Hsin-Shao Chang

My way of working is calm, thoughtful, relational and emotionally honest. I work integratively, grounded mainly in psychodynamic and relational therapy, alongside strong person-centred values.

I do not usually come into sessions with a fixed agenda or a set of techniques for you to follow. Instead, I listen closely to what you bring and to the patterns that begin to emerge over time. I may gently reflect recurring ways of relating, contradictions, or feelings that are difficult to put into words.

Our work is not only about managing symptoms. It is also about understanding the emotional patterns, early experiences and inner expectations that shape how you relate to yourself and others today.

I sometimes think of counselling as a journey of exploration. I am not the person holding the map or deciding where you should go. You bring your own life, questions and experiences, and we explore them together.

Finding the right counsellor is therefore not only about qualifications or experience. It is also about whether you can imagine this person travelling alongside you for a while.

Sometimes nothing dramatic has happened, and yet inside you feel tired, anxious, lonely or quietly overwhelmed. You may still be functioning, caring for others and doing what needs to be done, while somewhere along the way feeling less connected to yourself.

I am Dr Hsin-Shao Chang (MBACP, PsychD), a bilingual counsellor based in Edinburgh, offering online counselling across the UK in both English and Mandarin Chinese.

I work with adults experiencing anxiety, low mood, grief and loss, relationship difficulties, emotional exhaustion, questions around identity and belonging, and the quieter strain of life transitions.

Many people who come to see me are reflective, responsible and often caring deeply for others. Yet inwardly they may feel tired, self-doubting, emotionally stuck or overwhelmed. Our work often begins with what feels repetitive, confusing or heavy in everyday life.

I also work with people living between different cultural worlds, including those affected by migration, cultural expectations, discrimination, racism or a sense of not fully belonging in one place.

I have over ten years of counselling experience across university counselling services, third-sector organisations, suicide prevention and suicide bereavement work. This experience has shaped a way of working that pays attention not only to symptoms, but also to the wider emotional, relational and cultural context of a person’s life.

I offer a free 20-minute initial consultation. This gives us an opportunity to meet briefly, for you to tell me a little about what brings you to counselling, and for me to explain how I work.

You do not need to prepare anything in advance. The consultation is not an assessment that you need to pass. It is simply a chance for us to see how it feels to speak together and whether I seem like someone you could imagine working with.

If we decide to continue, I will send you a Counselling Agreement, Privacy Notice and Client Information Form before the first counselling session.

The first 50-minute counselling session is offered at a reduced fee of £45. Subsequent 50-minute sessions are £65.

Sessions take place online via Zoom and are usually held weekly at the same agreed time.