NowCounselling is led by Sean Humphreys.
Sean has over two decades of experience of working with people in the voluntary sector and privately in Scotland, with significant statutory sector partnership work experience including in schools, prisons and healthcare services as well as in sport.
He has experience of working collaboratively with colleagues working in the USA, Australia, Finland, England, Slovenia and Croatia and has presented at international conferences in Malta, Finland and Croatia on a variety of mental health and psychology related topics.
A specialist in personal development and continuous professional development for counsellors and counselling skills practitioners such as project workers, support workers, mentors and coaches and also for those working in other healthcare and education environments. His training and coaching experience also includes support with leadership and management in a working and business environment and sports psychology for individuals and teams.
After graduating from Edinburgh University he began his career working in practitioner roles supporting adults with complex and varied support needs related to physical and mental health, including additional learning needs, before working in a service for adults who were homeless and contending with issues including drug dependency, all of whom had experienced childhood trauma. Sean later worked in experiential learning based personal development both in towns and cities and in an outdoor education setting in practitioner and management roles providing specific services to people who were involved in the criminal justice system, were care experienced or were adjusting to life after experience in the armed services.
Counselling experience with clients includes a wide variety of presenting issues including managing stress, relationship conflict and bereavement and over 700 hours of supervised practice as an Alcohol Counsellor in a COSCA and BACP member organisation.
He is a professional member of the European Association for Reality Therapy, William Glasser International and also a teaching faculty member of the William Glasser Institute in the UK which is the governing and accredited body for Choice Theory, Reality Therapy and Lead Management.
He is also trained and experienced in working with other methodologies including Motivational Interviewing, Solution Focused Brief Therapy, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and Person Centred Counselling as well as a variety of leadership methods and educational learning styles. As well as qualifications in counselling, counselling skills, coaching and training, Sean is also a Scottish Qualifications Authority Assessor and Verifier and has several years experience as Designated Child Protection Officer at a national charity.
Sean believes that his (and others') lived experience of mental health is at least as important as education and professional training.
He has designed, written and delivered training courses and presentations on a wide variety of topics over recent years, as well as assessment and analysis of the training needs of teams or organisations as a consultant. Recent experience includes that with Apex Scotland, TIGERS LTD, Forest School Association, Big Wild Life, YouthLink Scotland, Scottish Association for Mental Health, Edinburgh and Lothians Council on Alcohol, Policy Hub Scotland and Street Soccer Scotland.
Equally comfortable working digitally or face to face - whatever works best for you.