May Tomkinson

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Manchester, Greater Manchester, M21

About me

I'm May, an accredited BACP person-centred counsellor offering confidential counselling sessions online. I'm based in South Manchester.

I'm qualified with a Postgraduate Diploma in Counselling and Psychotherapy and a BSc in Psychology, and I'm also trained in EMDR - a therapy for working with trauma, whether that's a specific traumatic incident, difficult experiences you're finding hard to process, or trauma rooted in early relationship patterns.

I offer you a counselling service that is:

  • Safe – confidential, a place of warmth and acceptance. I welcome issues you may be finding difficult, uncomfortable or traumatic.
  • Human – connection with a real person.
  • Empowering – if you are looking to make changes in your life, I can support you through this process.
  • Informed - about working with LGBTQ+ issues and alternative relationship styles.

Having our sexuality, gender or relationship misunderstood by a counsellor can be a harmful and all-too common experience for those of us who are outside the mainstream. I provide a place where people of all genders and sexual orientations, those who practice kink, and those in or exploring non-monogamous relationships can be understood, feel safe and be heard.

After you contact me, we will arrange a time for us to have a call - there is no charge for this. We can talk briefly about some of the reasons you are considering counselling when we are both available to meet, and I can answer any questions you may have. This gives us both a chance to get to know each other a little and decide if we would like to work together. You can decide to book in a first session then or take some time to think about it.

Finding a counsellor I could trust and feel understood by has helped me to navigate stressful and traumatic life events, build self-acceptance and connect with who I really am (which is an ongoing project!). I'm passionate about counselling and what I have to offer. If this sounds like what you're looking for, I'd love to hear from you.

Training, qualifications & experience

I've been running my private practice since 2016. I undertake regular CPD. My main qualifications are:

  • BSc Psychology
  • BACP Accredited member
  • PgDip Counselling and Psychotherapy
  • Standard EMDR Europe Accredited training

Member organisations

BACP
British Association for Counselling & Psychotherapy (BACP)

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.

Areas of counselling I deal with

Fees

£60.00 per session

Concessions offered for

  • Low income
  • Unemployed

Additional information

The session fee is £60 for 50 minutes.

There is a free initial call of 10-30 minutes where we can see if we are a good fit to work together.

I am sometimes able to offer concessionary rates for people on a low income - this varies on my current workload and income, but please ask.

When I work

Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun
Early morning
Morning
Early afternoon
Late afternoon
Evening

Manchester, Greater Manchester, M21

Type of session

Online
Phone

Types of client

Young adults (18-24)
Adults (25-64)
Older Adults (65+)

Key details

Having video on during sessions helps me connect with you, but if you prefer, we can work using voice only. You are welcome to use stim toys or to do other activities during the session if that helps you focus, and eye contact is not essential!

Online platforms

VSee
Zoom
Whatsapp
Microsoft Teams
May Tomkinson
May Tomkinson