I cannot emphasise how unacceptable I found CHW conduct to be. I would never recommend this place to anyone whatsoever.
I had a truly awful experience here and would never recommend using this service at all.
I attended therapy with Charlie at Balanced Minds for three years and find it hard to do justice to how transformative an experience it was for me. I entered therapy at Balanced Minds as someone with a real difficulty feeling safe in experiencing certain emotions and left it as someone very capable and empowered to do so. The practice was hugely adaptable to myself and my needs and always felt as though there was room for change, adjustment or conversation if I needed it. In my time there I worked on a scope of issues, from grief to anxiety, early childhood to my day to day and each difficulty was dealt with with the utmost empathy and sensitivity. I cannot imagine a therapeutic environment more caring, supportive or insightful than that provided by Charlie, Balanced Minds and the compassion-focused approach they offer. Fundamentally, it was the most empowering thing I have ever done.
I recently saw Charlie Heriot-Maitland at 'Balanced Minds'. I've been a Buddhist for over 30 years so I was very resistant to the idea of therapy, or of thinking I might need it. (Shouldn't I have resolved all that sort of thing in Buddhist practice and meditation?) Also, I'd had therapy before and though I found it helpful, it didn't really help the deeper issues going forward. Charlie was an exemplary therapist. I was able to be very honest with him and he treated me with honestly, insight and care. I felt deeply empathised with but never patronised or fobbed off with easy, pat solutions. My 6 months or so with Charlie and 'Balanced Minds' was incredibly helpful. I am still putting into practice what I learned months after finishing. At the age of 60, I had started to doubt that therapy of any kind could help me (I thought I'd rather missed the boat on any childhood issues!). But help me it did! I am immensely grateful to Charlie for all he was able to give to me. I wholeheartedly recommend him to you, as well as CFT, and 'Balanced Minds'.
Balanced Minds is located at 1 Hill St, Edinburgh EH2 3JP, UK
You can contact Balanced Minds at +44 20 8123 8287
You can find directions to Balanced Minds by following this map link