Michelle Lawrence
Every professional displayed on Counselling Directory has been independently verified by our team to ensure they have suitable credentials to practise.
This professional is available for new clients.
This professional is available for new clients.
About me
Welcome
Hello and thank you for visiting my profile. Deciding to start counselling is a very personal journey of self-discovery. You may have started to think about counselling due to recent events that have occurred in your life, or been drawn to accessing emotional and psychological support due to ongoing or past events or traumas. You may be looking to gain a better understanding of yourself and making sense of your life experience. Whatever the reason, you are here now, and at this present stage in your life.
Whether you have experienced counselling before or not, this can be an apprehensive time as you are looking to embark on a new life path, journeying into the unknown to discover more about yourself and your life experience. You may have had a positive or negative experience of counselling in the past or have preconceptions of what you feel counselling will expect or require of you. Whatever apprehensions or concerns you may have are perfectly natural and completely understandable.
My Way of Working
I am a Humanistic Counsellor/Psychotherapist and work from the Person-Centred Approach. This approach means that my way of working as a Counsellor and my genuine inner belief, is that the client is the expert on themselves. It is my role to support and work with you, so that you are able to gain self-awareness and self-understanding regarding your life experience.
The therapeutic relationship is a collaboration of client and counsellor working together to help the client make sense their life, past and present. There is no expectation on you, the client. This is your journey, but you are not alone as I will be accompanying you whilst you learn more about yourself. This will be at your own pace and however far you decide to travel.
Occasionally, there may be times that I gently challenge some of your inner beliefs or self-perception. This is only to further your inner knowledge and enable you to see yourself from other perspectives and not just your own. This is still done with care and support. There is no confrontation or expectation for you to change your outlook. It is just a way of opening your thoughts to other possibilities and other points of view.
Private Practice Location
My private practice is currently located in Ollerton, near Newark. I also provide telephone or online face to face sessions.
Transport and Accessibility
The premises I practice from can be easily reached via public transport. There is also adequate nearby free parking near the premises.
My private practice room is located on the first floor.
Reasons for Seeking Support
There are many events that can impact our lives emotionally, physically and psychologically, whether through work or our personal lives, upbringing and culture. We can find ourselves unable to cope due to Bereavement, Domestic Violence, Sexual Abuse, Family Breakdown, to name but a few. These can lead to depression, anxiety, post traumatic stress, alcohol/drug misuse and self-esteem issues which can affect our quality of life in so many ways. The list is endless of how life can have a negative impact and how we react or try to cope with this. Counselling can help make sense of our reactions and alleviate the emotional and physical stress associated with our life experience.
The Therapeutic Space
The therapeutic relationship between client and counsellor is formed through the creation of a therapeutic environment. As a Counsellor/Psychotherapist, my role is to create a genuinely empathic and non-judgemental space for you the client. The therapeutic space then helps the client to feel safe to explore their inner most thoughts and feelings without feeling judged or criticised. This all takes place in the counselling room and this is where the journey begins.
Training, qualifications & experience
I have been a Counsellor/Psychotherapist since 2012. I have previously worked as a Counsellor/Psychotherapist in a Secondary School with children from the age of 11 years upwards. At present, in my own private practice, I work with clients from the age of 16 years upwards. I also currently work as a Counsellor/Psychotherapist in the Voluntary Sector with male and female survivors of Trauma and Sexual Abuse.
I studied at the University of Nottingham and have a BA First Class (Hons) Degree in Humanistic Counselling Practice. I am an Accredited Member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP). I have regular Clinical Supervision and work in accordance with the BACP Ethical Framework.
I continue to seek out and complete further training (CPD) to update and enhance my skills and knowledge on a regular basis.
Member organisations
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.
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
Fees
£50.00 - £75.00
Concessions offered for
Additional information
Counselling Hourly Session Rate - £50.00
Couple Counselling Hourly Session Rate - £75.00
Concessional Hourly Session Rate for Student Counsellors - £40.00
Further information
I work with male and female clients on a short term or long term basis from the age of 18 years upwards.
Telephone Counselling and online Face to Face Counselling available.
EAP work considered and Telephone Counselling.
