Andrew Mickel
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This professional is available for new clients.
This professional is available for new clients.
About me
What would you like to talk about today? It’s a common enough starting point in counselling sessions, but it is rarely a question with an easy answer.
I’m a BACP-registered counsellor, and I work with people to explore their feelings, thoughts and behaviours to see how they want to respond to challenges in life.
People come to counselling for all sorts of reasons. Some clients use sessions to make sense of events in their past, the impact on them now, and perhaps to look at where they want to go next.
Others may find they’re living their lives based on old ideas of themselves, perhaps editing themselves to a version that feels palatable to others, but are unsure how to change.
And for some, there might not even be clarity on what is going on for them - but they know something is amiss or stuck in their lives and relationships. Depressed feelings, stress and anxious thoughts are often part of the picture too.
Whatever is going on for you, I offer sessions at London Bridge (SE1), Brixton (SW9) and via Google Meet, and offer a free half-hour initial appointment to discuss how we could work together.
Starting counselling can be intimidating. It’s very common to think that other people’s problems are more important than yours, or that a lack of clarity on what’s going on makes it hard to know where to start. It’s something I’m used to working with, and we can take a look at together.
And while some clients are well-versed in working with their emotions, for many others - especially for people who are good at thinking their way through problems - we might need to take a few beats to explore what their feelings look like.
I work with a wide range of clients; the majority are men, and many are LGBT+.
You can find out more about my working style at www.andrewmickel.co.uk.
Training, qualifications & experience
- Four years experience as a counsellor
- Diploma/ BSc in Humanistic Counselling from the well-respected Metanoia Institute
- Registered with the British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy
- Fully insured and work to BACP's supervision requirements
- Undergo regular CPD to keep my skills up to date
I have worked with a wide variety of groups. That includes a specialism working with people who identify as LGBT+, many of whom have previously struggled to find a non-judgemental counsellor who they felt comfortable sharing with.
As well as offering private practice, I have also previously counselled at ELOP in Walthamstow and MCPS in Ealing.
I also draw on my own background and training to inform how we work. Before counselling I worked in journalism and charity comms, as well as in the comedy industry (not, I should note, as a comedian). Journalism introduced me to a wide breadth of people, and the move to counselling felt logical: it offers a chance to work with others and see what they want to change, but at a much deeper, personal level. The comedy industry offered up a diversity of experience and ways of communication that I often feel surprised to find myself drawing on as a counsellor.
Member organisations
BACP is one of the UK’s leading professional bodies for counselling and psychotherapy with around 60,000 members. The Association has several different categories of membership, including Student Member, Individual Member, Registered Member MBACP, Registered Accredited Member MBACP (Accred) and Senior Registered Accredited Member MBACP (Snr Acccred).
Registered and accredited members are listed on the BACP Register, which shows that they have demonstrated BACP’s recommended standards for training, proficiency and ethical practice. The BACP Register was the first register of psychological therapists to be accredited by the Professional Standards Authority (PSA).
Accredited and senior accredited membership are voluntary categories for members who choose to undertake a rigorous application and assessment process to demonstrate additional standards around practice, training and supervision.
Individual members will have completed an appropriate counselling or psychotherapy course and started to practise, but they won’t appear on the BACP Register until they've demonstrated that they meet the standards for registration. Student members are still in the process of completing their training.
All members are bound by the BACP Ethical Framework and a Professional Conduct Procedure.
Accredited register membership
The Accredited Register Scheme was set up in 2013 by the Department of Health (DoH) as a way to recognise organisations that hold voluntary registers which meet certain standards. These standards are set by the Professional Standards Authority (PSA).
This therapist has indicated that they belong to an Accredited Register.
Areas of counselling I deal with
Other areas of counselling I deal with
I have worked as a counsellor at a charity with gay, trans and non-binary people bringing issues relating to their sexuality and gender.
I am also experienced in working with clients on issues such as the below. Often people aren’t really sure why they are looking for counselling, and that is something we can also explore together.
- anxiety and stress
- low self-esteem and confidence
- sadness and depression
- shame
- trauma
- work issues
- feeling confused
- feeling overwhelmed or out of control
- isolation and loneliness
- difficulties relating to others
- feeling unfulfilled
Whoever you are, we can shape how sessions look to what feels right for you.
Photos & videos
Fees
£65.00 - £70.00
Free initial in-person or online session
Concessions offered for
Additional information
I charge £65 per 50-minute weekly session (£70 on Tuesday evenings), and offer free half-hour initial appointments. I have some concessionary slots available.
When I work
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I hold sessions on Tuesdays and Thursdays at London Bridge, on Wednesdays and Fridays in Brixton, and via Google Meet throughout the week. I offer free half-hour initial appointments.
Further information
For more information on what confidential sessions with me would look like, visit my website at: www.andrewmickel.co.uk.
