Transform Therapy by Pamela McKechan BSc (Hons), PG Cert, DP

Counselling, Play Therapy, Group Psychoeducation & Delivering Training in West Central Scotland

Stress Management & Wellbeing

Learning to cope with unavoidable emotions like stress is essential to living a better quality of life and optimal wellbeing. If you're struggling to manage stress or would like to help others better manage their stress levels, this stress management & wellbeing workshop is for you.

You'll learn the importance of self-awareness and how small changes can improve your life. We'll teach you how to recognise different types of stress, the factors contributing to these feelings and how they can translate into physical symptoms. Once you're able to identify stress in yourself, you'll explore coping methods that work for you.

Trauma Awareness

  • Introduction to trauma and the characteristics of traumatic events
  • Understanding the impact of trauma
  • The effects of trauma
  • Trauma psychology – How do we think and behave after trauma?
  • Common risk factors for the development of traumatic stress
  • Identifying signs symptoms and behaviours
  • Trauma informed practice
  • Discussing trauma – active listening skills
  • Positive and negative coping
  • Signposting and support
  • Self-protection and caring for the carer

By the end of this workshop, you will be able to:

  • Demonstrate an increased awareness of trauma
  • Identify psychological and physical reactions to trauma
  • Identify coping strategies
  • Be aware of what a person may be experiencing when affected by trauma

ASIST Workshop

The ASIST workshop is about suicide first-aid; about helping a person at risk stay alive and seek further help.


The ASIST workshop is for caregivers who want to feel more comfortable, confident and competent in helping to prevent the immediate risk of suicide.


This is a two-day, highly interactive, practical, practice-oriented workshop. Participation is required in person for the full two days.

The course at a glance

  • Improves suicide alertness
  • Comprehensive
  • Interactive
  • Minimises risk and maximises safety
  • Examines barriers to seeking help
  • Practical & robust model of suicide intervention
  • Evidence based Y scientifically proven
  • Recognised by the World Health Organisation

As part of this course you will:


  • Participate in small group discussions and skills practice that are based upon adult learning principles.
  • Experience powerful videos on suicide intervention.
  • Feel challenged and safe.          
  • Learn suicide first aid.


Evaluations have shown that the workshop increases knowledge and confidence to respond to a person at risk of suicide, that intervention skills are retained over time and that they are put to use to save lives.


Following the successful completion of the course you will receive a certificate issued by Livingworks & Public Health Scotland.

SMHFA Course

The SMHFA course takes 12 hours to complete. It can be presented in a range of formats to suit different groups. I am a qualified SMHFA instructor, the quality of my training is continuously monitored by Public Health Scotland.

The course can be presented in the following formats:

  • 2 full days
  • 4 half days
  • 6 two-hour sessions

The following is a brief outline of what is covered on the course:


  • Guidance on being a Mental Health First Aider
  • Attitudes to mental health issues
  • Equalities
  • The recovery message
  • The impact of alcohol and drugs on mental health
  • Introduction to suicide intervention
  • Listening skills
  • Understanding depression
  • How to offer first aid to someone experiencing depression
  • Understanding anxiety
  • How to offer first aid to someone experiencing anxiety
  • Understanding psychosis
  • How to offer first aid to someone experiencing a psychotic episode

The course does not train people to be mental health workers. It offers basic general information about mental health problems. The knowledge presented and understanding developed in the course helps to remove stigma and fear and to give confidence in approaching a person in distress.

Mental Health First Aid is an initial response to distress and all participants on the course understand that this help is given only until other suitable or professional help can be found.

What’s the Harm Training

Brief description:

This 1-day workshop aims to help dispel the myths about self-harm and equip participants to support people who may self-harm.


At the end of the programme, participants will be able to:

  • State a definition of self-harm, which recognises that it is predominantly a coping strategy.
  • Describe the difference between self-harm and suicide.
  • Discuss the spectrum of self-harm behaviour.
  • Describe the emotional, social, and physiological factors that may underlie self-harming behaviours.
  • Reflect on your own feelings and reactions to self-harm and how these can impact on interventions.
  • Describe a range of appropriate and safe responses/interventions, including harm reduction.
  • Discuss issues which impact on working with self-harm within the context of your own workplace/ role.


A certificate of attendance will be given to each participant who successfully completes the course, issues by NHS GGC.


Get in touch

Feel free to contact me if you have any questions about my counselling or training sessions. I provide a free no-obligation initial 30 minute session, where I can provide information on counselling and training, how it works and answer any questions you may have. This enables us to discuss the reasons you are thinking of coming to therapy, whether it could be helpful for you and whether I am the right therapist to help.

All enquires are usually answered within 24 hours, and all contact is strictly confidential and uses secure email services.

pamela@transform-therapy.co.uk

I strive to continually improve my service, if for some reason you are not 100% happy with the service you have received, please do let me know and I will do my best to resolve this with you. If in the event you would like to make a complaint, please refer to the COSCA complaints procedure here.

“This has been truly life changing! Pamela made me feel at ease from our first session together.”

S.S. 2020

“Pamela has helped me a great deal to understand a lot more about myself, I now feel better equipped for any future challenges, thank you!”

C.D. 2021

“Attending Therapy has opened up my eyes to a whole new world, I really wish I had attended sooner.”

M.O'R 2021

“Thank you for helping my son to see all of his strengths and qualities that we all love in him, but he had forgotten he had, forever in your debt.”

C.McG 2022

©Pamela McKechan

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