Richard Benjamin

I am available for in-person, online and phone counselling bookings.

If you are curious about counselling and unsure about taking the first step then you are every bit as human as the rest of us! I offer you a free initial 20-minute phone consultation to begin to get to know you and understand your needs. This gives us both a chance to connect and see how we feel about working together. 

My compassionate and personalised approach offers a safe, supportive and non-judgemental space for us to focus on what matters most to you. Talking therapy can help you to better understand yourself, make sense of a situation and explore what choices you have to take action.

In my experience, and the experience of hundreds of clients I have worked with, counselling can help to:

- Ease distress, anxiety and low mood.

- Address pressures from relationships with partners, family and friends.

- Cope and come to terms with experiences of loss, including bereavement.

- Develop ways of coping and self-care that work best for you.

Therapy can help you to grow as a person as well as take care of distress or mental health concerns. Counselling can help you to heal from experiences of trauma. We can all benefit from being "heard" - and a safe space to express ourselves, our hopes and our fears. I know first-hand how healing and transformative counselling can be. 

I am drawn to therapy by my compassionate nature and curiosity about myself and others, how we connect to each other and the world around us.

I am a BACP-accredited therapist working full-time in counselling since graduating with a BACP-recognised Advanced Diploma in 2010. I have a wealth of experience, particularly in education and workplace settings. I provide counselling for students at one of Scotland's largest universities and have lectured in counselling.

I work one-to-one with clients aged 16+ to unlock and grow the abilities you have to take care of yourself and your life. Many people find this approach refreshing - and more effective than opinions or advice that may be readily available elsewhere. 

I am an integrative counsellor who tailors my style to best meet your needs and capabilities. My practice is person-centred, combining solution-focused and creative approaches. I may for example introduce you to practical methods - such as mindfulness or journaling - to complement our work together.

​The number of sessions you need is up to you, naturally it can take time to see the benefits of counselling and address concerns that are substantial and/or long-term. We will regularly review your experience together to ensure we are on the right track. 

My wealth of professional and life experience has made me a more rounded person. This equips me to respond knowledgably and sensitively to the concerns of my clients. My experience includes lecturing in counselling, volunteering as a befriender, working with children and young people across different settings and being in a family impacted by serious lifelong and life-changing illness. 

I offer a warm and confidential space for us to work together in-person here at my home-based practice in East Dunbartonshire.

An experienced remote counsellor, I am available for online and phone sessions if these work better for you.

​I am a 20-minute drive from Glasgow city centre and less than 15 minutes from Bishopbriggs, Gartcosh, Cumbernauld and Kirkintilloch. Lenzie train station and bus stops are a 15-20-minute walk.

Still unsure if counselling is for you? - get in touch for a free, "no pressure" phone consultation and a taste of what I have to offer you. 

At your first session we will begin to get to know each other and explore your needs so that we can agree the most helpful focus for our time together. I will ensure you are safe and know what to expect from counselling and respond to questions you may have about me as your counsellor or the counselling process itself.

I will take a brief case history to understand you and your circumstances, ensure you are safe and build a sense of what support you have available to you beyond the counselling room. 

I will listen to any additional support needs you have - such as disability, neurodiversity or communication challenges - and learn how we can best meet these in our work together.