About me
Hi, my name is Mike. Welcome to my profile.
Perhaps you’ve spent weeks, months or longer feeling that something isn’t right, you’ve been worrying more than usual, feeling low, up late at night when it feels like you’re the only person awake in the world. Perhaps you’ve felt for a long time that you’re “broken” in some way and if only you could make some sense of what’s happening for you. Maybe you’ve sought support before but didn’t feel like you ever connected with professionals or just didn’t find it helpful.
As your therapist, I intend to build a genuine connection through taking time to understand you better and what makes you, uniquely you.
I do not think labels, technical jargon or focusing purely on diagnoses are always helpful. Instead, I am curious about the difficulties and challenges you face and how they are affecting you.
It is important to me that I practice in a way that is inclusive. I have a particular passion with working with LGBTQIA+ people. This means that whether you identify in this way or perhaps you’re more generally trying to understand yourself more, you can expect that I’ll approach you with openness, sincerity and care.
Therapy with me looks like getting an understanding of how past experiences are affecting you in the present, exploring your current experiences and looking at what your aspirations (and barriers) are for the future.
You may be wondering about my experience and how this may benefit you. Due to my background in suicide prevention and NHS crisis services, you can expect that I will respond with curiosity without rushing to provide answers or solutions which sound too good to be true.
Due to my experience of working with people affected by interpersonal trauma, such as rape, sexual abuse or violence, I understand how important it is to take things at your pace without rushing you to talk about difficult things before you’re ready.
If you've recognised yourself in some of what I've written, you don't need to know exactly what you want from therapy before getting in touch. We can begin by having a conversation about what's brought you here, what you're hoping for, and whether we feel like a good fit to work together.
Finding the right therapist is an important decision, and I encourage you to choose someone you feel comfortable with. If you think I might be that person, I'd be pleased to hear from you.
Training, qualifications & experience
Qualifications:
Level 4 Diploma in Integrative Counselling
Registered Member of the British Association of Counsellors and Psychotherapists (BACP)
BSc in Psychology with Counselling- Currently studying
Experience and Further Info:
I am a qualified Integrative counsellor. In real terms, this means that I think about how your past experiences are still influencing you in the present, I explore your present challenges and look at what barriers are preventing you from working towards your aspirations. I am a Registered member of the BACP, which means I have received a high standard of training, supervision and demonstrated a commitment towards professional and ethical practice.
Alongside my private practice, I work for a suicide prevention charity, supporting men experiencing a mental health crisis. Before this, I worked in NHS mental health crisis services and have experiencing of working with people who have experienced sexual abuse, rape, and interpersonal trauma.
These experiences mean that I am experienced in working with people who are in significant distress, facing anxiety, low mood or have experienced traumatic events.
Alongside my counselling training, I am currently studying a BSc (Hons) in Psychology and Counselling, in accreditation with the British Psychological Society.
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
Therapies offered
Fees
£70.00 per session
Concessions offered for
Additional information
£70 per session.
Concessions available for counselling students and key worders: £60.
