Carrie Hansen

Appointment slots for 5:00 pm and later are always in high demand.  If I don't currently have a space I have a waiting list which I try to keep as short as possible (usually 8 weeks).  If I have space I try to offer initial appointments as quickly as possible so that you are not waiting for a slot needlessly.   

We ask that appointments not be attended in person in case you have Covid or have a household member with Covid.  Online appointments can be made at such times.  Similarly we will advise if we are aware of having Covid or been in direct contact with someone who has it.

Many thanks for helping to keep us all as safe as possible.

My name is Carrie and I currently work with adults like yourself in a local private practice.

It can be hard to imagine what feeling okay would be like when worry, sadness or self-hate are part of your mental life. For many, this state of mind can feel like it is just who you are. People who come for counselling want more from life than this. In a sense, we all know what is ‘wrong’ or what has happened to us to make us suffer, feel numb, miserable or unsatisfied. It is this knowing, healing part of ourselves which searches these lists and I welcome and cheer you as you trust and follow it. So how can I help? I am a Person-Centred Counsellor. I offer an alliance with you in which you can tell your story and follow your own unique path to healing.

I work with people who wish to address specific problems, such as dealing with workplace bullying or thinking through a difficult relationship. I also work with survivors of abuse, in deep appreciation of their difficult life journeys, and the despair and desperation that many experience. I have a particular interest in helping people to deal with adverse developmental processes. These can range from school bullying, child abuse in all its forms, ‘scapegoating’, family alcoholism and ‘narcissistic’ and sexual abuse. Other difficult early experiences, such as emotional and psychological neglect or abuse can leave us feeling we have no real reason to feel so bad! In a safe therapeutic conversation we can reflect on our beliefs about ourselves and who we are, on our problems and circumstances and on others from our past and in our present. I work alongside and help to explore and understand these experiences and encourage emotional regulation, self-care, and self-awareness, building mental strength and confidence.

Old Aberdeen Counselling is a small private practice with two Counsellors.  Our premises are tucked away in a residential street.  There is on-street parking to pay.  We have somewhere safe for you to lock a bike.  We have toilet facilities, sadly, not wide enough for a wheelchair in our old building.  The Counselling rooms are wheelchair accessible.  We are on the ground floor with one step (double the height of the curb).  

Initial sessions are free of charge.  It is an opportunity for us to see how we might work together.  I would encourage you to see more than one Counsellor/Therapist for an initial appointment as this relationship is strongly linked to therapeutic success.  I do not book ongoing sessions during this appointment as I feel it is important to have time to think about how it went and then to book more if it seems like the appropriate next step for you in your process.