Cahya Counselling Welcomes You
Quick Summary
What is Cahya Counselling
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I offer 50 minute sessions of Counselling or longer term Psychotherapy.
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Session times can be adjusted depending on need.
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Sessions are all online via Zoom
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Cost is £55 per session though I do offer a number of sessions for individuals on low income. If you feel you may qualify for this, please mention this in your consultation call.
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I work flexibly between 11am and 8.30pm Monday to Friday.
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I have a BSc in Psychology and a MSc in Counselling and Psychotherapy and a further 6 years of additional training on OCD, Neurodivergence (including, but not limited to ADHD, Autism, BPD/EUPD, Grief, Trauma recovery, Mindfulness and working with the nervous system).
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And yes, I used to work as a tattoo artist and enjoy bringing in creative techniques for healing when it is appropriate to do so.
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I am person centred and the relationship is important for meaningful change to be possible so I will be honest and down to earth with the aim of helping you to find the right answers for your own situation. I will offer ideas but ultimately this is your journey without shame or judgment.
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Please hit the contact me button or email me to arrange a consultation call.
Why seek help from a therapist?
Many people seek therapy when they’re feeling overwhelmed, stuck, or would simply like to understand themselves more deeply. I offer a space where thoughts and emotions can be explored without judgement, helping people make sense of patterns, heal from past experiences, and build tools for navigating everyday life with more confidence and clarity. Sometimes we just need that outside perspective but also for someone to hold up a mirror to our own behaviours.
Working online makes therapy more accessible and flexible. It allows people to connect from the comfort of their own home, avoid travel or sensory stressors, and to choose a therapist who truly fits their needs rather than being limited by geography. Online sessions can feel safer and more manageable for those who find in‑person environments challenging, creating a supportive space that fits naturally into real life. I work online within the UK but also have clients across Europe giving me experience from across many different cultures.
Looking at OCD : Obsessive–Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is a mental health condition where a person experiences intrusive, unwanted thoughts (obsessions) that create significant anxiety, followed by repetitive behaviours or mental rituals (compulsions) aimed at reducing that distress. •These thoughts are not chosen, and the compulsions are not performed because the person wants to, they’re done because the anxiety feels overwhelming or unsafe to ignore. •OCD is not about being “neat” or “organised”; it’s about fear, doubt, and a nervous system that is stuck in threat mode. •Common obsessions include fears about contamination, harming others, making mistakes, losing control, or moral/spiritual wrongdoing. •Compulsions can be visible (checking, cleaning, repeating actions) or invisible (mental reviewing, reassurance seeking, counting, neutralising thoughts). •OCD often leaves people feeling ashamed, exhausted, and misunderstood. When supporting someone with OCD, the most important thing is compassion. If I am speaking to you right now, someone who thinks they have OCD or who has been diagnosed, you are not choosing these thoughts, and you are not being “irrational”. Your brain is sending danger signals that feel intense and very real. Instead of trying to convince yourself that your fear is “silly,” we will focus on helping you to feel safe, grounded, and less alone in this process. Over time we will look at what’s going on and when you are ready, we will look at ways to replace some of these compulsions with healthy coping strategies you have learned in therapy, such as slowing down, naming the intrusive thought as an OCD thought, or practising tolerating uncertainty. My role is not to fix or remove the OCD, it’s to be a calm, steady presence who understands the real internal battle that is happening inside. With patience, evidence‑based treatment, and supportive relationships, people with OCD can learn to manage their symptoms and reclaim their lives.
