Compassionate Psychotherapy and Therapeutic Writing in East Lothian​

Experience personalised psychotherapy and therapeutic writing sessions in a serene woodland setting or from the comfort of your home.

You can be supported to live a courageous, wholehearted life, and to reconnect with your own sense of aliveness and autonomy.

A woman - Ruth Coates, Psychotherapist - with shoulder-length blonde hair smiling with arms crossed, standing in a rustic kitchen with wood accents, a clock on the wall, and a window showing an outside view.
A woman - Ruth Coates, Psychotherapist - in a yellow jacket walking on a wooded trail near a sign that says "The Therapy Hut" with an upward arrow.

A therapeutic space, surrounded by nature

The therapy hut connects privacy and containment with the wild expressiveness of nature. Join me in a place of quiet sanctuary that changes with the seasons, sharing space with the trees, plants and wildlife that surround it.

“Time and again I have seen and known that therapy can be transformative, reconnecting you to the pulse of life. It can lead to deep and long-lasting change, and may be the soundest investment you ever make.”

An approach rooted in nature

My love of nature underpins my approach to therapy, as well as my commitment to social and climate justice, and by my belief in the collaborative nature of growth and healing.

I bring warmth, honesty and sensitive curiosity to my work so that you come to trust in being wholly accepted, just as you are. 

How to work with me

A small cozy room with wooden floors and walls, a window showing trees outside, a teal cabinet, a striped director's chair with a blanket and pillow, a small side table with a lantern, and wall decorations.

1-1 Psychotherapy

Held at therapy hut, walking or in some cases online

An open notebook with lined pages and a black pen resting on it, on a wooden surface with a blurred electronic device in the background.

Sunday Pages

Monthly 1-hour therapeutic writing sessions

Close-up of dried wildflowers with fluffy white seed heads and brown stems, in soft lighting.

Alchemy

A 9 week therapeutic writing course