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BACP Accredited Counsellor, Psychotherapist and EMDR Therapist

Do you feel stuck, lost, depressed, or anxious?

I'm Patricia McIntosh, a BACP-accredited counsellor and EMDR therapist providing counselling, psychotherapy and trauma therapy in Aberdeen and online throughout the UK. I support adults experiencing anxiety, trauma, stress, low self-esteem, relationship difficulties and life transitions.

We all face tough times, but these moments can be the start of a happier life. Therapy services at Pause for Counselling offer a confidential environment to explore your thoughts and feelings without judgment. Located in Aberdeen, Pause for Counselling focuses on you, helping you understand cognitive behaviours that may be holding you back and what you need to move forward.

There are many different counselling approaches available, and the key to getting the results you want is finding the approach that fits you best. Client-centred therapy benefits focus on the whole of you and your goals. Developed by psychologist Carl Rogers, this approach emphasizes the therapeutic relationship and aims to provide a supportive and empathetic environment for you to explore and understand yourself better. The approach is founded on the belief that you have an innate capacity for growth and positive change. There is no one else like you, and your goals for counselling are as unique as you are. Client-centred therapy benefits include creating lasting change, identifying your strengths, building resilience, developing coping techniques, and addressing the root causes of issues.

How I Can Help

Anxiety Counselling in Aberdeen and Online Across the UK

Anxiety can affect every part of life, leaving you feeling overwhelmed, constantly on edge, or exhausted by persistent worry. You may find yourself overthinking situations, struggling to switch off, avoiding certain places or activities, or feeling physically affected by symptoms such as a racing heart, tension, poor sleep, or panic attacks.

At Pause for Counselling, I provide a safe, supportive space where you can explore the experiences that contribute to anxiety and begin to understand what your mind and body may be trying to communicate. Together, we can work at a pace that feels comfortable for you, helping you develop greater self-awareness, emotional resilience, and confidence in managing difficult thoughts and feelings.

As a BACP-accredited counsellor and EMDR therapist, I support adults experiencing a wide range of anxiety-related difficulties, including:

Generalised anxiety and excessive worry
Panic attacks and panic disorder
Social anxiety
Health anxiety
Work-related stress and burnout
Anxiety linked to trauma or difficult life experiences
Low self-esteem and self-confidence
Relationship anxiety and attachment concerns

Where anxiety is connected to past experiences or unresolved trauma, EMDR therapy may also be helpful. EMDR can support the brain in processing distressing memories that may continue to trigger anxiety in the present.

Whether your anxiety has developed recently or has been affecting you for many years, therapy can help you gain a better understanding of yourself, reduce anxiety's impact on your daily life, and move towards a greater sense of calm, balance, and emotional wellbeing.

Available in-person in Aberdeen and online throughout the UK.

Trauma and PTSD Counselling in Aberdeen and Online Across the UK

Experiencing trauma can have a lasting impact on how you feel, think, and relate to the world around you. You may find yourself struggling with distressing memories, flashbacks, nightmares, heightened anxiety, emotional overwhelm, or a sense of feeling disconnected from yourself and others. Sometimes the effects of trauma can appear long after an experience has ended, making it difficult to understand why you continue to feel affected.

At Pause for Counselling, I offer a compassionate and supportive space where you can explore your experiences safely and at a pace that feels right for you. Trauma can result from a single event or from repeated experiences over time, including childhood adversity, relationship difficulties, abuse, loss, accidents, workplace incidents, medical experiences, or other situations that have felt overwhelming or threatening.

As a BACP-accredited counsellor and EMDR therapist, I support adults experiencing:

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
Complex PTSD (C-PTSD)
Childhood trauma
Emotional abuse and neglect
Domestic abuse and coercive relationships
Distressing memories and flashbacks
Anxiety linked to traumatic experiences
Low self-worth and difficulties with trust and relationships
Grief and traumatic loss

EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing) is an evidence-based therapy that can help the brain process traumatic memories that may feel stuck or unresolved. Many people find that, over time, traumatic memories become less overwhelming, allowing them to respond to life in the present with greater confidence and emotional freedom.

