My name is Samantha McEwan. I am a mental health nurse and BACP registered psychotherapist in Kilmarnock, Ayrshire. 

Over 25 years of core profession experience as a mental health nurse has underpinned and enhanced my psychotherapy practice with a framework for high standards of ethical, clinical and professional practice. It also means that I have a deeper understanding of mental health conditions, their causes and impact, and a higher degree of comfort, sensitivity and skill in working with people who experience both mild and highly complex mental health difficulties. It means I can also consider physical health and wellbeing and the effects of medication, 

I now work solely in private practice helping people work through a wide range of difficulties affecting their mental health and wellbeing in their personal, relational or working lives such as:

• social or generalised anxiety
• depression
• low self-esteem and confidence
• overthinking, stress and panic
• poor emotion regulation 
• chronic physical illness
• attachment and relationship issues
• binge eating disorder or bulimia nervosa 
• childhood trauma such as neglect or abuse 
• chronic or complex trauma and PTSD/ cPTSD
• career difficulties, workplace stress, bullying or burnout

Clients experience a supportive, compassionate, and trauma-informed approach. I provide Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, from the perspective of understanding and working with the impact of early or adult life experiences on wellbeing and self concept, integrated with related therapies to support recovery of wellbeing, resilience and sense of self. 

These therapies include Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Compassion Focused Therapy, Dialectical Behavioural Therapy skills, Mindfulness Based CBT (adapted for trauma), Trauma therapy using systemic, somatic and cognitive processing approaches, and attachment focused therapy.

Therapy can help you to understand yourself and your experiences better, and support you to move forward in a positive direction.