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Monday 9am - 5pm Tuesday 9am - 5pm Wednesday 9am - 5pm Thursday 9am - 5pm Friday 9am - 5pm Saturday 9am - 12pm

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Matthew Ritchie Counselling

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United Kingdom
Kirkcaldy, Scotland
Matthew Ritchie Counselling

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I am a Pluralistic Counsellor who offers counselling (online only) to people aged 18 years and over. I place safety at the heart of the work I do. What now? Perry

Being a Pluralistic Counsellor means I can draw from different modalities and theories that are unique and tailored to meet the needs of my clients. I am a Pluralistic Counsellor means I can draw from different modalities and theories that are unique and tailored to meet the needs of my clients in ways that are helpful to them. I do this by establishing an environment that is sympathetic, sensitive, supportive and safe. I practice in ways that are non-judgmental, anti-discriminatory, collaborative and empathic. I will regularly consult with you to review and evaluate your counselling sessions with me. I endeavor to constantly monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of your counselling sessions with me. This is designed to make sure you are getting the best from your counselling sessions and are able to help shape the direction of your journey. You know what is best for you. We gain insight of the presenting issues when we review and evaluate your sessions together, making changes as you go, if required. What approaches do I use? I use a person-centered approach to establish and maintain a healthy working relationship with my clients from the outset, but can draw from a psychodynamic approach to explore how your past might be affecting how your life is right now. Talking is hugely important to my clients, but also gaining an understanding of how our bodies impact our thoughts, feelings, emotions and behaviours is important, too. This helps to establish a felt sense of safety during our counselling sessions and offers a foundation to explore your thoughts, emotions and feelings in a safe, empathic, supportive, and structured way. Being able to tell your story is important because it helps you to gain a better understanding of what it is that brought you to counselling in the first place. We will do this together. Contracting
We will work together to complete a contract during our first session, which sets out what you can expect from your counselling sessions with me. This contract will be the foundation of the work we do. The foundation of this contract is to establish a safe environment for you to explore what is important to you and is in accordance with the BACP Ethical Framework. Other information
I helped establish the Fife College Counselling Network committee and am still an active member of this group. We organise meetings, talks, and events that promote best practice in counselling. I can also work with organisations to help them create and implement a working culture that is trauma informed and is trauma reducing in nature. If you think I can help you, please contact me to book a FREE 30 minute consultation. You can email me at [email protected] or telephone 07763420309. Your enquiry will be treated confidentially. The consultation appointment is not a counselling session, but a time to explore to establish if I am the right counsellor for you, and we can work together. If we establish we can meet the above, we will identify a suitable date and time for you to book your first counselling session with me. I have an enhanced PVG (Protection of Vulnerable Groups) certificate awarded to me by Disclosure Scotland. I charge £40 for fifty minutes. Payment should be made within 24 hours of agreeing each session. I will provide you with the payment details on agreeing your first counselling session with me. Matthew

“People, not programmes, change people” – Dr Bruce D.

03/11/2026

If you experience an unsettling or feel unsafe (given there’s no immediate and obvious threat), you can try this - It will begin to provide an island of safety if safety is not felt or experienced from within.

Place your right hand under your left armpit. Then take your left hand across to hold the outer fleshy part of your upper right arm, giving yourself a hug. Then tell yourself, this is my container and I can contain my sensations, feelings, and emotions. Most people report a ‘settling’ - an island of safety. The body is the container of all our sensations and feelings.

Triangular Breathing:
Triangular breathing helps, too. Breath in through your nose for a count of four. Hold for a count of seven, then breathe out through your mouth for a count of eight (you can alter the time, but make sure your exhale is longer than your inhale. Only do what is comfortable for you). You can make a humming noise on the out breath if you like (focus on the vibration). Repeat as many times as is comfortable.

03/11/2026

Feeling the need to be BUSY all the time is a trauma response and fear-based distraction from what you'd be forced to acknowledge and FEEL if you slowed down.