Healing from trauma does not mean forgetting what happened. It means reducing its impact on your life so that you can move forward with a greater sense of safety, resilience, and connection to yourself and others.

Appointments are available in person in Aberdeen and online throughout the UK.

Learn more about EMDR Therapy.

Bereavement and Loss Counselling in Aberdeen and Online Across the UK

Losing someone important to you can be one of life's most painful experiences. Grief can affect every part of your life, bringing a wide range of emotions including sadness, anger, guilt, anxiety, numbness, confusion, or loneliness. There is no right or wrong way to grieve, and no set timeline for how long the process should take.

At Pause for Counselling, I offer a warm, compassionate space where you can talk openly about your loss and the impact it is having on your life. Whether your bereavement is recent or occurred many years ago, counselling can provide an opportunity to explore your thoughts and feelings, make sense of your experience, and find ways to adjust to life after loss.

I support adults experiencing many forms of loss, including:

The death of a partner, spouse, family member, or friend
Sudden or unexpected loss
Loss following illness or long-term caregiving
Traumatic bereavement
Pregnancy loss and baby loss
Loss through separation or relationship breakdown
Anticipatory grief when a loved one is seriously ill
Multiple losses or unresolved grief
Life transitions and other significant personal losses

Grief can sometimes feel overwhelming, affecting sleep, concentration, confidence, relationships, and daily routines. Together, we can create a space where your loss can be acknowledged and understood, helping you navigate your grief with greater self-compassion and support.

While counselling cannot take away the pain of loss, it can help you carry it differently, honour your relationship with the person who has died, and find a way to move forward while maintaining a meaningful connection to the memories that matter most.

Appointments are available in person in Aberdeen and online throughout the UK.

Stress and Burnout Counselling in Aberdeen and Online Across the UK

Modern life can place significant demands on our time, energy, and emotional wellbeing. When stress becomes ongoing or overwhelming, it can begin to affect every aspect of life, leaving you feeling exhausted, irritable, anxious, disconnected, or unable to cope in the way you once could. Over time, prolonged stress can lead to burnout, making even simple daily tasks feel difficult to manage.

At Pause for Counselling, I provide a supportive, confidential space where you can step back from life's pressures and explore what may be contributing to your stress. Together, we can make sense of your experiences, identify unhelpful patterns, and find healthier ways of responding to the challenges you face.

I support adults experiencing:

Work-related stress and burnout
Compassion fatigue and caring responsibilities
Workplace conflict and difficult relationships
Anxiety linked to stress and overwhelm
Perfectionism and high self-expectations
Difficulty maintaining a healthy work-life balance
Emotional exhaustion and loss of motivation
Stress related to major life changes or transitions
Feeling overwhelmed by responsibilities at home or work
Physical symptoms of stress, including tension, poor sleep, and fatigue

Many people experiencing burnout find themselves constantly putting the needs of others before their own, struggling to switch off, or feeling trapped in a cycle of pressure and self-criticism. Counselling can help you reconnect with your needs, strengthen personal boundaries, and develop greater self-compassion while building resilience for the future.

You do not have to wait until you reach breaking point before seeking support. Therapy can provide a space to pause, reflect, and make meaningful changes that support your wellbeing, helping you regain a greater sense of balance, energy, and control in your life.

Appointments are available in person in Aberdeen and online throughout the UK.

Low Self-Esteem Counselling in Aberdeen and Online Across the UK

Low self-esteem can affect the way you see yourself, your relationships, and the choices you make in life. You may find yourself being overly critical of yourself, doubting your abilities, comparing yourself to others, or feeling that you are somehow not good enough. Over time, these thoughts can impact confidence, wellbeing, and your ability to live life in a way that feels fulfilling and authentic.

