Scott McNeil, Registered Psychiatric Nurse (RPN), came to BC in 2010 after completing a Master’s Degree in Cognitive Behavioural Psychotherapy. Scott has practiced as a psychiatric nurse in both the UK where he trained and in BC. After qualifying from the University of York (UK) as psychiatric nurse in 2000 Scott took a post in a high secure Forensic Hospital in the UK where he spent four years learning to essentials of nursing. After this Scott spent time nursing in a semi-rural community in northern England, where helping people to lead their day to day lives in the community with chronic or enduring mental health problems was the priority.
Scott and his wife first moved to BC in 2006 and he worked in acute psychiatric hospital settings before they went back to the UK in 2007. Scott resumed his community nursing position but also embarked on a Master’s Degree in Cognitive Behavioural Psychotherapy at University of Derby between 2008 and 2010. Completion of this course conferred eligibility to register as a Cognitive Behavioural Therapist with the national regulating body in the UK (BABCP). However upon completion Scott and his wife moved back to BC where Scott initially worked in several nursing positions before taking up a Group Therapy post and eventually moving into his current position where he provides bio-psychosocial assessments and time limited Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for common and complex human mental health problems.
Scott particularly enjoys and feels skilled in working as a counsellor with people who suffer anxiety problems, depressed mood and eating disorders. Scott’s practice is very collaborative, the development of a good working relationship that enables both parties to agree upon the issues to be addressed and the goals that therapy is working towards are very important. In addition coming from a place of educating and empowering are important to Scott’s practice; which endeavours to provide the person entering into therapy with the skills to maintain the gains they make in therapy for the long term. Educating the person in therapy to enable them to become their own therapist is important as it enables people to be in therapy for the shortest time possible.
Scott’s personal development goals are to begin to incorporate workplace and executive coaching and adapting Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for sports into his practice. Scott is also very active in developing the “Third Wave of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy” into his practice. This Third Wave incorporates Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy.
Outside work Scott likes to get outdoors and active with his family which was the main draw of BC for both him and his wife. He also remains passionate about watching and playing (badly) soccer or football as he prefers and he is ever an optimist that one day England will win the World Cup, despite all the evidence to the contrary.