Why work with me?
I genuinely care about my clients. For more than 20 years, I have worked hard to help people heal from their past and present struggles, so they can enjoy a more hopeful future.
About me
Psychotherapist and EMDR Therapist
BSc(Hons) PG Dip
Registered Member BACP (Accred)
Member EMDR Europe (Level 4 training)
In 2001 I decided to change the direction of my life - away from a career in technology/business into a career helping others.
This is when I started my therapeutic training at the University of Edinburgh studying psychodynamic and person-centred counselling approaches. At this time I also became a member of the British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy (MBACP). After completing my qualification in 2006 I started working in a variety of agency settings in my capacity as a counsellor/psychotherapist. With enough hours of supervised practice, I was eligible to apply for accreditation with the BACP which I achieved in 2010 and could therefore use the term MBACP(Accred).
This means I am committed to working within, and I am accountable to, the BACP Ethical Framework for the Counselling Professions. I maintain this standard of practice through both monthly supervision and continual professional development (CPD). A requirement for annual re-accreditation is to complete a minimum of 30 hours of relevant CPD. I have therefore completed many additional trainings and study over the last 20+ years in a variety of areas.
The depth and breadth of my training and experience allows me to find the individual approach that works best for my clients.
The approach that underpins and resonates most with me is Psychodynamic theory. This means that my trainings are founded on psychoanalytic concepts; I believe that our early life experiences and relationships, have a profound influence on our capacity to build and maintain relationships in later life. It also impacts on our ability to endure difficult life events.
My interest in couples psychotherapy evolved from my individual work, and I did a psychoanalytic couples training in 2009. To continue my development I attend a psychoanalytic couples therapy study group quarterly on top of additional trainings and study.
My couples therapy understanding also informs my individual work - especially with clients who come for relationship help.
My most recent significant training is in EMDR therapy - Level 4 completed in 2022. Since qualifying I attend monthly supervision with an EMDR Consultant and have attended additional trainings on Polyvagal Theory and its application in EMDR, as well as Flash Therapy.
In addition to my private practice, I worked part time as a Staff Counsellor at the University of Edinburgh offering short term therapy (6 sessions) to staff members from 2008 to 2024. This means I have an acute understanding of the complexity of working in further education in particular, but also workplace dynamics in general. I loved this work and was very sad when the in-house service closed.
Short term therapy of this kind is a definite skill and advantage when working with someone who needs a more directive rather than a reflective approach. It also enables me to work with clients who have budgetary constraints and therefore might prefer a limited number of appointments.
My passion is to help others and support them on their life journey
Denise Lyall
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