Welcome
My name is Andy Sanwell and I am a qualified counsellor trained in Transactional Analysis. I use he/him pronouns.
My origins are in London and the south coast of England but I moved progressively north basing myself in Perth, Scotland since 1997. Before qualifying as a therapist, I worked in the I.T. industry when ill health forced a change in pace.
I came to therapy through a desire to understand the struggles I have within myself and with others, and to make more sense of this fantastic world I live in. It has taken a while to reach this point and I understand the courage it takes to reach out and ask for support.
I have a personal interest in, and lived experience of neurodivergence, navigating life stages, chronic illness, and identities. I work with adults online and in-person.
I am a Counsellor Member of Counselling and Psychotherapy in Scotland (COSCA), and am also a member of the UK Association of Transactional Analysis (UKATA) and the International Transactional Analysis Association (ITAA). My practice is guided by their ethical frameworks and professional guidelines.
Qualifications
Diploma in Counselling using Transactional Analysis
Certificate in Somatic Transactional Analysis
Certificate in Working with Families
Certificate in Working Therapeutically with Groups
Certificate in Online and Telephone Counselling
MSc, BSc(Hons)
How do I work?
My intention is to provide a safe and stretching space where we can explore your life, gain insight, develop coping strategies and support your personal development. This is enabled through a therapeutic relationship based on trust, empathy and mutual respect. We will contract together to provide a framework to contain the work.
We will meet together weekly for 50 minutes either by telephone, online or in-person. This is time for you to talk about anything you wish and I will take my lead from you. Whilst the focus will be on what happens in the here-and-now, there will be times when we explore other influences to gain greater insight into the patterns and narrative you live by. These influences may be other people in your life, your historical context, the cultures you carry with you, or your environmental context. I believe everything we do can tell us about ourselves and embrace creative ways of exploring your narrative.
Starting Therapy
Research has shown that the quality of the therapeutic relationship has the greatest influence on successful counselling outcomes. Therefore I believe it is vital that we both decide that we can work with the other. After you contact me, and assuming I have space, I will suggest times when we can have a 15 minute talk by telephone in order to discuss working together. I will want to know your reasons for seeking therapy. There will be no charge for this.
Assuming we both agree to work together, we will then find a time for a full 50 minute session where I will assess my suitability of working with you. I will be asking you standard assessment questions and recording your answers. In return, you are welcome to ask me anything about my work and training as a counsellor. This session will be charged at the standard rate.
At the end of our time together, I will tell you whether I can work with you. I will ask if you want to work with me but I have no expectation that you would make an immediate decision. I encourage you to find the therapist that best fits for you which often means meeting several people. Please note though, that I cannot guarantee having space if you do get back in touch with me later.
Rates and Charges
Initial Telephone Consultation
- No charge
Assessment Session
- £50 for 50 minutes
Standard Session
- £50 for 50 minutes for individuals
- Very limited number of low cost places at £30
Cancellation Policy
Sessions cancelled within 48 hours of the appointment will be charged at full price.
Where and When
In-person
I see clients in the centre of Dundee on Tuesdays at Tay Therapy Rooms.
Video and Telephone
I use the Zoom platform for seeing clients online. I aim to hold telephone and video sessions on Thursdays, though Tuesday is also possible.
What is Transactional Analysis?
Transactional analysis (TA) is a social psychology developed by Eric Berne, MD based on humanistic psychological principles which emphasis looking at the whole person and stressing concepts like personal development as opposed to concentrating on dysfunction.
The core philosophy of TA is founded on:
- I am OK and you are OK
- Everybody can think
- Change is possible
Berne wanted TA to be accessible to everyone and developed easy to understand and profoundly power concepts such as:
- Life Script which helps understanding repetitive behavioural patterns
- The Parent/Adult/Child Ego-state model of Self which captures the different aspects of our emotional, behavioural and cognitive world
- and Transactions, a unit of communication between two Ego-states
TA continues to be actively developed and has successfully been applied to the Education and Organisational arenas, as well as Counselling and Psychotherapy. See the ITAA website for further information.
Karpman (1968) Transactional Analysis Bulletin, 7(26)
The Drama Triangle is an example of a model developed within Transactional Analysis. It illustrates the roles two people may take up to get unconscious needs met and how they move around the triangle in a complementary fashion to continue the interaction and keep fulfilling their needs.
Contact
Email me through this form and I will get back to you as soon as I can.
Please check your SPAM folder for my email replies. They will come from the @flyingkites.uk domain.