you feel like you need or want it. 

Each weekly session will take place at the same time and on the same day as the initial consultation, unless agreed otherwise.