02/11/2026

Movement Monday…..

Food is often used as an anxiety drug, while exercise remains one of the most underutilised antidepressants we have. When we move our bodies, we regulate our nervous system, improve brain chemistry, and support emotional balance in ways no quick fix ever can. Getting out and moving more isn’t about punishment or performance, it’s about giving your brain the input it needs to feel safe, clear, and resilient. Your brain will thank you, and your body will too.

Try this exercise: Step outside and walk for five minutes without headphones or your phone. Let your arms swing naturally, feel your feet connect with the ground, and breathe in through your nose for four steps, out for six. Gently turn your head left and right as you walk, allowing your eyes to take in the environment rather than fixing on one point. This rhythmic, cross-body movement feeds the brain safety signals, supports digestion, lowers stress chemistry, and lifts mood, often more effectively than sitting still trying to think your way out of anxiety.

01/11/2026

When we use neuroscience to bring about a ‘felt sense’ of safety, the message it gives to our body is it can finally relax. It is safe.

Rest your tongue gently against the roof of your mouth, allowing full contact from the tip all the way back. This helps parasympathetic nervous system activation, helping to settle the body, improve digestion, balance breathing, and optimise oxygen flow. It naturally quiets the urge to speak, drawing awareness inward and promoting mental clarity and focus. By doing this, you might notice improved energy, better impulse control, and a calmer, more grounded presence. With consistent practice, it helps regulation of unconscious urges, better facial tone and posture, and deepens overall presence. As the tongue rests and recharges, communication becomes more measured, reflecting a more regulated nervous system. Simple, and powerful, this is an easy way to build strength and control through the tongue.

31/10/2026

This is the key. Safety. In this culture.

31/10/2026

It’s Saturday, and for some, a period of quiet downtime might make you’re nervous system feel on edge.

When your nervous system feels on edge, try this quick sensory reset. Press your feet into the floor, rub your hands together until warm, then place them over your cheeks and eyes. The combination of pressure, warmth and sensory input can help regulate your nervous system, reduce tension and create a greater sense of safety.

30/10/2026

Addiction isn’t just about pleasure. It’s the brain and body searching for relief, regulation and escape from internal chaos. When the nervous system can’t find safety within, it searches for it elsewhere.

29/10/2026

When you feel overwhelmed, joyful, anxious, or anything in between, there’s a lot happening inside your brain. Emotions aren’t just in your head, they’re whole body experiences. Your amygdala scans for danger, your hippocampus compares past memories, and your hypothalamus prepares your body to respond. Understanding how these systems work together helps you, and your children, regulate emotions more effectively, especially when healing from stress or trauma.

23/10/2026

Crying is not weakness. Talking is not complaining. Letting your emotions out is not losing control. Sometimes, your body needs to release what your mind has been trying to hold together. Tears can help reduce emotional intensity, talking can help you process what you’re feeling, and being heard without judgement can make difficult experiences feel less overwhelming. Suppressing everything doesn’t make you stronger, it can leave you carrying stress long after the moment has passed. You don’t have to be strong every second of every day. Cry when you need to. Talk when it gets too much. Ask for help when you need it. Your nervous system doesn’t need you to hide your emotions. It needs the opportunity to process them.

20/10/2026

Your jaw can hold tension your body doesn't know how to release. Try this: Separate your teeth, relax your tongue, relax the muscles around your eyes and slowly breathe out for longer than you breathe in. Repeat for 60 seconds. Your jaw, tongue, facial muscles and breathing are closely connected to the nervous system, and changing these patterns can help reduce physical tension and encourage a calmer state. You can't force your body to feel safe, but you can give it a different signal.

Address

1
Kirkcaldy
KY1

Opening Hours

Monday	9am - 5pm
Tuesday	9am - 5pm
Wednesday	9am - 5pm
Thursday	9am - 5pm
Friday	9am - 5pm
Saturday	9am - 12pm

Telephone

+447763420309

Website

facebook.com

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