Michelle Hitt

I offer high quality counselling and EMDR therapy for adults, couples and families. I provide a relaxed, supportive and pragmatic approach to therapy within a confidential and calm space, where thoughts and feelings can be safely explored. I also offer animal assisted/nature based therapy sessions as an alternative to room-based counselling sessions This type of session offers a more embodied approach to therapy and will be useful for those that are more comfortable with doing/experiencing rather than talking.

Face-to-face, telephone, online sessions and intensive EMDR programmes are currently available.

My Way of Working

I work in a client-centred way and draw on many integrative skills so that my counselling practice can be truly holistic and tailored to meet your individual needs. I do not believe in a "one size fits all" approach as you need to be completely comfortable with the process and only you know what is right for you. As I offer a variety of approaches therapy, I am confident that we can find an approach that will suit your individual requirements but if not I am more than happy to help you to find a therapist that will suit your specific needs.

I can help you to explore your feelings, emotions, relationships and behaviours in an empathic and non-judgmental way so that you can address the problems that are troubling you the most and improve your overall quality of life. Developing this self-awareness can lead to greater understanding, which will help you to build resilience and enable you to find your own way to grow and develop. This can also have a positive effect on your current and future relationships with others as we are all inter-connected and, by default, we directly affect and are affected by those around us.

I have significant experience of working with adults and young people with trauma and abuse related issues. We can tend to think of traumas as one-off major events such as road accidents or sexual abuse but this is not always the case. We can experience many less obvious traumas in our lives, which may not immediately spring to mind, and can include events that happened in childhood or relationship breakdowns but these supposedly "smaller" traumas can accumulate and become quite toxic for us. During the counselling process, many of my clients are surprised when they discover just how many times they have actually been exposed to traumatic events and how they can continue to have a significant effect on their lives. Traumatic memories are not always readily accessible as our minds sometimes suppress these memories in order to keep us safe. However, undetected or unexplored trauma can sometimes explain our emotional responses and behaviour patterns in the present moment. It can also have a negative impact on our relationships with others. If this is the case, I can offer a gentle and supportive way to explore your past experiences and to promote healing from within. I am trained in Eye Movement Desensitisation & Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy and this, NHS approved therapy, in conjunction with talk therapy, can help you to process negative/traumatic experiences and memories so that you are able to move forward in your lives in a healthy and positive way.

Adults

Childhood  and previous experiences can trigger painful and confusing emotions, which in turn can produce negative, and often conflicted, feelings that continue into our adult years. This can often present itself in a variety of ways such as angry outbursts, self harm, depression, anxiety and difficulties with relationships. I believe that our behaviour provides us with useful feedback and it can be an indicator that something needs attending to on a deeper level.

My positive and supportive attitude can help you to gain insight into your feelings and patterns of behaviour and find possibilities for moving forward. I promote calming and relaxation techniques, the development of a sense of self and an understanding of others in order to help build confidence, self-esteem and a sense of balance in your life.

It can be a difficult decision to come to counselling as an adult as often it can feel easier or more safe to suppress our feelings and internalise them. Whilst this can work for some in the short term this is not a healthy option in the longer term as it can lead to more serious mental health issues. Many people will continue through their lives without being able to truly be aware of their emotions and the effect their behaviour may be having on themselves and those around them. If you are unhappy with the way that you are living your life or if you feel that your relationships with others are not what you would like them to be then you will almost certainly benefit from therapy. Maybe your are feeling stuck or struggling with motivation? You might be trying to fit into this world we live in? Maybe you have a diagnosed disorder that you are struggling to understand? Maybe your anxiety or depression is starting to affect the life that you lead? The list is endless as we are all individuals and we all have a different perception of our world. As human beings, we have a tendency to minimise our past experiences but those experiences will have affected our feelings and, ultimately, how we live our lives

Your perception is so important and the development of your self awareness is fundamental to your future. Becoming aware of your past experiences, your emotions, feelings and behaviour is the first and hardest step but it is a necessary process that will enable you grow and develop as a person. The EMDR therapy that I offer can help you to process your negative/traumatic memories so that you are able to build a much more positive future for you and those around you.

Relationships

Building and maintaining relationships is fundamental to our survival and we should never underestimate the importance of connection and relationship in our lives. When our relationships break down it can seriously impact on our happiness and life satisfaction. Relationship issues can often present themselves at major life transition points such as beginning to live together, the birth of a child, illness, debt or retirement/ageing.

I offer relationship counselling to couples (of any identity) and families. I can help you to identify why things have deteriorated and look at potential ways to work through your problems. I provide an unbiased and safe environment for you to explore your personal needs, concerns and expectations of your own unique relationships. My EMDR therapy can also help you to address any deeper issues that may be troubling you and also, maybe unknowingly, be affecting how you are in your relationship. You will gain more understanding about yourself and each other, which will help you to acknowledge and address those unmet needs By learning to adjust, cope and change it is often possible for you to rebuild trust and mutual respect, resolve conflict and ultimately build stronger relationships with your loved ones.

Animal Assisted Therapy I also offer outdoor counselling and animal/equine assisted therapy at a base near Crosskeys. Please look at my website or email/call me for more details.

Registration

As an accredited member of the British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy, I am bound by their Code of Ethics and aspire to the highest standard of practice. I hold professional indemnity insurance and I have a current enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service Certificate (Adults and Children).

£70 per 1 hour session for individual EMDR sessions.

£80 per 1 hour session for couples' counselling. £105 for 1st couples session 1.5 hours.

Please call for animal assisted learning/therapy sessions and for referrals from organisations.

I offer concessionary rates for trainee counsellors. Please contact me for further information.

Next Steps

Please email, text or ring me to make an appointment.

Its really important that you find the right counsellor for you and it can be so difficult to make a choice. With that in mind, I am really happy to talk to you prior to booking your first appointment so that you can ask any questions and find out a little more about me and my approach to counselling/therapy. I look forward to hearing from you.