Gillian Reid

My interest in our human need to change behaviours that we deem unacceptable or undesirable has been longstanding. I began my study in the field of psychology and, in my bachelor’s degree, the larger areas of learning were child psychology; social psychology; biological psychology; and cognitive psychology. I pondered more intensive study in psychology and during this time volunteered as a Samaritan. It was during my time at Samaritans that I realised my yearning was to actively counsel and so began another degree in counselling involving active training at The Charis Foundation and client therapy at placement agencies. My mode of therapy is psychodynamic, based on Freudian psychoanalysis, where one basic, central, premise of Freud’s was his view of the mind. . Freud’s belief intimated that some of what we experience on a day-to-day basis e.g. emotions, beliefs and impulses; takes place in the unconscious and is not available to the conscious mind. My belief, (like Freud’s) is that the unconscious mind governs behaviour to a much greater degree than people suspect and my therapy involves deep exploration of clients’ past to access, and understand, the root cause of their problems. The emphasis of psychodynamic therapy is on the trust between a client and therapist as therapy provides the tools required to make progress. My own Psychodynamic therapy provides a safe space for clients to explore and come to understand the root cause of their problems and issues.