Matthew Ritchie Counselling

Matthew Ritchie Counselling I am a Pluralistic Counsellor who offers counselling (online only) to people aged 16 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, sensitiv

e, 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.

09/09/2026

Sometimes relationships we value most can become difficult to respond to when the nervous system is overwhelmed. You may withdraw from friends, delay messages or go quiet, not because you don’t care, but because connection can start to feel like another demand rather than a place of safety. When the nervous system is already overloaded, even a simple text can feel like something you need to manage. This isn’t a character flaw or a lack of care. It can be a sign that your nervous system is struggling with capacity, and withdrawal has become a way of reducing the load.

08/09/2026

Want to regulate your nervous system? Go hug someone you trust for 30 seconds.

Not because a hug magically fixes your nervous system, but because safe human connection can send your brain a powerful message. You are safe. You are supported. You don’t have to do this alone.

07/09/2026

Humming, singing, and chanting create gentle vibrations through the throat that can help increase circulation around the thyroid while also stimulating the vagus nerve. This simple practice supports nervous system regulation, relaxation, and healthy communication between the brain and body. One of the most powerful tools for health is your own voice.

06/09/2026

Try this when your nervous system feels overwhelmed. Press your feet firmly into the floor and push your hands together for 10 seconds. Release completely. Slow your breathing and make your exhale longer. Repeat 3-5 times. You may feel your shoulders drop, your breath deepen, or a spontaneous sigh or yawn. A simple way to tell your body: You can let go now.

05/09/2026

If breath work triggers you, there are other ways to settle your nervous system. Here’s one way…..

One of the simplest ways to reset your vagus nerve and calm your nervous system is with your tongue. Stick it into your left cheek and hold for 10 seconds, then the right cheek for 10 seconds. I like to roll it around gently, this often triggers a deep sigh, signalling a vagus reset. You may also yawn or notice other subtle releases. Do 4–5 sets. This moves both the vagus and hypoglossal nerves, which are tightly connected in autonomic (involuntary or unconscious) communication.

02/09/2026

Wednesday’s wisdom…..

People spend their lives trying to fix symptoms without ever realising the nervous system is the foundation underneath everything. Your nervous system is not just responsible for how you feel emotionally, it influences how you move, think, learn, heal, connect, digest, sleep, and respond to the world around you. When it feels safe, the body can grow, adapt, recover, and thrive. When it is stuck in protection, even the simplest tasks can feel overwhelming. What looks like anxiety, chronic pain, exhaustion, behavioural challenges, emotional outbursts, poor concentration, or persistent stress is often a nervous system doing its best to keep you safe based on experiences it has never fully resolved.
The goal is not to force the body to perform better.
The goal is to create the conditions where safety replaces survival. Because when the nervous system no longer has to spend all of its energy protecting you, it can finally begin doing what it was designed to do all along, heal, connect, learn, and live.

01/09/2026

If you place three fingers above your bellybutton and sniff, you will feel the abdominal muscle pushing against them. The significance of this is, it is connected to the Vegus Nerve (the wandering nerve) that connects your gut, main organs and your brain. The abdominal muscles, the vagus nerve, and breathing work together in a powerful loop that controls your posture, digestion, and stress levels.

Deep breathing is one of the body’s simplest and most powerful tools for regulating the nervous system. Slow, deep breathing can help lower blood pressure, slow the heart rate, reduce stress hormones, improve relaxation, support efficient oxygen and carbon dioxide exchange, exercise the lungs, and promote greater physical and mental calm. The most powerful thing you can do for your body is simply slow down and breathe.

29/08/2026

Regulating your nervous system isn’t just about hacks and techniques, it can be as simple as watching a sunset, walking through nature, sitting by a pond, listening to the waves, or resting beneath a tree. Your body is wired to find calm in the natural world.

28/08/2026

Your body remembers what your mind tries to ignore. That’s why you can feel exhausted after holding everything together, tense when nothing is actually happening, or suddenly burst into tears when you finally feel safe enough to let go. Your nervous system doesn’t just respond to what is happening around you, it responds to what you’ve experienced, what you’ve suppressed and what you haven’t had the chance to process. Sometimes what looks like an overreaction is simply a body that has been holding on for too long. Your body isn’t betraying you. It’s communicating with you.

28/08/2026

It’s Friday and you might just want to have a good yawn.

Yawning regulates the parasympathetic nervous system. It brings us back to homeostasis (a stable condition). Yawning doesn’t just mean we are tired. We yawn when we are overwhelmed, irritated, or anxious. If you are reading this and thinking about yawning, let yourself. Your body needs a reset.

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