At Pause for Counselling, I provide a supportive, non-judgemental space where you can explore the experiences that have shaped how you view yourself. Together, we can develop a greater understanding of the beliefs and patterns that may be holding you back, helping you build a healthier and more compassionate relationship with yourself.

I support adults who are experiencing:

Low self-esteem and self-worth
A lack of confidence in personal or professional situations
Persistent self-criticism and negative self-talk
Feelings of not being good enough
Difficulty setting boundaries
People-pleasing behaviours
Perfectionism and fear of failure
Imposter syndrome
Relationship difficulties linked to self-confidence
Anxiety related to judgement or rejection

Low self-esteem often develops as a result of past experiences, relationships, criticism, rejection, bullying, trauma, or difficult life events. While these experiences can leave a lasting impact, they do not define your value or determine your future.

Therapy can help you recognise your strengths, challenge unhelpful beliefs, and develop greater self-acceptance. As your understanding of yourself grows, you may begin to feel more confident in expressing your needs, making decisions, building healthier relationships, and approaching life's challenges with greater resilience.

You deserve to experience life without being held back by constant self-doubt. Counselling can provide a space to reconnect with your sense of worth and move forward with increased confidence, self-compassion, and emotional wellbeing.

Appointments are available in person in Aberdeen and online throughout the UK.

EMDR Therapy in Aberdeen and Online

Sometimes difficult experiences can continue to affect us long after the event itself has passed. You may find yourself feeling stuck with distressing memories, overwhelmed by anxiety, experiencing flashbacks or nightmares, or reacting strongly to situations that seem difficult to explain. These responses are often the mind and body's natural way of coping with experiences that have not been fully processed.

At Pause for Counselling, I offer EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing) therapy in a safe, supportive, and compassionate environment. EMDR is a recognised, evidence-based approach that helps people process traumatic or distressing experiences so they become less emotionally overwhelming and disruptive in everyday life.

EMDR can be effective for a range of difficulties, including:

Trauma and PTSD
Complex trauma (C-PTSD)
Anxiety and panic attacks
Distressing or intrusive memories
Childhood experiences that continue to affect adult life
Low self-esteem and negative self-beliefs
Grief and loss
Phobias and specific fears
Stress related to challenging life events

As an EMDR UK-registered therapist, I work collaboratively with you to ensure that therapy progresses at a pace that feels safe and manageable. Before beginning memory processing, we focus on building resources and coping strategies to help you feel supported throughout the therapeutic journey.

Many people describe EMDR as helping them feel less "stuck" in the past, allowing distressing memories to lose their emotional intensity and enabling them to respond more freely to life in the present. While everyone's experience is unique, EMDR can help create lasting change by supporting the brain's natural capacity to heal and process difficult experiences.

Whether you are struggling with the effects of a single traumatic event or experiences that have built up over time, EMDR therapy can help you move towards greater emotional wellbeing, resilience, and confidence.

EMDR therapy is available in person in Aberdeen and online across the UK.

Learn more about EMDR Therapy.

Online Counselling Across the UK

Online counselling offers a flexible and accessible way to access therapy from the comfort and privacy of your own home. For many people, attending sessions online makes it easier to fit therapy around work, family commitments, health needs, or a busy lifestyle, while still benefiting from a safe, supportive, and meaningful therapeutic relationship.

At Pause for Counselling, I provide online counselling and EMDR therapy for adults throughout the UK using a secure video platform. Research has shown that online therapy can be just as effective as face-to-face counselling for many emotional and psychological difficulties, allowing you to receive support wherever you feel most comfortable.

