Courtney Amesbury-Cooke

I offer in person sessions in the West End of Edinburgh, including on Saturday mornings. I offer after work appointments during the week. I also offer online sessions. 

Generally I am only able to offer weekly appointments - unfortunately I can only offer a very limited number of fortnightly sessions. I have a limited number of concessionary spaces at £35 - please feel free to contact me to discuss this further.

Saturday sessions available. Hello and welcome. I’m Courtney, a BACP registered Counsellor and Psychotherapist. Whatever it is that’s brought you here, I’ll offer you kindness, compassion and respect in a space that encourages exploration of your full self. I believe no part of you is wrong, faulty or irrational.

I have experience supporting people with a wide variety of issues but have a specialist knowledge and interest in both substance use and trauma.

The counselling modality I use is Person Centred, though I draw on ideas from other therapies, including Compassion Focused Therapy and Internal Family Systems. I believe you are the expert in your life, and the role of the therapist is to help you access parts of yourself that will help you thrive and grow. The therapy has no agenda - it is about you, your experiences and your goals.  Whilst I will help deepen your self-understanding, you will never be pushed to discuss anything you don’t want to.

I've supported people with substance use issues, (theirs, or another person's), gambling issues, depression, anxiety, bereavement, physical, emotional and/or sexual abuse, life transitions & academic issues. I promote a sense of wholeness in my approach - helping you find ways that encourage you to appreciate both the ‘helpful’ and ‘unhelpful’ parts of who you are - tuning into what they are trying to tell you, even in the midst of anger, pain, grief or inner turmoil. 

I have more information about me and my approach on my website which you can access in the link above. 

Sometimes what brings us to therapy is the feeling that there’s something wrong with us. Something that means we find it hard to cope in the world, to be happy, to make the best of ourselves. This can present as depression, anxiety, low self-esteem, problems with alcohol, drugs or food, or other mental health issues. We may also find ourselves repeating patterns in relationships, or struggle with how to communicate with colleagues, family or loved ones.

My overriding belief is that there is nothing ‘wrong’ with who you are, and it’s my role to help you uncover what may be making you feel this way and find ways to cope with or combat the challenges you’re facing. 

Do I just talk about my feelings in therapy?

That’s up to you. Sometimes what people want me to do is to listen and help them understand themselves better. Sometimes people want help to look for solutions, or a plan of action. Sometimes people don’t really know what it is that they want help with, and it’s my role to help them find out what it is.

I understand that sometimes it can be hard to put things into words. You don’t always have to talk. In person I have art supplies - if you want you can draw - in a 'previous life' I worked in the arts and received a Masters Degree in Art History. You can also play music softly if that’s a method of communication you find helpful. It’s your space.

Anti-Oppressive practice

I recognise the impact that social attitudes towards gender, sexuality, race, religious expression, neurodivergence, non-monogamy and other marginalised characteristics have upon people seeking counselling and seek to counter this in my work. 

Accessibility

My therapy space is on the ground floor, however unfortunately isn't wheelchair accessible as there's a couple of steps up from the main door. The bathroom is on the level below my therapy room.

Please let me know about any accessibility needs you have - it's your space and it must work for you, both online or in person.

To make sure that we are the right fit for each other, I offer a half price first session at £25. This session lasts 50 minutes, the same as a standard session. This is a chance for us to get to know each other and I welcome questions in this session if you have them.

You'll do most of the talking, but I will ask some questions to get a sense of the issues that you're bringing, a bit about your background and so I get an understanding of the support you need. There's a few practical things that I need to make sure you're aware of as well.  

Available for online sessions only, including on evenings and Saturdays. 

Generally I am only able to offer weekly sessions, I only have a very limited number of fortnightly sessions. 

Saturday and evening sessions available. Hello and welcome. I’m Courtney, and I offer you a non-judgmental, reflective space to explore whatever it is that’s causing you challenges. As someone who has benefited from therapy, I know how hard it can be to reach out for help. I do hope you're able to give yourself credit for investing time into yourself and your mental health.

The counselling modality I use is Person Centred, though I draw on ideas from other therapies, including Compassion Focused Therapy and Family Systems. Whilst I will help deepen your self-understanding, you will never be pushed to discuss anything you don’t want to. I believe you are the expert in your life, and the role of therapy is to help you access parts of yourself that will help you thrive and grow. The therapy has no agenda - it is about you, your experiences and your goals.

I have a special interest in substance use, having worked in an NHS drug and alcohol service - I also co-produced an award winning toolkit for people living with Alcohol Related Brain Damage. I've supported people with substance use issues, (theirs, or another person's), gambling issues, depression, anxiety, bereavement, physical, emotional and/or sexual abuse, life transitions & academic issues. I promote a sense of wholeness in my approach - helping you find ways that encourage you to appreciate and accept both the ‘helpful’ and ‘unhelpful’ parts of who you are - even in the midst of anger, pain, grief or inner turmoil.

As well as my Professional Diploma in Person Centred Counselling and Psychotherapy, I have qualifications in the impact of trauma on mental health and peer support. Alongside my counselling practice I currently work for a homelessness charity where I support people into recovery from gambling harm.

