Services
30 and 50 minute sessions (See Appointments page for specifics)
Attend weekly*, in-person or online from anywhere in the world via high quality video call
Counselling and Symptom Management (brief therapy up to 12 sessions)
Depth Psychotherapy and Analysis (for legal age adults): medium- and long-term work
Personal Development: career, lifestyle, critical awareness, spirituality etc
Supported Attendance options including extensive Resources (1200+ articles, courses, audio recordings, experiential exercises) and Supplementary Support for patients doing long-term work
Graded support and challenge: choose the level of support and challenge you want for your psychotherapy
*ad hoc attendance is possible for up to 12 sessions only. Weekly psychotherapy is recommended and necessary for real change.
“Existential Analysis is fundamentally non-pathologising of people, and views and relates to individuals in human terms rather than via problems or diagnostic labels.”
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Time-limited or open-ended work
Brief to long-term work
Psychosocial assessments and therapeutic support planning as standard
Optional written assessment and problem formulation summaries available
Also available in sessions as standard:
Trauma Work (various methods)
Breath Work and Pranayama
Yoga tuition for stress, tension, anxiety and depression
Makko Ho stretches
HRV Biofeedback Training
Yoga Nidra and other forms of guided relaxation
All forms of meditation instruction
Body awareness and grounding work
Arts-based and Play Therapy
Online or In-Person
You can attend sessions in-person if you live locally in Glasgow, or online if you live elsewhere in the world. Appointments are booked the same way via the Appointments page.
I work online with patients from all over the world* including all parts of the UK, Europe, Canada, New Zealand, Australia and other places where English-speaking patients reside or travel. Wherever you live in the world and however you are travelling you can receive effective help and professional support at home or on the move: all you need is a laptop or smartphone.
*Some exceptions may apply
“Stephen provides a unique service in psychotherapy with in-depth work that you might not get elsewhere. He really opens your mind to new ways of thinking and dealing with the stresses of everyday life and past trauma. I appreciate his honesty and patience. I also love that he teaches meditation which is something I have been interested in for years but never got around to learning. It was great to have a session purely about meditation and I'm sure I will be back for more. Thank you again!”
~ testimonial by N.K.
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Human beings rarely exist in total harmony and peace with themselves. We chase happiness by self-suppression and denial, consumerism, conformity and rebellion, ambition and specialness, people pleasing, wealth, social status, competitiveness and oneupmanship, obsessions with outward appearances, pleasure and sex, none of which bring the deep, lasting peace we crave. But it is possible to begin the work of resolving as much conflict within and around you as possible, in order to make your relationship to your self one that grows increasingly contented with less instead of more.
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Resolve the childhood origins and traumas that create low self-esteem, poor self-image, and lack of confidence, at a deep level of greater authenticity and trust in yourself
Resolve PTSD, cPTSD, and other trauma-based fear states that produce chronic fear, anxiety and insecurity
Stop comparing Self to others, people pleasing, and other self-defeating habits, and start developing the courage to be you
Resolve chronic fear and insecurity, lack of personal identity, unstable sense of Self
Clarify and strengthen your life purpose, assertiveness and direction
Resolve your struggles with appearance, body image, eating disorders, sense of identity and Self
Develop greater courage, self-empowerment and freedom from fear of, and subservience to authority figures
Resolve the torments of loneliness, social isolation, feeling 'disconnected', 'not fitting in'
Learn how to survive being scapegoated* and how to stay sane in an insane family, group, workplace, society etc
Find inner peace as an outsider, non-conformist, unique, shy, highly sensitive or solitary individual
Resolve the root causes of dissociation, derealisation/ depersonalisation habits
Bring an end to chronic self-doubt, self-criticism, deliberate self-harm, self-loathing
Resolve habits driven by jealousy, resentment, anger, rage, and destructive envy
Transform passive-aggression and covert-aggression habits into honest communication
Turn procrastination and avoidance habits into meaningful action
Address body image problems, body dysmorphia and other perceptual disorders
Identify and resolve the underlying causes of self-starvation, eating disorders, addictions and phobias
Bring an end to dependency and co-dependency by building self-support and self-reliance skills
Resolve depression, unhappiness in life, lack of personal joy and meaning
Explore and identify the important meanings in your fantasies, dreams and nightmares
Come to terms with the secretive side of who you are and your 'shadow side' (narcissism, dishonesty, lying, cowardice etc)
Approach psychiatric diagnostic labels from a completely different perspective - please enquire about specific diagnoses during an Introductory Meeting
Heal from child and adult sexual harassment, abuse and assault
Common addictions and their causes:
device addiction
comfort eating
pornography and sexual promiscuity
gambling
alcohol and substances**
Common phobias:
Social
Public speaking/ interviews
Insects
Flying
Open/ confined spaces
**I recommend stabilising substance misuse via AA or NA groups first in order to meaningfully engage with psychotherapy to address the underlying causes of your addictions and phobias
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Problems that I see increasingly in my practice include the following, and the interpersonal consequences people experience as a result of these problems.
Narcissism: entitlement, inauthenticity, obsessions with appearance, destructive envy, the need to be noticed, to control others, and to outdo others, with an absence of insight into one’s behaviour
Pleasure and comfort addictions and their neurological consequences
Device addictions and ‘doom scrolling’
What people are now calling ‘imposter syndrome’: the experience of inauthenticity that comes from being more identified with an image of oneself than one’s own body and conscience
The victim identity, with an absence of insight into one’s behaviour. See Toxic Victimhood article below.
