April Cunliffe
Edinburgh Counsellor and Psychotherapist
ASSOCIATE of THE LIFE ACADEMY
About Me
I am a warm, thoughtful therapist and I believe in kindness and gentle change when you feel ready. I particularly work with LGBTQIA+ and neurodivergent clients. I feel it is important for everyone to be supported in their identities and authentic to who we are. I gently work with trauma so that we can start to process what has happened and hopefully move to a place of empowerment and hope.
I work to create a place where you can be where you’re at, and I can help you work to bring about change when you feel ready.
I believe that it is always important when it’s happening to you. In my work, I make space for us to acknowledge the good and bad things that have happened, and hopefully, over time, you can more comfortably hold them.
My mental health recovery journey makes me aware of the importance of therapy tailored to you and coping skills that feel appropriate to the stage of your life.
Approach
As a pluralistic therapist, I believe there are many paths to healing.
My work tends to fall along three themes:
Direction
We can learn about what’s going on for you, and your hopes for change. We can then figure out a direction that could be helpful for you.
Processing
You can speak your truth. This could be about the past, present or future. What's happening for you? It goes at your pace, and you guide what we talk about.
Change
We can work on mindset shifts, coping tools, and life choices that could get you on the path to feeling good.
The theories I use are as follows:
● Person-Centred: I primarily work from a person-centred approach, which involves exploring your challenges and hopes, working with emotions and identifying patterns. It can be helpful in releasing emotion from past experiences, or understanding what is happening for you today.
● CBT, Psychodynamic, Coping Techniques: I may offer additional tools from these approaches. These can involve identifying family patterns, working on behaviour change and planning for triggering situations.
This approach offers flexibility in therapy, meaning we can try things according to where you are on your journey.
Diversity: I do everything I can to make my practice inclusive of people of all genders, racial identities, sexualities, abilities and lifestyles. I will always learn about your experience from you, and I undergo additional training to expand my awareness of communities and cultural challenges.
Education
● Diploma in Pluralistic Counselling and Psychotherapy - Grounded Learning
● Continued Professional Development in:
-2 years in Drugs and Alcohol Counselling at DAPL Fife
- 7 years experience in support group facilitation: Anxiety and Depression for 3 years at Health in Mind, 5 years at Wishes Women's group, and 1.5 years running a CBT group in private practice
- LGBTQIA+ training at the Rainbow Therapy Conference and the Trans Conference by Scottish Trans
- Neurodiversity training with FutureLearn, Pesi, Health in Mind, and Additional reading
Experience
- 2 years in Drugs and Alcohol Counselling
- 7 years experience in support group facilitation: Anxiety and Depression groups, CBT, Women's groups
- LGBTQIA+ training and conferences
- Neurodiversity training
Expertise
● LGBTQIA+ issues
● Trauma
● Anxiety
● Depression
● Relationships
Memberships
BACP Membership number 407495
COSCA membership number 5135
PVG scheme membership
Fees
● Free 15 minute initial appointment, so that you can get to know me and we can work out if I’m the right fit for you.
● Regular sessions: 1 hour: £45 per session.
Location
I work exclusively online
I am based between Edinburgh and London
Contact
To make an appointment or discuss whether I am the right therapist for you, please complete the form below. I will try to respond to you within three days.
I look forward to hearing from you.