Hello. I’m Jamie.

I am a counsellor working in person in Paisley, and wherever you are online.

Book a Session

“You’re not stuck in traffic, you are traffic.”

I think this metaphor is a good way to indicate what therapy with me can be like.

In the moments where we are frustrated, where we feel powerless to change things or where we can’t imagine what the consequences of a different choice would be - I think we are more likely to describe ourselves as stuck in traffic. Passively at the whim of everyone else. No focus on how we ended up here. Will get to the destination when we get there because of all these people in the way.

If we accept the perspective challenge, and consider ourselves as the traffic, we can begin to understand what power we do have. We can explore to what extent many of the things that we describe ourselves as “having to do” are really choices that we make every day. And while we might never change the fact that the road is busy, we can get closer to a level of acceptance and peace about what is going on.

That’s part of my theory of change for therapy - that the more we can accept and show understanding to ourselves, the closer we’ll get to a good life.

That’s why when we’re together, I really want to offer you time where you can show yourself. To offer you time where you can say the thing that matters to you and talk honestly about how it feels to live your life. At your own pace and in a way that feels right for you.

Whatever has brought you to looking at therapy, my hope is that we can create a space for you to explore what’s happening with loads of curiosity and understanding.

Counselling centred on you

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Warm and consistent environment

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In person or online

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Counselling centred on you · Warm and consistent environment · In person or online ·

My Process

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    Relational

    The strength of our relationship matters more than any therapeutic theory. I prioritise our time and act in a way that respects the relationship that we are building.

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    Empathic

    We work with your feelings, thoughts and experiences. Whether we’ve had similar life experiences or not, I am trying to get close to what it all means for you. Empathy is about getting it - without pity, worry or judgment.

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    Collaborative

    We’re coming together as equals. I’m not an expert at living life - just a trained therapist who can create the conditions for you to work out how you want to live yours. There are no pedestals required in therapy with me - let’s both be accountable to each other.

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    Ethical

    I take the way that I work seriously because I think that counsellors should be trustworthy and hold themselves to a high standard of conduct. You can expect me to act with integrity, no matter the situation.

@jamiekinlochan If you’ve ever thought “I wonder what my counsellor gets up to before I see them…” - this is what I’m doing. If you’ve ever thought “Where did that guy from the Barshaw Park pond go?” - this is what I do when I’m not discovering a secret black market of fish. #counselling #therapy #therapytiktok ♬ Autumn Leaves - yukidoodle

  • "Jamie's style makes you question your own decisions in a way that is reflective and constructive. We've laughed, I've cried and I've grown as a person. I couldn't have got here without him."

  • "I spend a lot of my life feeling like my emotions are too much, like they’re selfish, and I am not entitled to feel the way I feel. The way Jamie listens and speaks with me makes me feel like I’m allowed to have my feelings, like I’m valid and deserve to exist. I can’t explain how much that means to me, but I think people who need this will know!"

  • “Jamie put me at ease right away and has given me the space to start exploring my emotional responses. I really feared talking about how I was feeling, but now really look forward to our sessions.”

A man with glasses, a beard, and a shaved head taking a selfie on a train, with sunlight illuminating his face.

Qualifications:
MSc in Counselling and Psychotherapy, University of Strathclyde
COSCA Certificate in Counselling Skills, Glasgow Caledonian University
BA (Hons) Politics and Social Policy, University of the West of Scotland

I think I’m a great therapist for the moments when the bubble of comfort and certainty in life has burst - either because of events outside of your control, or because you’ve had enough of life as it is and needed to burst it yourself.

My whole life, I have loved being with people who are questioning how they see themselves; their ways of thinking; the relationships in their life and what they want from the world. I also love being with people who are able to, or who are learning to, accept themselves. The magic happens when we’re doing both.

I think that is what therapy is about for me - creating the warm and non-judgmental space for you to explore self acceptance and to reach new levels of self awareness.

I think that’s in part because of my training, and in part because I’ve had loads of those moments in my own life. Climbing to the top of the mountain, then realising the view wasn’t what I thought it would be. Making clanging mistakes and having to work with the idea that I might not be perfect. Finding myself in the middle of something and thinking “I don’t actually like this or want to do it - how TF did I get myself here? And why am I not stopping it now I know.”

That means I’ve worked with people who want to explore grief; relationship changes; family difficulties; parenting; career uncertainty; sex and sexuality; health diagnoses and loads more. If you think I could be the right person to work on your stuff with, get in touch when you’re ready.

BOOK AN APPOINTMENT

Session Cost - £60

I have sessions available on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday.

Online sessions are held on Google Meet, in person sessions are held in my home in Paisley.

I live in a top floor flat in the PA1 1QA area - and there is no lift.