Human Development Scotland (HDS) was registered as a Scottish charity in December 2012.    

HDS was formed to carry on the work of the Scottish Institute of Human Relations (SIHR), established by Dr John (Jock) Sutherland and others in 1971 with the aim of expanding the application of psychodynamic thought in Scotland.

We offer the training and services previously delivered by the SIHR. These have at their heart the psychodynamic, psychoanalytic and systemic ideas that offer a profound understanding of how people relate to one another.

Our training courses for professionals working particularly in the NHS, social services, education and voluntary sector translate these ideas into practical tools for understanding the central role that human relationships play in our mental health and emotional wellbeing.

Our Child and Adolescent Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy ​(CAP) programme, for example, is a practical and theoretical training course in psychoanalytical psychotherapy with children and young people.  This course is the only one in Scotland which is approved by the Association of Child Psychotherapists (ACP).

HDS also aims to reduce mental distress by delivering psychodynamic counselling and psychoanalytic psychotherapy to the public.  Our counselling services are available to individuals and also as an employee assistance programme (EAP) for organisations.

Our service is predominantly for adults.  However, we offer a limited, specialist psychotherapy service for children and young people.

You may also be interested in:

What is psychodynamic theory?  Why we exist  Professional training