Psychotherapy offers a safe place to deal with concerns like:

Depression
Anxiety
Trauma and PTSD
Childhood abuse
Eating disorders and body image
Grief and loss
Relationship issues
Parenting / infertility
Life transitions and adjustment to change
Work and career
Self-esteem
Meaninglessness, direction and purpose
Cross-cultural issues
Spirituality and religion
Personal & professional development

Among other things clients can learn:

Assertiveness
Good communication
Personal boundaries
Emotional skill

Please note that you don't have to have been abused or neglected as a child to suffer from anxiety or depression, any of the other symptoms listed above, or even to have symptoms of trauma. Everyone has a 'right' to seek psychotherapy and be in therapy. We don't compare suffering. Everyone's suffering should be important to them and those around them.

Psychotherapy isn't about blaming or judging parents!

Most parents do the best they can with what they know, but they can only take their children as far as they have come in their own development. Even if the parents are otherwise loving and caring and not abusive at all, children can still develop some of the symptoms listed above if there was too much insecurity in their environment and if children had to take care of their own emotions too much of the time.

Insecurity in children's environment can result from parents' anxiety or stress because of financial or other life difficulties, health problems, relationship problems, instabilities, unresolved grief or trauma, mental health issues or anything else that parents haven't dealt with, or couldn't. Insecurity in children's environment can also result from parents' absence for whatever reason, parents' lack of ability or know-how to be emotionally available to the child (and there is a right and a wrong here!), parents' drinking or drug abuse, a personality disorder in one or two of the parents, having to provide emotional support to parent/s, having age-inappropriate responsibilities and other life circumstances that can cause a child to not have their normal emotional needs met enough of the time. When children's emotional needs are not met the right way at any age, they will feel scared and anxious even if they don't show it. Please remember that having needs does not make a child or a person 'needy'!

Our childhood environment determines the way our brains will be wired, so having problems is actually a physical thing. It isn't a sign of weakness and neither is seeking help. Psychotherapy is there to help us change the 'architecture' of our brain so that we can live a more fulfilling, anxiety-free, whole and peaceful life.

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2nd May 2018 — A few places available for public talk: ‘The Neuroscience of Self-Love’

A few places are still available for ‘The Neuroscience of Self-love’ on Saturday 19th of May, Spectrum Centre Inverness.

The public talk ‘The neuroscience of self love’ is on Saturday 19th of May 10am-2.30pm at the Spectrum Centre in Inverness, Concourse Room. There will be a 1-hour break at 12.00 noon.

The talk is for everyone, no prior knowledge is required, only a curious interested mind. This talk can be of interest to doctors, teachers, social workers, anyone working with children or young people in any capacity and for psychotherapy/counselling students.

Tickets: £16 (Concession £12 — unwaged, low-icome, students — Lunch is not included.)

Bookings are via Eventbrite.

Download Event Flyer

Published: 2018-05-02 09:54:26 +0100 | Modified: 2018-05-02 09:56:47 +0100 | Permalink | Top of page

1st May 2018 — Data Protection & the new GDPR

Please see updated information about data protection and the new GDPR in the Ethics page.

Published: 2018-05-01 18:54:25 +0100 | Modified: 2018-05-01 18:54:25 +0100 | Permalink | Top of page

11th March 2018 — Bookings for March workshop close on 16th of March

Upcoming workshop for psychotherapists, counsellors and counselling students:
Saturday, 24th March 2018 (9.30am-3.30pm) — Enhance Your Clinical Practice with Creative Experiential Methods — Spectrum Centre Inverness

• Please note that bookings for this workshop close on the 16th of March. If you are interested in attending please send your booking as soon as possible.

Published: 2018-03-11 16:08:04 +0100 | Modified: 2018-03-11 16:10:23 +0100 | Permalink | Top of page

11th February 2018 — A Public Talk – ‘The Neuroscience of Self-Love’, Sat. 19/5, Inverness

My public talk on the ‘neuroscience of self love’ is on Saturday 19th of May 10am-2.30pm at the Spectrum Centre in Inverness, Concourse Room.

