Therapeutic Counselling
& Group Facilitation
Thanks for stopping on my website.
My name is Duncan Hamilton, and I'm a person-centred counsellor/psychotherapist, a guide, and group facilitator.I am here to guide people through difficult moments in their lives, to grow resiliently - YOUR way!
Working Together
The style of therapy I offer is person-centred.What does that mean?
In short, I offer my clients acceptance, heart-felt empathy, and genuineness. It also means that you are the leader of the therapy and where it goes.
You are the expert of your life.
I will work actively with you to empower you, and to reflect back what I hear you bringing to our sessions together. Is there conflict within? I'll notice if I hear/feel it, and give empathy to all the nuanced versions within you.How is this therapy different?
Many other styles of therapy view the therapist as an expert, and place emphasis on their skills and interventions. Person-centred therapy does not. Instead, we emphasise the relationship between therapist and client, and facilitate it to be genuine, accepting and empathic.Practices to support your Growth
If you are interested in other kinds of wellbeing & self-reflective practices, whether guided meditations, yoga, astrology, tarot, shamanic journeying, ecstatic dance, breathwork, reiki, self-generated ceremony, or any other kind of alternative form of healing; I have a lifetime of experience with a diverse range of spiritual practices which can be drawn upon, should you wish to.
About Me
I know how important it is to feel that your therapist can really understand what you're going through. And so, I won't shy away from sharing with you, that I've been there too.
My call to do this work has come from having had my own dark nights of the soul...As a child of an abusive alcoholic, having grown up queer, and as a blacksheep-type, I had my fair-share of difficulties. Crippling depression, suicidality, addiction, and suffocating feelings of shame and worthlessness have been uncomfortable companions through some of my journey through life.
"Turn your head to the sun, and the shadows fall behind you"
A Maori ProverbOne which comforted me in the early days when I wondered if I would ever overcome the pain of many traumas. Yet, I felt that I couldn't turn to look at the Sun until I had really come to know, and love, my Shadow.
I knew from a young age that I wanted to help others lost in their suffering, to make the same journey I knew I needed to make, for myself. For me, this has been a profoundly spiritual one - in the sense that I have felt a calling to something greater than myself. I feel this through my whole-being with passion and sincerity.
Personal healing is ever-evolving.
For me, it was only when I truly embraced and accepted my darkness that things began to change for the better, and I could feel the pull of the light on my back. After a decade of struggling with addiction, I managed to find a way out of it by offering that part of myself compassion and presence... to listen to what it really needed, rather than reject it or try to stamp it, or myself, out of existence.For me, this is what makes the person-centred approach so powerful - it does not direct or push change, but offers the opportunity to change through loving-kindness and acceptance. Things which I know I can offer my clients in lorry-loads.
My wee dog Danté usually accompanies me, and would be happy to comfort you too, if you want him present in our sessions together. He is very sweet, and gentle, albeit a sassy character.
Rates that Work for You
I have a deep commitment to offering this service accessibly.
My standard offer per session, intended for those who receive a living wage, is:
£50
& Currently I am at full capacity for free / reduced-fee work.If you are not in receipt of a living wage, on benefits or in financial difficulty - we can discuss this in our initial consultation and work out an agreement which suits us both.Please understand that my ability to offer free or reduced-rates will vary dependant on my case-load and income at the time.
Get in Touch
Our first consultation will be to meet one another, whether digitally or face-to-face. The first session will be free, to give us both the chance to see if we feel we can work together well, and so that you can tell me a bit about what's bringing you to therapy now.I'm looking forward to hearing from you.
Phone: Email: Book-In:
Qualifications
HND Psychology (Open University)BSc (Hons) Psychology - Clinical
(1st Class - London South Bank University)MSc Counselling & Psychotherapy
(Distinction - University of Strathclyde)
Proudly Affirming of LGBT+/ BAME / Disabled People
& an Anti-Discriminatory Practitioner
Pronoun Preference: They/them.
In-Person Accessibility details:
I practice from my ground-floor home in Mosspark, near Bellahouston Park, in Glasgow.There are four steps up to our building from street-level.The building is not wheelchair accessible (small door frames & halls).
Other Ways to Meet:
- Online (on Doxy or VSee)
- Walk & Talk / Talk & Roll (in Bellahouston or Pollock Park)
- Home Visits (by special appointment)