Meaninglessness and depression
Chronic insecurity and anxiety states
Lies, deception, betrayal, and a lack of morality, honour, loyalty, and sincerity in relationships
Regression and emotional overwhelm
Lack of recognition of the value of generosity of spirit, and the consequences of self-centredness, with absence of insight into one’s behaviours
Fear and anxiety about the state of the world, and a sense of powerlessness to effect change
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We all have a past that we try to remember, and one we try to forget. We all have ideas about the near and distant future. Our relationship to the present - where we do our living - tends to be compromised by the ways we relate to past and future. It is possible to resolve conflicts that still exist in your relation to past and present so that you can live more fully and peacefully in the here-and-now.
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A troubled or abusive past or present
Traumatic and adverse childhood events (loss, all forms of abuse, rape, violence)
Post Traumatic Stress (associated with PTSD and c-PTSD, DD, DID for example)
Childhood- and family-related difficulties
Living with regrets, guilt, shame, tragedy or loss
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Difficulties in being aware of one’s emotions and expressing them
Anticipatory anxiety, worry and rumination habits
Stress and panic attacks
Low mood, mood instability, and depression
Fears and phobias
Difficulty controlling anger and aggression
Social anxiety and social phobias
Retirement, loss and bereavement anxiety
Generalised anxiety and trauma-related anxiety
Existential anxiety: death, isolation, freedom, meaninglessness
Fear of Engulfment: being easily overstimulated or overwhelmed by others
Overwhelm and difficulty coping with emotions
Guilt, shame, dread, embarrassment, vulnerability and other difficult feelings
Addictions, emotional consumptions habits
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Our relationships and our ability to live with sanity, self-respect, and peace - where possible - in relation to others is an essential life skill for each of us. Many people today are neglecting relationship skills and basic boundaries, and both the individual and their relationships suffer for it. You can raise your awareness and hone your abilities to live in a state of greater authenticity and harmony with self and others.
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All problems can be worked on, including:
Workplace, family, partner, social group problems
Habits of repeatedly choosing and settling for the wrong partners and friends
Learning how to seek the right partner and friends for you
Surviving and healing from betrayal, deceit and infidelity
Healing and being better prepared before looking for another relationship
Difficulties with intimacy, openness, expressing oneself
Coping with a relationship ending
Co-dependency, triangulation, and victim dependency
Insecure attachment/ fear of being alone
Controlling behaviour
Mediation between separated or conflicted partners and family members
Surviving an exploitative/ abusive relationship (including narcissistic or sociopathic exploitation; sexual, emotional, financial and other forms of abuse)
Surviving childhood abuse and poor parenting
Domestic violence (both sides)
Anger, rage, violence and passive-aggression
Bereavement, grief and loss
Sex, sexual intimacy and sexual problems
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Develop and improve social skills
Empathy
Confidence
Authenticity
Non-Violent Communication Skills
Ending subservience and people pleasing
Developing effective boundaries
Developing your interpersonal ‘radar’ and self-protection when engaging with others
Skills in identifying and dealing with highly toxic people, including fraudulent, narcissistic, and sociopathic individuals
Develop skills for finding the right partner and avoiding wasting your energies on the wrong people
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Interpersonal manipulation and dishonesty have, sadly, become increasingly common in our society. A cultural decline in integrity is a significant cause of relationship stress and mental health problems. In this practice you can learn discreet boundary and critical awareness skills that, with practice, will allow you to minimise interpersonal stress, by quickly detecting and refusing dishonesty, and attempts to exploit you, and to divest your energies early, from relationships that are bad for you. One example is ‘Less is More’:
Less is More
Manipulative and dishonest people are energy traps, and will tend to elicit your attention and your mental, emotional and physical energy. Realise that the more you invest of your attention, thought, words, time, money, or physical energy in such people, the more you may be feeding the manipulation itself. Divesting and minimising one's investment is a crucial boundary skill. To do this takes critical self-awareness, practice, and the ability to slow down long enough to make careful, self-respecting choices focussed on looking after your best interests with quiet confidence.
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Unlike much that is taught today on spiritual development, which is often presented as an outward dabbling with our appearance to make it look as if we have greater depth, spiritual development in this practice is rooted in discernable phenomena and truth rather than frivolous belief or shallow ritual. Using discreet protocols developed by this practice for resolving inner conflicts with our own spirit, it becomes possible to make substantive lifestyle shifts that are true and authentic, deep and personal, and genuinely spiritual rather than simply egotistical.
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Existential Awareness Development
Life Assessment and Review
Re-discovering deeper life purpose and meaning
Creativity and Creative Impasse Resolution
Personal Authenticity Development
Present-Centred Awareness Development (a wide variety of practices available)
Grounding: Relaxation, Stress and Anxiety management
Resolution of Spiritual Conflicts with the Ego e.g. narcissism
Spirituality and Soul: Developing a personally meaningful existential practice
Learning to live by conscience in a society of diminishing conscience
Individual yoga tuition and other body work
Meditation tuition (Mindfulness, Zen, etc)
Emotional and body awareness development
Non-Violent Communication Skills
Developing Critical Awareness: political, cultural, medical and social dimensions
Cultural narcissism and resolving personal narcissism for greater personal, moral, and spiritual integrity
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I work with almost every kind of presentation where you are suitably motivated, sincere, honest and willing to do the work offered. I do my best with all of my patients, but have a personal affinity for:
Survivors of trauma, abusive personal and workplace relationships, and adverse childhood events
Creative, sensitive, or spiritually motivated individuals
People of conscience and integrity: in an increasingly dishonourable society people who are willing to stick their necks out to do what is right become all the more essential to society. They often find it difficult to establish a sense of belonging as a result. They tend to be the outsiders, scapegoats, whistleblowers, truth-tellers, and individuals who are stigmatised and shunned by the crowd for simply having the courage do what they know is true, right or good, even though they risk everything by doing so.
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Written work is only available to patients currently attending weekly psychotherapy sessions. I no longer provide retrospective references or letters in support of benefits or other financial claims after a patient has been discharged.