About me
My name is Michaela (she/her) and I am a qualified integrative counsellor based in Abergele, North Wales.
Counselling can help, whether you have a particular issue that you would like to talk about or you are just feeling stuck, like you can’t move forward with your life or enjoy the things you used to. Maybe you are struggling with anxiety, anger, depression, or a loss of confidence and a sense of who you are. You may have had a recent diagnosis of ADHD or another form of neurodiversity and be reflecting on your life experiences or considering what this means for you. I can help you to cope with your challenges, to re-find meaning and purpose in your life and to believe that you will be able to enjoy life again.
I have worked with adult clients with a range of backgrounds and challenges. People looking for counselling are as individual as the challenges they face. I have experience working with issues including anxiety, depression or low mood, stress, bereavement and loss and sexual violence. I have worked with clients who are neurodiverse and clients who are LGBTQ+.
I am a trauma-informed practitioner and I volunteered at Chester Sexual Abuse Support Service where I supported clients with issues relating to childhood sexual abuse and sexual violence.
I have particular experience of and interest in working with bereavement and loss. I understand that grief can feel life-changing, whether that is coping with a sudden unexpected death, for example in an accident or illness; a childhood loss that still affects you as an adult; loss during the pandemic when you may have been unable to see your loved one at the end or have a proper funeral due to restrictions; the death of a baby or child including through miscarriage or stillbirth; the kind of complicated grief that arises when your relationship has not been easy, perhaps leaving you feeling angry and hurt; or the death of a beloved pet. I have experience of volunteering for Cruse Bereavement and Marie Curie Hospice, Liverpool.
There are other, non-bereavement losses that I can support you with, including: relationship breakdown, a sense of loss of childhood because of abuse or loss of security through sexual violence, and loss of freedom to choose and loss of control due to ill health or an accident.
Everyone's experience and challenge is unique, and we will work in a personalised way that fits your individual needs, enabling you to find ways to move forward into a ‘new normal’ in a healthy and meaningful way.
I am fully committed to ethical counselling practice. I am a Registered member of the BACP (British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy), and I work in accordance with their Ethical Framework. I am fully insured, have an up-to-date enhanced DBS check, and attend regular supervision. In addition, I undertake a minimum of 30 hours of further training each year.
How I work
I offer online and phone counselling nationally. For in-person counselling, I have a counselling room in Abergele and can also use rooms at Leaf Health in Llandudno if that is more convenient.
If you live within approximately 30 minutes from Abergele, I may also be able to visit you for counselling in your own home (subject to my schedule).
I provide safe, non-judgmental, compassionate and empathetic counselling where you will feel supported and heard. My goal is to help you find meaning and purpose in the midst of whatever difficult issue you are facing and to help you to find the tools and support you need to cope and move forward.
I work with an integrative model of counselling which is a holistic approach that draws on several different theories and techniques to create a personalised approach that is tailored to each individual client and their unique needs, goals and circumstances.
I welcome clients from diverse backgrounds.
Training, qualifications & experience
I have volunteered as a counsellor in a number of settings and gained valuable experience: Cruse Bereavement, Marie Curie Hospice, Chester Sexual Abuse Support Service and Healthbox CIC.
This experience allows me to support people who are grieving with other issues. These include feelings of unhappiness and being unsettled, anxiety, depression, difficulties with self-esteem and confidence, rape, sexual abuse and sexual assault and challenges in coping with major life changes such as redundancy, divorce, and relocation, relationship issues and work-related issues.
Qualifications & recent professional development
I have a CPCAB Level 4 Diploma in Therapeutic Counselling and I am a registered member of BACP.
I have undertaken professional development on a range of topics, including:
- Understanding trauma and its effects on our physical health and life
- Working with loss and bereavement
- Sands training for counsellors in pregnancy loss and the death of a baby
- Working with LGBTQ+ survivors of sexual violence and domestic abuse
- Working therapeutically with trans people
- Health anxiety
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
Photos & videos
Fees
£40.00 - £55.00
Concessions offered for
Additional information
First session
Please use the email button or phone button to make contact. Leave me a message and I will get back to you, usually within 24 hours, to arrange a free session of up to 30 minutes.
This will give us time to talk about what you are looking for and for me to answer any of your questions. I can also tell you a bit more about how counselling works if you are unfamiliar with the process.
You can decide if you feel comfortable with me and for me to understand more about your needs and to see if I feel that I am the right person to help you. There is no obligation to continue working with me after this.
If we feel that we can work well together then we will schedule a full counselling session. This will last 50 minutes. I can offer a regular day and time each week/fortnight or something more flexible. I work online, on the telephone and in person (Abergele or Llandudno) as you prefer.
Therapy can be short, medium or long-term and we will review regularly and agree when you think you will be ready to end counselling. This will always be your choice.
When I work
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Further information
Privacy: I will discuss how I process any data that you provide to me in our first session and I will send you a written privacy statement.