Tickets: £16 (Concession £12 — unwaged, low-icome, students)

Bookings via Eventbrite.

Download Event Flyer

Published: 2018-02-11 09:10:52 +0100 | Modified: 2018-02-11 09:36:06 +0100 | Permalink | Top of page

12th January 2018 — Professional CPD workshops in March & June

I am offering two professional CPD workshops one in March and one in June in Inverness. Feel free to pass the flyers on if you know anyone who might be interested.

CANCELLED — Saturday, 24th March 2018 (9.30am-3.30pm) — Enhance Your Clinical Practice with Creative Experiential Methods — Spectrum Centre Inverness

Sadly this workshop is now cancelled due to low bookings. We’ll try again another time and thank you to those who have booked.

Saturday, 16th June 2018 (9.30am-3.30pm) — Psychotherapy in the 21st Century: An Interpersonal Neurobiology (IPNB) perspective on therapeutic effectiveness

Published: 2018-01-12 14:45:39 +0100 | Modified: 2018-03-17 14:06:13 +0100 | Permalink | Top of page

17th November 2017 — Christmas 2017 Dates

Avigail will be on holiday from 18th of December 2017, until 3rd of January 2018.

I wish everyone an enjoyable, healthy, safe, and peaceful Christmas, and festive season!

Published: 2017-11-17 12:34:52 +0100 | Modified: 2017-11-17 13:29:43 +0100 | Permalink | Top of page

1st November 2017 — Fully Human Psychotherapy Tools For Life Series

“New! ‘Fully Human Psychotherapy Tools for Life Series’

The first three booklets in the new ‘Fully Human Psychotherapy Tools For Life’ series are now available on Amazon Kindle and in paperback.

It can be difficult to find the energy or brain space to commit to reading a full sized book when people are not at their best. That’s why all the booklets in this series are small, affordable, and accessible.

Booklet 1 – Grief and Adjustment to Change: A no nonsense approach

Booklet 2 – Don’t Put Up With Anxiety: Cure it!

Booklet 3 – Trauma & Its Impact: What you need to know

Published: 2017-11-01 08:26:21 +0100 | Modified: 2017-12-04 08:03:22 +0100 | Permalink | Top of page

28th September 2017 — Avigail now accepts cards

As of today I am able to accept cards. Anyone wishing to pay by card instead of cash, cheque, or BACS is now welcome to do it. All major cards are accepted including AMEX, and also Apple and Android Pay. :)

Published: 2017-09-28 14:19:03 +0100 | Modified: 2017-09-28 14:22:01 +0100 | Permalink | Top of page

2nd June 2017 — Avigail is now able to accept a small number of new clients

I can now begin to accept a small number of new clients. At this point however, the waiting time for a first appointment is still between 3 and 5 weeks. If you need to see a therapist and it’s urgent, please do not wait for me. It’s important to see someone sooner rather than later if it is urgent. All the best, Avigail

Published: 2017-06-02 08:56:05 +0100 | Modified: 2017-06-02 08:57:28 +0100 | Permalink | Top of page

29th March 2017 — Avigail is not accepting new clients at the moment due to heavy load.

Due to a heavy client load and a very busy diary, I will not be accepting new clients at least until mid June. I will review things again then and post an update here. Please keep an eye on this page for updates on when I am available for new clients again.

If you are looking for a therapist in the area try the BACP Find A Therapist online facility.

I am sorry I cannot be more helpful just now, and I wish you all the best.

Avigail

Published: 2017-03-29 10:26:23 +0100 | Modified: 2017-05-04 17:41:14 +0100 | Permalink | Top of page

25th August 2016 — New student/trainee counsellor now available at the Low-Cost Clinic

Steve MacDonald is in his third year at the Diploma in Person-Centred Counselling and Psychotherapy at Inverness College UHI. He will be undertaking some of his placement work with Fully Human and is now available to see clients in Inverness. Steve’s work will be closely supervised.

Please visit the Low-cost clinic page for more information. Steve can be contacted by email or by phone at: 07930 440 257

Published: 2016-08-25 17:34:02 +0100 | Modified: 2016-08-25 17:44:33 +0100 | Permalink | Top of page