Rachel Maisey

I have availability in Edinburgh on Mondays and Tuesdays. 

I have availability in Cupar on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. 

Flexible online availability

Hello and welcome. 

I completely get that choosing a therapist from an enormous list can feel overwhelming, particularly at a time when you may already be struggling to cope or think straight. Research shows that beyond qualifications, “it’s the relationship that heals” (Irvin Yalom). I'd really encourage you to go with your gut when deciding who to work with.

Perhaps a specific crisis or traumatic experience has prompted you to reach out for support; or it may be that you are experiencing a vague sense of unease or loss of meaning. It could be that chronic stress, crippling anxiety or panic attacks are making life feel unbearable. Whatever has brought you here, I offer a calm, thoughtful space where you can slow down and begin to make sense of what you are going through.

Before qualifying as a counsellor, I worked for many years as a teacher with both children and adults. I have worked as a therapist since 2011, including 10 years as a volunteer with Edinburgh's largest counselling organisation and have been in private practice since 2015. Supporting growth and helping others recognise their own capacities has been the consistent thread in my professional life.

I bring a diverse range of life experiences to my role as a therapist, including extensive work across languages and cultures and engaging with educational institutions that do not always recognise abilities that lie outside conventional measures . My own experience of being a client has also shaped my work, teaching me that change and healing are possible, though not always in the ways we expect.

My Way of Working

I integrate psychodynamic, mindfulness, and somatic (body- oriented) principles into my work with people . Psychodynamic therapy explores how our past history may influence our experience in the present. Somatic Trauma Therapy works with the body to calm the “fight or flight” response triggered by stress or trauma. When chronic stress or trauma persists, somatic work helps bring embodied responses into conscious awareness and transform them. I have also completed extensive training in dream work and am open to working with your dreams (or nightmares), if you choose to bring them. I see therapy as a respectful collaboration and I adapt the work to what best supports you as a unique individual.

People I Work With

I welcome enquiries from individuals of all backgrounds, cultures, political persuasions and of all religions or none. Some of the areas I have an interest in and experience with are

*depression or loss of meaning

*anxiety, panic attacks, chronic stress

*breakdowns and crises

*trauma and post-traumatic stress *relationship and family difficulties *work issues​

*cross-cultural issues

*boarding school experiences

*feelings of unworthiness, shame or self-hatred

*grief and loss

Making Contact                                                                                               It takes courage to be vulnerable and ask for support, especially if you are someone who feels you should "soldier on" and cope. Perhaps you feel that your problems are somehow too trivial or not serious enough for therapy. Or maybe you feel that you are too much of a mess. This is all ok. If you feel I might be able to support you, I invite you to get in touch.

To help you decide, I offer a free initial 20 minute phone call, where you can ask questions and get a sense of whether working together might feel right.

If you choose to go ahead, we would arrange an initial meeting with no obligation to continue. This session provides space to explore what is troubling you, reflect on where you might want support, and consider whether working together feels helpful. It also includes an assessment, during which I gather some personal history.

If we both feel it would be beneficial to continue, we would agree on an initial block of sessions (usually six) and set a regular meeting time. This period allows us to begin exploring the issues you would like to address and helps us decide whether continuing beyond the initial sessions would be useful.