Sometimes what brings us to therapy is the feeling that there’s something wrong with us. Something that means we find it hard to cope in the world, to be happy, to make the best of ourselves. This can present as depression, anxiety, low self-esteem, problems with alcohol, drugs or food, or many other manifestations of mental health issues. We may also find ourselves repeating patterns in relationships, or struggle with how to communicate to family or loved ones.

My overriding belief is that there is nothing ‘wrong’ with who you are, and it’s my role to help you uncover what may be making you feel this way and find ways to cope with or combat the challenges you’re facing. I don't believe any thinking is 'faulty' or 'irrational.'

Do I just talk about my feelings in therapy?

That’s up to you. Sometimes what people want me to do is to listen and help them understand themselves better. Sometimes people want help to look for solutions, or a plan of action. Sometimes people don’t really know what it is that they want help with, and it’s my privilege to help them find out what it is.

I understand that sometimes it can be hard to put things into words. You don’t always have to talk. In person I have art supplies - if you want you can draw - in a 'previous life' I worked in the arts and received a Masters Degree in Art History. You can also play music softly if that’s a method of communication you find helpful. It’s your space.

Anti-Oppressive practice

I recognise the impact that social attitudes towards gender, sexuality, race, religious expression, neurodivergence, non-monogamy and other marginalised characteristics have upon people seeking counselling and seek to counter this in my work. 

To make sure that we are the right fit for each other, I offer a half price first session at £25. This session lasts 50 minutes, the same as a standard session. This is a chance for us to get to know each other and I welcome questions in this session if you have them.

You'll do most of the talking in this session, but I will ask some questions to get a sense of the issues that you're bringing, a bit about your background and so I get an understanding of the support you need. There's a few practical things that I need to make sure you're aware of as well.  

Available for online sessions, including on weekday evenings and Saturday mornings. 

Please note I am generally only able to offer weekly slots, I have a very limited number of fortnightly sessions. 

Saturday sessions available. Hello and welcome. I’m Courtney, and I offer you a warm, reflective space to explore whatever it is that’s causing you challenges. As someone who has benefited from therapy, I know how hard it can be to reach out for help. I do hope you're able to give yourself credit for investing time into yourself and your mental health.

As well as my Professional Diploma in Person Centred Counselling and Psychotherapy, I have qualifications in the impact of trauma on mental health, peer support and suicide prevention. I have a special interest in substance use, having worked in an NHS residential drug and alcohol service. I have also counselled students within a Scottish university student service. 

In 2021 I set up a new Peer Support programme for people living with incurable cancer, as well as co-producing an award-winning recovery toolkit for people living with Alcohol Related Brain Damage. Alongside my counselling practice I currently work for a homelessness charity where I support people into recovery from gambling harm. 

The counselling modality I use is Person Centred, though I draw on ideas from other therapies, including Compassion Focused Therapy and Family Systems. Sometimes how therapy works is shrouded in mystery, but I don’t think it needs to be. You're welcome to research these types of therapy in advance or I can explain this to you if we meet.

We will work collaboratively to explore what you need support with - the therapy is about you, your experiences and your goals. Whilst I will help deepen your self-understanding, you will never be pushed to discuss anything you don’t want to. I promote a sense of wholeness in my approach - helping you find ways that encourage you to appreciate both the ‘helpful’ and ‘unhelpful’ parts of who you are, even in the midst of anger, pain, grief or inner turmoil.

Sometimes what brings us to therapy is the feeling that there’s something wrong with us. Something that means we find it hard to cope in the world, to be happy, to make the best of ourselves. This can present as depression, anxiety, low self-esteem, problems with alcohol, drugs or food, or many other manifestations of mental health issues. We may also find ourselves repeating patterns in relationships, or struggle with how to communicate to family or loved ones.

My overriding belief is that there is nothing ‘wrong’ with who you are, and it’s my role to help you uncover what may be making you feel this way and find ways to cope with or combat the challenges you’re facing. I don't believe any thinking is 'faulty' or 'irrational.'

Do I just talk about my feelings in therapy?

That’s up to you. Sometimes what people want me to do is to listen and help them understand themselves better. Sometimes people want help to look for solutions, or a plan of action. Sometimes people don’t really know what it is that they want help with, and it’s my privilege to help them find out what it is.

I understand that sometimes it can be hard to put things into words. You don’t always have to talk. In person I have art supplies - if you want you can draw - in a 'previous life' I worked in the arts and received a Masters Degree in Art History. You can also play music softly if that’s a method of communication you find helpful. It’s your space.

Anti-Oppressive practice

I recognise the impact that social attitudes towards gender, sexuality, race, religious expression, neurodivergence, non-monogamy and other marginalised characteristics have upon people seeking counselling and seek to counter this in my work. I offer you an accepting and non-judgemental space, however you live your life and whatever you bring to the therapy. Whilst I identify as neurotypical, I welcome working with people who identify as neurodivergent and hope you would feel able to be your full self with me. 

To make sure that we are the right fit for each other, I offer a half price first session at £25. This session lasts 50 minutes, the same as a standard session. This is a chance for us to get to know each other and I welcome questions in this session if you have them.

You'll do most of the talking in this session, but I will ask some questions to get a sense of the issues that you're bringing, a bit about your background and so I get an understanding of the support you need. There's a few practical things that I need to make sure you're aware of as well.