From NHS Mental Health Nurse to CBT Therapist, Melissa Paton shares her personal journey and why lived experience matters in therapy for anxiety, self-esteem, and emotional wellbeing.

Hi — I’m Melissa.

And I thought it was time to properly reintroduce myself.

I spent 25 years working in the National Health Service, moving through different roles as a senior nurse and team leader. But what always pulled me in was the psychological side of care — understanding people, their stories, their patterns, and what actually helps them change.

I was forever putting myself forward for more training.

Over the years, I trained as a Behavioural Family Therapist, became a Survive and Thrive facilitator supporting survivors of complex trauma, co-facilitated STEPS groups for people struggling with emotional regulation, and led self-esteem and anxiety groups.

In 2018, I trained at Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh, and qualified as a High Intensity Cognitive Behavioural Therapist and stepped fully into therapy work.

Then in 2021, I took a leap of faith and opened my private practice.

I’ve never looked back.

This Isn’t “Just a Job” to Me

I genuinely love what I do.

It doesn’t feel like work in the way people often mean it. Supporting clients, holding space for their experiences, and walking alongside them while they reconnect with themselves feels natural.

I work from my home office — usually with my two cockapoos nearby — and when I’m not seeing clients or building my business, you’ll find me in the gym, wild swimming or sauna-ing, out walking, or spending time with friends and family (alongside the usual mum and housekeeper duties that quietly run in the background of life).

From the outside, it might look like I’m pretty well put together.

And most days, I am.

But it wasn’t always like this.

I Don’t Do This Work From a Distance

I’ve lived with anxiety in its many forms.

I’ve known depression.

I understand how emotional patterns form — and how deeply they can embed themselves over time.

My own journey has involved decades of self-discovery, growth, pain, acceptance, and courage. Therapy. Reflection. Learning to sit with uncomfortable feelings instead of running from them. Learning boundaries. Learning compassion for myself.

That process shaped me — not just professionally, but personally.

So when you sit across from me, you’re not talking to someone who has “figured life out.”

You’re talking to someone who understands what it feels like to struggle, to overthink, to feel stuck, and to slowly find your way back.

I bring both clinical training and lived experience into my work.

And that combination matters.

Because real change doesn’t come from being told what to do.

It comes from feeling understood, safe, and supported while you learn how to reconnect with yourself.

My Approach

I don’t believe in quick fixes or surface-level mindset shifts.

I work in depth.

Together, we make sense of your patterns, understand why your nervous system does what it does, and gently build new ways of responding to life.

My work focuses on every aspect of mental health and I look at the person holistically. I am passionate about helping people manage and understand anxiety, improve self-esteem, establish and implement boundaries, assertive communication in relationships, managing stress, emotional regulation, and the deeper beliefs that keep people stuck in cycles of over-giving, perfectionism, people-pleasing, or self-criticism. Problem solving with my clients is my superpower!

Progress isn’t about becoming a different person.

It’s about coming back to yourself.

If you’re reading this and something resonates — whether you feel overwhelmed, disconnected, exhausted, or simply ready for change — you don’t have to do it alone.

You’re allowed support.

And I’d be honoured to walk alongside you.