Mairi McAllister

I currently have availability at various times Mon-Fri 9am-7pm, for both online and face to face

I have been a Qualified Counsellor for 13yrs and was a Support worker working for agencies supporting victims of abuse for 15years prior to this. I therefore have significant experience in working with issues relating to Trauma & Abuse and have supported both men and women with complex mental health issues, including CPTSD, BPD, D.I.D etc as a result of Trauma, which also brings attachment issues, issues around loss & grief, relationship issues, challenges with parenting, self-harm and suicidal thoughts or attempts. 

I feel it's important to say that despite these issues most of my clients are living 'normal' lives, working, in relationships, raising children and might be active in their communities, this in itself can make it hard for someone to feel they need and deserve support because they appear on the outside at least to be 'coping' however inside they may feel quite the opposite and may be in a constant state of overwhelm but have become very good at hiding it.

For me building a safe, respectful relationship is the goal, where you feel heard and not just listened to, where you can explore those things that might be holding you back or causing you pain and sadness. I won't give advice, but I will try to help you find ways to manage life better and make sense of why thing are difficult for you. 

I believe we all need to experience empathy and compassion in a safe and confidential place and in doing so we can start to see things in a different way and start to find hope that life can be better. Often the mistake we make is thinking there is something wrong with us and in reality, it's what has happened to us that is the source of our pain.

So, if you'd like to get in touch, I'd be happy to have an initial chat, answer any queries you may have and from there you can see if you want to take the step into having some sessions with me be in in person or online.

I work face to face or online and if its someones only option by telephone.

Sessions will be led by you but guided by me, you don't ever have to talk about what happened to you in any detail, we will concentrate on the impact its had on you and what you've made these things mean about you. 

I use a Trauma Informed approach, I may offer some Psychoeducation which is really just helping you understand how Trauma affect our bodies and our brains and normalise how you have responded to the pain of not being seen, heard or for some directly abused. Addictions and other coping mechanisms are really normal ways to cope with things we should not have experienced, I will support you to learn compassion for yourself, to accept yourself even when there are things you would want to do differently, the more we understand and accept ourselves, the easier life becomes.

I am currently undertaking training with Gabor Mate using his Compassionate Inquiry approach, it is a more focused approach and focuses on the body as a way of showing us the roots of our trauma,  in his words  

"The purpose of the Compassionate Inquiry is to drill down to the core stories people tell themselves – to get them to see what story they are telling themselves unconsciously; what those beliefs are, where they came from; and guide them to the possibility of letting go of those stories, or letting go of the hold those stories have on them" … Gabor Mate

I offer a free 15 min introductory call where we can talk briefly about what you would like to bring and gain from counselling, at that point you can book a first session or take time to think about it, usually if you listen to it your gut will tell you if you think me might be a good fit to work together.

At the moment I have limited availability.

I have been a Supervisor since 2018, as the Service Manager  within a Rape & Sexual Assault Centre until 2020, I mainly supervised support workers and counsellors within that project.

 I moved into private practice in Jan 2021 and now Supervise both experienced counsellors and students as well as support workers who use Counselling skills.

I have 25yrs experience of working with Trauma and Abuse, moving from being a support worker myself, to becoming a Counsellor in 2012 and more recently a Supervisor. 

I also Tutor and supervise Placements for students on a Counselling diploma course, so have experience of Supervision Reports.

Self awareness and a willingness to self reflect, be open and authentic are central to the role of Counsellor and I firmly believe, the foundation of good Supervision is the same as that of  Counselling, without a good connection and relationship its hard to take risks and allow yourself to be open and authentic and acknowledge and be compassionate to the parts of yourself you are least comfortable with.

I see my role as one where I create that place of safety, one where I listen, help you to reflect on your practice and make sense of what and why you might be finding your work challenging, to try and help you make sense what's happening between you and your client and help you celebrate the victories and recognise your strengths and skills. 

Being a counsellor is rewarding but also challenging and you are inevitably impacted by it, my role is also to help you maintain a level of self care and when necessary help you reflect on any areas you might need to work on both personally and professionally.

I am happy to meet initially either face to face or via video call free of charge to allow us to decide if we would be a good fit.