Janet Watson

I'm an experienced accredited counsellor and trainer (BACP and COSCA). I'm also a Fellow of the Higher Education Authority (FHEA). Much of my training work has focused on the person-centred approach (master's programmes, Universities of Aberdeen and Edinburgh), and working with bereavement and loss. I'm happy within a range of training settings, whether it be delivering accredited courses to counselling students, or working with institutions or companies about how to talk to bereaved employees. Please get in touch if you think I can be of help.

I am currently not accepting new clients due to lack of availability.

It's difficult choosing a therapist - I know, I've done it myself! One of the most important things you'll be looking for is how I work. I'm a person-centred therapist which means our work together is about you and me, about our relationship. I hope to establish trust between us from our first session.  By meeting regularly, talking together, you sharing what's causing problems in your life and how you're feeling, me listening and understanding as well as I can, then hopefully things can start to feel better. I'm also fully trained in EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing) which can be very helpful if you have experienced trauma. I like to develop our therapeutic relationship before using EMDR as trust between therapist and client is vital for this process to feel safe.

I'm flexible about how I work with you. Whether you prefer online, face-to-face or telephone, as long as we can find days and times that work for both of us, we can use whatever medium you prefer. I will, however, practise EMDR only in person. 

I suggest an initial phone chat for new clients - a 'get-to-know-you' conversation for us both. I often describe looking for a therapist as 'shopping for a counsellor'.  You wouldn't invest in something expensive - whatever it is - without trying it out first. These short calls are free. You want to know that you feel comfortable talking to me and I need to find out what's been troubling you. I'll ask you a few questions about you and your life, but mainly it's an exploratory call for us both.

I have availability for new supervisees. I see supervisees in my Edinburgh therapy room on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays, and online on Thursdays.

I'm trained in person-centred and psychodynamic therapy (University of Edinburgh). I have a certificate in supervision skills from the Northern Guild. For the past seven years I've worked as a counselling tutor at the University of Aberdeen and I'm happy to work with qualified, experienced counsellors as well as trainees (concessionary rates available).

I deliver training on how to get the most from supervision and aim to provide my supervisees with a safe space in which they can bring the things they perhaps wish they didn't have to talk about, but know they should! I was a trainee once, and I understand it takes time to suss out the supervisory space and use it well. Supervision is as much about you as it is about your client work.

Our first session is half price. It's a time for us to work out whether we feel we can work together. Do you feel comfortable talking to me? Think of it as 'shopping for a supervisor'. A good fit is so important.