Our Therapy Room
Gavin McDonald
Counselling. He/him.
When? Fridays at Studio 70
Gavin is a qualified Person Centred Therapist holds a Post Graduate Diploma and Psychotherapy from Strathclyde University. He is Managing Director of LPG Counselling, a Glasgow based counselling practice, which he co-founded with Laura Finnell and Paul Johnson. LPG Counselling’s aims are to make therapy affordable; accessible and to promote the Person Centred approach to therapy.
As a Person centred therapist his focus is on learning what it is like to be you. He aims to enter your world so that he can travel with you, on your mental health journey, and can experience with you the difficulties and joys that you’ll encounter along the way. And although he will not advise you which road to take next: he will accept and respect the decisions you make for yourself even in the times you find it difficult to do this for yourself.
He believes that it is through this acceptance of you fully for who you are that provides the support and freedom that you need in order for you to find the strength to heal and grow. With Gavin, you won’t just look at the bits that don’t work but you’ll also look at the bits that do to fully appreciate the landscape that is your life. You’ll work together to get you to that place where you want to be in your life – and if you don’t get you there, he’ll definitely get you started.
Gavin has experience working with a range of clients, of all ages, with a huge variety of presenting issues. His experience has focused, particularly, with working with people who identify as members of the LGBTQ+ community and people suffering from alcohol and drug dependency issues. However, he will work with anyone who feels they could benefit from counselling.
Hazel McCartney Therapies
Therapeutic Massage & Councelling. She/Her.
When? Tuesdays at Studio 70
Ever wondered what stands between you and wholeness? …me too and that is why I have dedicated the last 25 years exploring what gets in our way.
I have practised therapeutic massage and integrated therapeutic counselling (among other modalities) with a focus on bringing connection and awareness to the patterns and habits that stand between us and a sense of balance and wellbeing.
I know, from my own (ongoing) therapeutic journey, how vulnerable it can feel entrusting the most tender wounds and inner truths to another person. That is why it’s an amazing honour to still be offering safe space where clients can feel welcomed, resourced and rested. In this therapeutic container there is potential for exploring blocks, patterns, beliefs and attachments that contribute to suffering or inbalance in the body, heart and mind.
In my experience, when pain and suffering is met with caring attention and connection they tend to shift in some way…be it through insight and awareness on or off the massage table. Time and time again I’ve seen evidence of a softening and relaxation when a person feels held, heard and supported. Painful or stress inducing patterns tend to surrender when they are witnessed by radical kindness in talking therapy and in response to the therapeutic touch of massage therapy.
Counselling sessions with me in person, calls or online last 1 hour. Massage sessions are either 90mins or 2 hours.
If you’re interested to find out more about my approach, ask any questions and know what to expect from my style of therapy please text or call me on 07913206273 to arrange for a free 20min discovery call.
Veronica
Relaxation & Embodied focused Massage therapist. She/her.
When? Mondays at Studio 70
I’m Veronica, a relaxation and embodiment focused massage therapist. I came to offer massage therapy because I know that touch and relaxation can be challenging and not inherently easy for a multitude of reasons. Through many years of my own experience with consistent bodywork, I really feel that massage therapy can be a form of health and wellbeing
care, resistance, and liberation.
What is relaxation and embodiment focused massage?
It is a bit slower to start, a bit more focused on allowing the nervous system, mind, and the body as a whole to integrate before moving more deeply into treatment. A session together starts with consultation, a bit of guided breathing, I weave in elements of nature, community, joy, connection, and engaging with your senses, which can encourage general body awareness. A flowing, rhythmic pace with the varying pressure of Swedish massage which can help slowly ease the body towards engaging the parasympathetic nervous system. Trauma
informed practice means collaborative informed touch, check-ins, and communication throughout our first session together to gain familiarity with what to expect. In sessions you’re very welcome to move, ask for things to be different, and decline options.
