Michael Purvis

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Accepting new clients
Accepting new clients

This professional is available for new clients.

location_on Darlington, Durham, DL3 7AN
Accepting new clients
Accepting new clients

This professional is available for new clients.

About me

I firmly believe that counselling can be both restorative and transformative, allowing us to process difficult experiences with all the associated thoughts, feelings and learnt behaviours that result and explore our sense of self.   

I specialise in working with a broad range of anxiety related conditions, such as obsessive compulsive; stress and burnout; challenges socialising or a difficulty building relationships; panic attacks; phobias; anger management; loss of purpose following retirement or long term illness and occupational trauma. Often these are associated with low mood or depression and can be debilitating.  I can also help with setting and achieving goals in many areas of your life including business, health and wellbeing, career, relationships, and work-life balance.      

I work with adults only, using a range of therapeutic approaches and always in a collaborative manner accepting that you are the expert in your own life. Sessions last for 50 minutes and are most commonly on a weekly basis. Everything discussed remains confidential and is conducted either in our offices, by telephone, online or by arrangement outdoors as part of a walk and talk approach, depending on what works best for you. The aim is to offer support without lengthy waiting times or a limit to the number of sessions.  

The goal of therapy is to work with you to alleviate distress, by enhancing your sense of wellbeing and resilience underpinned by an understanding of self that is meaningful to you.

Ultimately, we all want to be the best version of ourselves, but it can be difficult to find the courage and support to achieve this. Taking the first step is not therefore easy, but living a less than authentic life isn’t a picnic either.    

Training, qualifications & experience

I have always been interested in what makes people tick, more specifically what makes me tick! At heart, I am curious, respectful, caring, trustworthy and fair.  

I spent a large part of my career working in the technology sector at an executive level, leading teams around the world to deliver innovative solutions that improve the way organisations and their customers interact. This has exposed me to many different cultures, personality types and corporate structures which taught me how to get the best out of myself and others. 

A natural extension to this was my transition into psychotherapy, working with people on a more one to one basis supporting them in their own journeys to authenticity, peace, enrichment and attainment of their goals. 

I hold an FdA in Therapeutic Counselling, alongside training in Bereavement, Family Estrangement, Addiction and Conflict Resolution in addition to a BA (Hons) in Business Economics.

I am also a member of the British Association for Counselling Professionals (BACP), fully insured, have enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) enrolment and in accordance with best practice ensure that all my clinical work is supervised by a suitably qualified peer.

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

Other areas of counselling I deal with

I specialise in working with a broad range of anxiety related conditions, such as obsessive compulsive; stress and burnout; challenges socialising or a difficulty building relationships; panic attacks; phobias; anger management; loss of purpose following retirement, redundancy or long term illness and occupational trauma. Often these are associated with low mood or depression and can be debilitating.  I can also help with setting and achieving goals in many areas of your life including business, health and wellbeing, career, relationships, and work-life balance.     

Therapies offered

Photos & videos

Further information

Call or email us to arrange an free initial 20 minute consultation by phone, it may be the best 5 minutes you have ever spent.

60 Duke Street, Darlington, Durham, DL3 7AN

Type of session

In person
Online
Phone

Types of client

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

Key details

DBS check info

In England and Wales, the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS, formerly known as CRB) carry out criminal records checks for individuals working with vulnerable groups, such as children. To find out more, visit gov.uk , or contact this professional directly

Online platforms

Microsoft Teams
Whatsapp
Zoom

Social

Michael Purvis
Michael Purvis