Online counselling can help with a wide range of concerns, including:

Anxiety and panic attacks
Stress and burnout
Depression and low mood
Trauma and PTSD
Bereavement and loss
Low self-esteem and self-confidence
Relationship difficulties
Work-related challenges
Life transitions and personal growth
Emotional overwhelm and feelings of being stuck

Many clients appreciate the convenience of being able to attend therapy without travelling, while others find it easier to open up from a familiar environment. Online sessions can be particularly beneficial if you live in a rural area, have mobility challenges, travel frequently, or simply prefer the flexibility that remote therapy provides.

As a BACP-accredited counsellor and EMDR UK-registered therapist, I aim to provide the same level of warmth, compassion, and professional support online as I do in face-to-face sessions. Together, we can create a therapeutic space where you feel heard, understood, and supported in working towards your goals.

Whether you are seeking support for a specific difficulty or looking for space to better understand yourself, online counselling can help you take the next step towards improved wellbeing and lasting positive change.

Secure online counselling and EMDR therapy are available to adults throughout the UK.

What Clients Say

Taking the first step towards counselling can feel daunting, and finding the right therapist is an important part of the process. I am committed to providing a warm, supportive, and non-judgemental space where clients feel safe to explore their thoughts, feelings, and experiences at their own pace.

Many clients come to therapy feeling overwhelmed, anxious, stuck, or uncertain about how to move forward. Through our work together, they often describe gaining a greater understanding of themselves, developing healthier coping strategies, and feeling more confident in navigating life's challenges.

Below are a few words shared by previous clients about their experience of counselling and EMDR therapy at Pause for Counselling.

"This service has been honestly absolutely incredible from start to finish. Where I am now, compared to where I was 12 weeks ago, is like a different person. Without the support, I do not know where or how I would be now. From the bottom of my heart, thank you."

– Previous Client

"Thanks to you and your words me and my son are talking again after years.”

– Previous Client

Every therapeutic journey is unique, and while each person's experience of counselling is different, my aim is always to offer a compassionate and collaborative space where meaningful change can take place.

Ready to take the next step?

Please feel free to get in touch to arrange an initial appointment or to discuss how counselling or EMDR therapy may be able to support you.

BACP Accredited Counsellor, Psychotherapist & EMDR Therapist in Aberdeen | Patricia McIntosh

Patricia McIntosh, BACP‑accredited counsellor, psychotherapist and EMDR therapist in Aberdeen

I offer counselling, psychotherapy and EMDR therapy from my Aberdeen West End practice and work with clients from across Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire, Inverurie, Westhill, Banchory and Stonehaven. and online across the UK. With a strong reputation for delivering meaningful results, I am a BACP-accredited counsellor and psychotherapist dedicated to supporting clients on their journey toward a fulfilling and balanced life. I provide a safe, confidential space where personal growth and healing can flourish.

As a member of EMDR UK, I also offer specialised EMDR therapy sessions to help clients process and overcome trauma and emotional challenges.

I hold an MSc in Person-Centred Counselling, a BA (Hons) in Psychology from the University of Aberdeen and EMDR Certificate.

I specialise in supporting clients with anxiety, trauma, and other emotional challenges, drawing on research-based methods to offer the most effective therapy possible.

Flexible Session Options

Pause for Counselling offers a range of session options to suit your needs – whether weekly, fortnightly, or monthly – all at times that fit your schedule. Sessions are available face-to-face at my Aberdeen office, by phone, or online across the UK.

Clinical Supervision

In addition to my counselling practice, I also provide clinical supervision to other counsellors, offering guidance and support in their client work.

Contact me

Contact Pause for Counselling

Opening Hours

Monday to Thursday: 9am to 6pm

Friday: 9am to 5pm

Picture of 23 Rubislaw Den North office building

23 Rubislaw Den North, Aberdeen, AB15 4AL

On-site parking available

info@forcounselling.co.uk

01224 548474

Pause for Counselling is located in the West End of Aberdeen, just off Forest Road near King's Gate. Bus routes 11, 5, 6 & X18 stop on Queen's Road near the junction with Forest Road. Bus route 13 stops on nearby King's Gate.

Contact me