Michelle Higgins - young people's counsellor
About me
I am a registered and accredited member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP). I am passionate about working with children and young people, as well as those who teach, support and care for them. I am inspired by young people's resilience and their ability to over-come difficult experiences. To be invited into their lives and to be a part of their growth and development is a privilege.
I am a humanistic person centred counsellor. This means that I follow the lead of my client and seek to really understand their experience. I aim to create a warm and welcoming space so that children, young people and adults feel safe and can begin to build a relationship of trust with me. I believe that when people feel accepted, valued and understood by a counsellor, they are able to explore difficult issues and can begin to make sense of their experiences and feelings. When this happens, the intensity of difficult feelings may lessen and become more manageable, options of ways forward might begin to emerge, and views or beliefs can change bringing about a new perspective and a new way of being.
I have an arts background and use creativity as a route to expression with those clients who find making and creating a helpful and meaningful process.
I am committed to continuing professional development. I attend regular training to update my knowledge and skills.
I have strong ethical values and personal integrity.
I have a current enhanced DBS certificate.
(Qualification certificates and DBS available to view on request)
Training, qualifications & experience
I have a Master of Arts in counselling and psychotherapy
In addition to my private practice work, I currently work as college counsellor in a further education college. Previously I have worked as a counsellor in a secondary school, child and adolescent mental health practitioner, parent and family support practitioner, youth project worker and drama teacher in further education.
I am experienced in working with children, young people and adults who present with a range of issues including: bereavement and loss, anxiety, stress, low mood, family issues, eating difficulties, gender issues, illness, sexuality issues, substance misuse, cultural issues, self-harm, suicidal thoughts and feelings.
Member organisations
Registered / Accredited
Being registered/accredited with a professional body means an individual must have achieved a substantial level of training and experience approved by their member organisation.
British Association for Counselling & Psychotherapy
BACP is one of the UK’s largest professional bodies for counselling and psychotherapy. Therapists registered with the Association fall into a number of different membership categories such as Individual Member, Registered Member MBACP and Registered Member MBACP (Accred), each standing for different levels of training and experience. MBACP (Accred) and MBACP (Snr Accred) members have achieved a substantial level of training and experience approved by the Association.
Registered members can be found on the BACP Register, which was the first register to achieve Accredited Voluntary Register status issued by the Professional Standards Authority. Individual Members will have completed an appropriate counselling and/or psychotherapy course and started to practise, but will not appear on the BACP Register until they've progressed to Registered Member MBACP status.
All members are bound by a Code of Ethics & Practice and a Complaints Procedure. Accredited by the Professional Standards Authority.
Accredited register membership
Accredited Register Scheme
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
Photos & videos