I have a certification in trauma informed yoga from Room to Breathe Chicago, where I’m originally from and a Level 3 diploma in therapeutic massage from The Glasgow School of Massage. Outside of the studio I relish being in nature and noticing it’s many subtleties and abundance, collage, card making, and chuckling at my silly dog.
I hope to meet you soon.
Amy Smith
Holistic Massage Therapist (she/they)
When? Wednesdays & Sundays at Studio 70
Amy is a holistic massage therapist providing individually-tailored treatments, specialising in deep relaxation techniques to release stress, relieve pain and invoke peaceful reverie.
Her practice is body positive and LGBTQIA+ friendly; a warm and peaceful sanctuary to people of all shapes, sizes and ways of being.
Holistic massage employs diverse techniques to treat the ‘whole person’, taking into account their unique physiological, mental and emotional wellbeing on any given day. Every treatment will begin with a short consultation, and every massage will be tailored on the basis of this, incorporating a range of techniques from practices such as Swedish massage, deep tissue and joint mobilisation.
Qualifications
Amy holds a Level 4 Holistic Massage diploma from the Massage Training Institute, including the study of anatomy, physiology and pathology. She pursues continual professional development through self-guided study, attending workshops on specific techniques and peer-to-peer knowledge exchange.
Ellie ~ Purl Massage Therapy
(She/Her)
When? Fridays at Studio 70
Ellie first became interested in massage having grown up with chronic back pain. She found that doing gentle movement and stretching, along with taking lots of time to tune into her body and rest, really improved her pain. Now working most of the time as a jeweller, Eleanor spends long hours at a desk, and has found massage to be a really helpful way to take care of her body.
In a fast paced world, where it can be difficult to find stillness, Ellie sees massage as an opportunity to tune into and reconnect with our bodies.
Swedish massage treatments are full body wholistic sessions, using variable pressure and movements to improve blood and lymph circulation, ease muscular strains, improve mobility, reduce stress and tension, and relieve pain. Ellie hopes to create a safe and relaxing space where everybody feels welcome and comfortable.
All treatments can be booked either by contacting Ellie, or on online booking software Fresha (link below). Concession rates for those with low incomes always available.
Ellie is delighted to be using the peaceful therapy room at Studio70, and hopes to meet you there soon.
Vanya Duncan (nee Semerdjieva)
Cognitive Behavioural Therapist
(She/Her)
When? Wednesdays & Thursdays at Studio 70
Vanya Duncan (nee Semerdjieva); She/Her; Cognitive Behavioural Therapist; When: Wednesdays & Thursdays
If you're feeling anxious and overwhelmed, you're feeling stuck in your relationships, or you’re battling your inner critic and you don’t feel enough, then you might be in the right place. I am a qualified and BACP-registered CBT therapist and I work in an integrative way, drawing from a wide range of psychotherapeutic theories and methods. I have a compassion-focused approach and I specialise in anxiety, maladaptive perfectionism, trauma, low self-esteem, assertiveness, and boundaries.
I know it can take a lot of effort to even read this far, and reaching out can feel daunting - I’ve been there myself. I struggled for a long time before asking for help, and when I finally did, it changed my life.
In me, you’ll find a real person first. I believe it’s important to be genuine, accepting, empathetic, and warm, so you can feel comfortable and safe exploring what’s been bothering you. I bring my personality into sessions, and I hope to see yours too. I try to keep the tone casual, creating a space that feels like a meaningful conversation with someone who genuinely cares about hearing your story.
Our first sessions will focus on building a safe therapeutic relationship, where we can work together to come up with goals, specific to your unique needs at this time, and to help you live your life more authentically and in line with your values. We’ll check in regularly to make sure the work feels helpful and is moving in the direction you hoped for.
If you would like to find out more, you're welcome to book a free 10-minute introductory call via my Counselling Directory profile or drop me an email on help2cope@outlook.com. This will give us an opportunity to hear more about each other and see if we are a suitable fit.