Gary Mckendrick

I am a qualified Counsellor and registered member with BACP (MBACP 416171). I work individually with private clients, in person in my room in Durham, or online using Google Meet.

My counselling and coaching work comprises helping my clients with issues from anxiety, depression, grief, trauma, meaning, relationships, work, stress, confidence, well-being, feelings of lost, stuck or overwhelmed. My therapeutic coaching model works well with business owners and also those seeking to improve their wellness and mindfulness. I use the tools, techniques, and theories which I feel best suit the client, how they show up, and what their outcomes are.

I'm 50 years old, and I’m sitting in the therapist's chair because I’ve sat in the other one. I know exactly what it feels like to be completely overwhelmed, lost, have unhealthy coping habits, and looking for a way out. I’ve been sober now for over 16 years, and that journey didn’t happen overnight; it took a lot of hard graft, professional support, and learning how to rebuild from my rock bottom in 2009. I am living, breathing proof that sustainable, lasting change is absolutely possible, no matter how dark things look.

When a client sits across from me in Durham (or on screen), they aren't getting some clinical, detached lecturer. They’re getting someone who genuinely understands vulnerability. I know the crippling weight of anxiety, the urge to escape, and the fear of admitting you can't handle it all on your own. Because of my own past, I can spot the unspoken pain and the masks that people wear from a mile away.

My clinical expertise is backed by real, lived experience. I combine proven psychological strategies with a straightforward, North-East honesty. I don't offer generic textbook regurgitation; I work with my clients to build the practical coping mechanisms and deep resilience they need to survive the pressures of university and life beyond it, or whatever challenge they are faced with right now.

I’m here to show my clients that a bad chapter doesn’t mean the story is over. I’ve got the professional toolkit to guide them, and the life experience to assure them that if I could turn it around, they can too.

I also carry out group workshops, talks, and training on my 'back to basics' model that helped me transform and become sober. I also cover other topics such as mental health, stress, boundaries, trauma roots, and a hopeful future.

My current clientele ranges from aged 6 to 63, and I am happy to tailor a talk or a workshop to 6 people, 60 or 600+.
Let's just have a chat first and see where we're at.