Alan McNeill , BACP

Alan McNeill is a Glasgow-based therapist with more than two decades of experience working in the NHS, private practice and with organisations such as LGBT Health, Gay Men's Health, hospice services and Chai Cancer Care. He supports adults who continue to be affected by difficult childhoods - for example where family dysfunction, early bereavement, parental addiction, domestic abuse or a sense of being different in childhood have left lasting patterns of anxiety, low mood, low self-esteem, social confidence difficulties and challenging relationship dynamics.

He also works with people managing the effects of trauma, abuse, grief and loss. Alan approaches therapy from a collaborative stance, holding that each person is the expert in their own story and already carries resources that can aid recovery. His role is to help clients identify and strengthen those resources while offering ways to better contain and make sense of past events using a child-adult model alongside mindfulness practices. This combination aims to reduce the ongoing influence of earlier experiences so clients can function more effectively in the present.

Alan is a member of the BACP - the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy - a professional body for counsellors and psychotherapists. He works with issues such as stress, anxiety, LGBT matters, trauma and abuse, grief and self-esteem, and maintains additional clinical focus on areas including attachment and abandonment, caregiver stress, end-of-life concerns and life purpose.

Therapeutic Approaches and the Benefits of Online Sessions

Alan draws on client-centered therapy, mindfulness therapy and trauma-focused therapy in online work. Client-centered therapy emphasizes a respectful, non-directive stance that helps people explore their feelings and values so they can build self-trust and clearer choices in relationships and life direction. Mindfulness therapy introduces simple attention and awareness practices that reduce reactivity and support emotional regulation in everyday situations. Trauma-focused therapy offers structured ways to address the impact of traumatic or abusive experiences, helping clients process difficult memories and change unhelpful patterns that continue to cause distress.

Deciding which approach or combination will help most is part of the therapeutic process. Alan works collaboratively with each person - listening to their history, goals and preferences - and together they choose strategies that fit the client’s needs and pace. This teamwork supports gradual change and practical coping skills.

Online therapy makes these approaches accessible through video calls, phone sessions, live chat and text-based messaging. These options offer flexibility for people balancing work, caregiving or mobility needs, and they allow licensed professionals to deliver consistent support across different formats so clients can engage in therapy in ways that suit their life rhythms.