Looking at Neurodivergence : Many neurodivergent people consider therapy not because they are “broken” or need fixing, but because navigating a world built for neurotypical norms can be exhausting. Therapy offers a space where their lived experience is understood, their needs are taken seriously, and their strengths are recognised. It can help untangle the impact of years of masking, chronic stress, sensory overload, and the pressure to meet expectations that were never designed with them in mind. Common themes that often bring neurodivergent people to therapy include: •Identity, self understanding, and late diagnosis: making sense of traits, reframing past experiences, and rebuilding self-worth after years of feeling “different” or misunderstood. •Executive function challenges: support with planning, organisation, task initiation, overwhelm, and burnout cycles. •Emotional regulation and anxiety: especially when emotions feel fast, intense, or hard to decode (including alexithymia). •Masking fatigue and social exhaustion: exploring safer ways to unmask, set boundaries, and create relationships that don’t require constant performance. •Rejection Sensitivity Dysphoria (RSD): understanding the emotional spikes around criticism, conflict, or perceived rejection. •Sensory processing differences: learning strategies to reduce overload and build environments that work for their nervous system. •Demand avoidance (including PDA profiles): unpacking the nervous system based resistance to expectations and finding gentler ways to approach tasks with more autonomy. •Life transitions: especially those that hit neurodivergent people harder, such as starting university, changing jobs, becoming a parent, or navigating grief. •Menopause and hormonal shifts: a major but often overlooked area. Hormonal changes can intensify sensory sensitivity, executive dysfunction, emotional volatility, sleep disruption, and overwhelm. Many neurodivergent women report that menopause makes their traits more pronounced, leading them to seek support for the first time or return to therapy after years of coping well. •Trauma and chronic invalidation: not always “big” trauma, but the cumulative impact of being misunderstood, dismissed, or pressured to conform. •Burnout: especially autistic or ADHD burnout, which is deeper and more neurological than typical stress burnout. If I am speaking to you right now, I want you to know that together we can look at building a life that fits you!!, one with less friction, more clarity, and more energy for the things that matter. It’s not about changing who you are; it’s about supporting who you have always been.
Looking at Trauma : People who’ve lived through trauma often seek therapy not because they “can’t cope,” but because carrying the weight of past experiences alone becomes too heavy. Trauma isn’t defined only by extreme events; it can also come from chronic invalidation, childhood adversity (ACEs), unstable environments, or long periods of feeling unsafe, unseen, or unprotected. Therapy offers a place where those experiences can be named without minimisation, understood without judgment, and processed at a pace that feels safe. Common areas that bring trauma survivors to therapy include: •Understanding the impact of early experiences: making sense of how childhood dynamics, ACEs, or long-term stress shaped beliefs, behaviours, and relationships. •Rebuilding self-worth: especially after years of criticism, neglect, or feeling like their needs were “too much.” •Emotional regulation and overwhelm: learning to navigate intense emotions, shutdowns, or numbness that often follow trauma. •Hypervigilance and nervous system activation: exploring why the body stays on high alert and developing ways to feel grounded and safe again. •Relationship patterns: unpacking attachment wounds, fear of conflict, people-pleasing, or difficulty trusting others. •Boundaries and self-protection: understanding the difference between survival strategies and healthy limits and learning how to set boundaries without guilt. •Processing specific traumatic events: whether accidents, loss, violence, medical trauma, or other experiences that left a lasting imprint. •Identity and narrative repair: rewriting the internal story shaped by trauma, moving from self-blame to self-compassion. •Body-based symptoms: addressing the physical echoes of trauma such as tension, fatigue, dissociation, or chronic stress responses. •Life transitions: navigating moments that re-trigger old wounds, such as parenting, menopause, career changes, or grief. If I am speaking to you, I want you to know that together we can try to find some understanding of what happened, we can look at how it shaped your nervous system, and how to build a life that feels safer, calmer, and more connected. The aim isn’t to erase the past, it’s to loosen its grip, strengthen resilience, and to help you move forward with more clarity and confidence in the way that suits you.
Learn More About Me as a Therapist
Lindsay Westwood BSc MSc MBACP (Registered)
As a therapist, I care deeply about creating a space where you feel genuinely seen and safe enough to explore what’s happening inside. I work with people who often feel overwhelmed or disconnected from themselves, including many who are neurodivergent or carrying trauma. My approach is trauma‑informed and neurodiversity‑affirming, offering a calm, collaborative environment for self‑understanding and growth. I focus on helping you make sense of your emotions, patterns, and experiences so you can move through life with greater clarity and confidence.
I don’t position myself as an expert above you, I sit beside you, helping you untangle the threads of your story. I believe healing comes from understanding your nervous system, your lived experiences, and the ways you’ve learned to survive. Together, we’ll build resilience, clarity, and a deeper sense of being grounded in who you are. I aim to meet you with warm acceptance, curiosity, and respect, supporting you as you navigate challenges and strengthen your relationship with yourself.
