Paul Scott-Williams

My story

For more than forty years, my work has centred on people: first as a teacher, then as a performer and creator, an arts education leader, and a CEO. I completed a Masters degree in Counselling in 2010 and have continued to practise counselling alongside and between these roles.

Now, having stepped back from leadership, I am focusing fully on my practice, Inachord Counselling and Wellness, and on the work I find most meaningful: helping people live their best lives.

Why this work?

Looking back, I can see a clear thread running through every stage of my career: I have always been drawn to human-centred work. Whether teaching one-on-one, directing large-scale productions, or leading an organisation with people from many different backgrounds, I have been most engaged when working closely with others and understanding who they are.

I am interested in where people have come from, what we share, and where our experiences differ. That curiosity, along with the diversity I have encountered throughout my working life, helped me recognise that I had something meaningful to offer as a counsellor.

A strong sense of community, awareness of the challenges people face today, and a genuine commitment to keep learning continue to guide me.

How I work

When you walk into my studio, I want you to know that you are entering a warm, welcoming space where you can speak safely and without judgement. I love to discuss, listen and explore ideas and points of view. I work with you, at your pace. Building trust matters more to me than following a fixed structure. While I always apply confidential, professional processes, including keeping accurate confidential case notes, each session moves at the cadence most comfortable for you.

In counselling there are always moments of silence and thought. At the same time, I will gently encourage you to address difficult topics with me, because I am now a partner in a process you may have been enduring alone until you walked through my door.

“Tell me if I have understood this correctly.”

I “check in” with you regularly. The question above is an important part of my work as it ensures we are working in alignment, and helps you feel accurately heard, not just listened to.

I also like to use lightness and humour when the moment allows. An unexpected laugh can sometimes be exactly what is needed to open up a heavy moment.

My therapeutic training is grounded in the cognitive behavioural practice, and I draw on the foundation of CBT including Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT), Narrative Therapy, mindfulness, and humanistic and integrative approaches.

Who I work with

Over the years I’ve worked with a diverse range of people, from young children just starting school, to young people navigating the pressures of their final school year, and adults across every stage of life.

I’m particularly committed to continuing to expand my work with the LGBTIQA+ community. I’ve had the privilege of working with the trans community in recent years, and I hold enormous respect for the resilience of that community despite all they face, and for the trust it takes to bring those challenges into a counselling room.

I will be honest about client and counsellor “fit” from the very first conversation. If someone comes to me with something beyond my understanding or comfort zone, I’ll say so, and I completely understand if you feel I am not the ideal therapist for your needs. Our work involves real, sometimes critical life change, and none of that is possible without an honest, trusting relationship at its foundation.

What I believe about change

I don’t believe real, lasting change happens quickly or easily. It takes patience, focus and genuine determination. My role is to offer you skills, perspectives and interventions you can hold onto and use when things are at their hardest.

That kind of work takes time to establish, but once change begins, it tends to move faster than people expect. I encourage clients to build a simple habit I call “noticing”: keeping a notepad, an app, anything to record small change moments. A reaction handled differently. A shift in behaviour. A change in language or thought.

Those small, noticed moments accumulate into something larger and lasting.

Anyone expecting a five-minute transformation isn’t being realistic about how change works. But anyone willing to notice the small shifts is already on the way.

My style

People who know me tend to describe me as warm and deeply connected: someone who’s genuinely empathic and picks up on the things that might go unsaid, whether it's an inflection in someone’s voice or in how they’re holding themselves. I never assume I know the whole of your life, even after years of working together. I remember what I’ve been told, but I hold the rest lightly, and I’m not afraid to ask when I don’t understand something.

Underpinning everything, I try to stay open, honest and clear, because a relationship built on trust must also be built on a foundation where both people genuinely understand each other.

My values

Honesty comes first, always. It’s my job to build an environment safe and welcoming so real honesty feels possible. Aligned with that are empathy and respect: I aim to respect where someone is coming from even when I may not agree with everything they’ve done or said. Understanding how someone formed their views is often the very thing that opens the door to change.

There are lines I won’t move on. I won’t tolerate sexism, racism, abusive language or behaviour, or violence of any kind in my practice. I will end a counselling relationship if a client brings any of that into the room. The counsellor has as much right to feel safe in their own studio as any client does.

What I ask is simple: the same respect and care for shared wellbeing that I bring to every session, so that the work we do together stays open, honest, productive and genuinely effective.