Who we are

Human Development Scotland (HDS) is a registered Scottish charity (SC043664). Our vision is for a mentally healthy and emotionally well Scotland.

Our mission is to relieve mental and emotional distress by increasing the availability of, and access to, high quality psychodynamic and psychoanalytic counselling and psychotherapy for all who need them.

One of the ways we do this, is by offering professional training and CPD. 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).

Find out more about HDS by clicking the links below.

Why we exist Our team Our history

Latest

Become a Friend of HDS

Please select "Set up a regular payment" to become a Friend of HDS.
How to run a successful private practice: all you need to know

Setting up and running a successful private practice can be highly rewarding but it can be challenging. Whether you are considering starting private practice, or want to develop your existing private practice, this workshop will equip you with the knowledge and skills needed for running a successful private practice.
Counselling service open

We are pleased to announce that our counselling service is open to support clients across Scotland.
ISE: Therapeutic challenges in working with race and cultural issues with Iris Gibbs

Intensive Study Event (ISE): The event will be a mixture of presentation and large group discussion, with time for questions and reflections and small discussion groups.

Accessibility
Privacy Policy

We respect the privacy rights of individuals and are committed to handling personal information responsibly and in accordance with applicable law. This notice sets out the personal data that we collect and process about you, the purposes of the processing and the rights that you have in connection with it.
Donate

Your donation will help relieve mental and emotional distress by increasing the availability of, and access to, high quality psychodynamic and psychoanalytic counselling and psychotherapy for all who need them.
Conference on adolescence and depression

This one-day conference will provide a psychoanalytic overview of adolescence and depression and give an insight into how we work with adolescents and their parents and carers.
Moodle

Students can access our Moodle site to gain access to your course material or the HDS members' area.
Human relations and counselling

This part-time modular programme provides the opportunity for professional training as a Psychodynamic Counsellor, and includes: theoretical study, skills practice supervised clinical practice in a placement, development of a critical awareness of underlying relational dynamics, development of the capacity to work sensitively and constructively with issues of diversity and equalities.
Board

Meet our Board of Trustees who voluntarily provide their expertise to support the effective governance of Human Development Scotland (HDS).
What is psychodynamic theory?

We exist to improve mental health and emotional wellbeing through professional training, CPD and the provision of counselling and psychotherapy in Scotland. At the heart of our work at Human Development Scotland (HDS) is psychodynamic theory.
Friends of HDS

Friends of HDS is our way of recognising groups of supporters who make a regular commitment to the work of HDS. Find out more about becoming a Friend of HDS.
Therapeutic work with children and young people

This modular course offers an in-depth understanding of infants’, children’s and adolescents’ emotional and personality development, the significance of primary relationships and their relevance to working with these age groups and their families.

Friends of HDS

Friends of HDS is our way of recognising groups of supporters who make a regular commitment to the work of HDS. Find out more about becoming a Friend of HDS. Read more