Ian Murdoch

I am currently available for new clients for in-person and on-line counselling. 

My practice operates Monday to Friday during normal business hours and some early evenings however I want therapy to be as accessible as possible so please feel free to reach out and we will try to find something that works for you.

• Monday to Thursday face to face sessions until 7pm (3pm on a Friday)
• On-line sessions Tuesday to Thursday until 8pm (starting)
• Early morning (pre-work) available Tuesday and Wednesday

Therapy generally works best with a regular weekly slot, however life has a tendency to get in the way so if you need some flexibility, we can figure it out and agree a schedule that works. 

I worked in the commercial sector for over 30 years but always had an ambition to finish my working life working 'for good' rather than for profit. I therefore took the opportunity during the natural break provided by the pandemic, to retrain to become a person centred counsellor.

I qualified in early 2024 and have over 600 hours of counselling experience in both private and agency practice.

• I am a qualified, Â鶹ԭ´´ registered, person-centred therapist. The person-centred approach (PCA) puts the client at the heart of the work.
• I am guided and boundaried by the Â鶹ԭ´´ ethical framework. Confidentiality, client welfare and respect are at the core of how I work. 
• I have experience of working with all ages from 13 up. As well as practising privately, I volunteer at an agency that works with clients between the ages of 13 and 35. 
• I have worked with a number of young adults from sports environments at both recreational and pathway levels.

The PCA is a highly collaborative approach between therapist and client that focusses not on diagnosis and 'cure', but on exploring and navigating our responses to our situation. It is often referred to as client-led therapy. There are no deep dives into your early childhood (unless that is where you want to go), no homework, and no instructions as to how to live your life. My job is to provide an empathic, non judgemental and honest environment where together we can explore, unpick and perhaps reframe the issues that are causing you distress.  

This approach makes PCA suitable for most situations, but issues that I often work with are:

• Anxiety
• Low mood or depression
• Anger and frustration
• Abuse (current or historic)
• Loss 
• Isolation
• Thoughts of not wanting to be here
• Left behind by another's suicide
• Family Dynamics

Whatever brought you here, we will work at your pace to look to affect positive change in your life.

I offer a number of different ways of accessing therapy.

Face to face sessions in my purpose built counselling studio just outside West Wycombe

On-line sessions if you are more comfortable at home or geographically distant

Blended face to face and on-line if scheduling becomes a problem for any reason

Walk and talk in the rolling Chiltern Hills if the prospect of sitting in a new room seems a little daunting.

My counselling studio is a calming, completely private space that was designed specifically for therapy.   I live alone so there will never be anyone else in during your appointment and have off street parking and private washroom facilities.

I also work out of the Youth Enquiries Service in central High Wycombe (afternoons and early evenings) and have access to a purpose built therapy space in Thame on a Friday.

Starting therapy can be the hardest part, so we can work into it gradually. 

1. First contact. Reach out by email (or phone if you're comfortable to). If you can give me an idea of what you are looking for, that can be helpful, but don't worry about the detail, we can get into that at a later stage. I can send you a copy of my working agreement, which will give you an idea of how I work and we can set up an introductory call.
2. Free Introductory Call. If you came through on e-mail, we can arrange a short call (usually about 15 mins) to discuss a bit more about what you are looking for. This will help us to establish if we are a good fit, and give you the chance to ask any questions you may have. 
3. Initial Session. This is where we will start the therapeutic work (fees apply from this point). I will take a few minutes to explain the process and in particular the extent and boundaries of confidentiality. I will also ask you to do a short assessment which will help us identify relevant areas we might work in. We can then perhaps explore what brings you to therapy, what you hope to take from it and how we can achieve that but the depth and detail we go into is very much in your control. If by the end of the session you feel that this could be useful to you, we will schedule in some more work.