Experience: After gaining an Honours Degree in Psychology I decided to move away from the medical model and began my training in the Person‑Centred Relational Model of counselling and psychotherapy. Having experience in both areas has provided me with a strong foundation for the work I do today. Over the past decade, I’ve combined formal therapeutic training with a lifetime of lived experience, developing a broad and flexible toolkit that allows me to support clients in a deeply attuned and responsive way. I adhere to the BACP Ethical Framework, offering a safe, confidential, and non‑judgmental therapeutic relationship. I have over 2,000 hours of counselling experience, including extensive work with young people and their families. I’ve facilitated neurodivergent‑focused groups on unmasking and navigating life’s challenges, led online grief and loss groups, and spent two years working for an international grief charity. My experience spans a wide range of concerns, including anxiety, grief, BPD/EUPD, OCD, ADHD and ADD, Autism, identity exploration, the impact of adverse childhood experiences, anger, sexual abuse, stress, and online sexual risk (STOPSO training). I have recently published a book that contains many tools that are useful for people who are neurodivergent but also those who wish to work on their nervous system along side therapy. Further information available on this site. I believe in each person’s innate drive for growth and the internal wisdom they carry. My role is to help bring the unconscious into awareness and support you in discovering your own solutions. Therapy with me is collaborative, you won’t be left alone in silence or pushed beyond your comfort. I listen closely to people’s experiences of therapy and adapt my approach to meet individual needs. I am committed to ongoing professional development, with a particular focus on trauma models, mindful awareness, and the diverse configurations of self. With every client, I strive to maintain empathy, integrity, honesty, and safety.
Confidentiality: Confidentiality is a vital aspect to the therapeutic relationship and contributes to a successful outcome. It is important to highlight that only in circumstances of immediate risk of serious harm/death, or danger to yourself or others, would this confidentiality be breached. This is not a decision that is taken lightly and the aim is for clients to have full knowledge and assist in this process.
What do I offer, fees and where am I?
A contract is provided prior to our first session, ensuring all details are considered and any questions addressed. I am based in Scotland and conduct all sessions online across the UK and Europe. Each session lasts 50 minutes, with the possibility of pre-arranged adaptations. The cost for each online session is £55 though I do operate a sliding scale for payments. Please ask for more information if you think you might qualify for a lower rate. Payment is required 24 hours in advance and is non-refundable if the appointment is cancelled within 24 hours of the scheduled time. This policy is designed to foster commitment and regularity in sessions, which aids therapeutic outcomes, and allows the slot to be offered to others if necessary. A phone number is available for WhatsApp communication as an alternative contact method. I strive to respond within 24 hours, excluding weekends. Operating hours are: Monday 11:30 - 19:30 Tuesday 11:30 - 20.30 Wednesday 11:30 - 19:30 Thursday 11:30 - 20:30 For answers to any further questions or to arrange a telephone consultation with no obligation, please get in touch through the link below.
The Neurodivergent Toolbox Grown from Experience as a Therapist & Neurodivergent
This book is a collection of the research, ideas, tools, and truths that have helped me and the people I care about, to find our footing, accept ourselves, and cope when things get tough. Many of the people who shaped this work are without ‘official’ diagnosis, yet their struggles were real and valid. Their experiences pushed me to build this toolbox, and I hope you’ll carve your own path through these pages and use them as a starting point for your own understanding.
Link to purchase book:
https://amzn.eu/d/09MiZYKK
Inside you will find a full definition of Neurodivergence that looks at the nature verses nurture debate; diagnosis through the DSM; some very real lived experiences of people without diagnosis; information on Neuroplasticity and hope for less discomfort. Then you will find 27 different topics. Within these topics you will find tools to help. Each tool is on a page that is a different colour to allow quick and easy access and a level of choice in how the book can be accessed. There is no need to read it from start to finish you can pick and choose what interests you or you think may be useful or you can check it all out and see if you might find something interesting. These tools are backed by research, but they are not in clinical language. I hope you can find these tools as useful as the people who have already used them and who support the creation of this book.
I Hear You :
Published and available on Amazon Kindle and in Paperback
Reviews and Testimonials
These words have been kept anonymous to protect clients privacy in therapy.
For immediate support
Please dial 999 or contact one of the following agencies;
Breathing Space : 0800 83 85 87. www.breathingspace.scot
SANE: 0300 304 7000. www.sane.org.uk
Samaritans : 116123. www.samaritans.org
Alcoholics Anonymous: 0800 917 7650. www.alcoholics-anonymous.org.uk
National Gambling Helpline: 0808 802 133. www.begambleaware.org
Narcotics Anonymous: 0300 999 1212
Carl Rogers (1902-1987) :
On Becoming a Person
"A person is a fluid process, not a fixed and static entity; a flowing river of change, not a block of solid material; a continually changing constellation of potentialities, not a fixed quality of traits."