About Me

Hello, I’m Cheryl. I’m a youth counsellor working with young people aged between 16 - 25 years old. I offer a safe, supportive space where you can talk openly about whatever is going on for you, whether that’s anxiety, low mood, anger, stress, low self esteem, relationships, self harm, or feeling overwhelmed.

I believe counselling should feel collaborative, I won’t judge or tell you what to do. Instead, we’ll work together at a pace that feels comfortable, helping you explore your feelings and make sense of your experiences.

My Background

After graduating from the University of Aberdeen with an MA (Hons) in Psychology, I began my career in the voluntary sector supporting adults and young people experiencing a wide range of mental health and emotional difficulties.

For more than a decade, I worked across a variety of support and service development roles, helping people affected by challenges including anxiety, stress, depression, low self esteem, self harm, trauma and suicidal thoughts. Several of those years were spent developing, coordinating and delivering services for people affected by self harm, which gave me extensive experience, insight and knowledge into supporting individuals with self harm.

I later chose to expand my knowledge and skills by training as a youth counsellor, and I completed my Diploma in Relationally Focussed Therapeutic Youth Counselling. I feel that my counselling training and previous experience complement one another, allowing me to bring both counselling skills and a broad understanding of mental health support to my work with young people.

Throughout my career, I have felt privileged to support people through difficult times in their lives. I believe every young person deserves a safe, accepting space where they can talk openly about what is happening for them. I find it deeply rewarding to support young people as they explore their experiences and develop self-understanding. I am passionate about supporting young people because adolescence and early adulthood can be a time of enormous change, pressure and uncertainty. Having the right support during this stage of life can make a lasting difference.

Professional Experience

  • More than 10 years spent working in mental health support services

  • Extensive experience supporting people affected by self harm

  • Experience developing, coordinating and delivering self harm support services and professional training

  • In-depth understanding of self harm and the emotional difficulties which can contribute to it

  • Experienced in supporting young people with low mood, anxiety, stress, low self esteem and feelings of being overwhelmed and confused.

Qualifications and Professional Memberships

  • MA Hons (2:1) Degree in Psychology, University of Aberdeen

  • Diploma in Relationally Focussed Therapeutic Youth Counselling, ACIS Youth

  • Certificate in Online and Telephone Counselling, Counselling Tutor

  • ASIST Suicide Prevention Training

  • Registered member of British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP). Membership no: 416297

  • Member of Protecting Vulnerable Groups (PVG) Scheme