About me
Hi, welcome to Smart Mind Counselling. My name is Michelle Smart, I am a Person-Centred counsellor offering a warm, confidential space for you to explore your current challenges. We can find it difficult to cope with our thoughts, feelings or life experiences and need someone to talk to. I am here to provide the space and time to explore these issues with you and listen with compassion and understanding.
I am trained in the Person-Centred approach to counselling, which means I strive to understand your world from your eyes without judgement. Within our sessions, I support you to better understand your thoughts and feelings with empathy, which can foster personal growth and change. It can be helpful to explore your inner processes and where those perspectives have come from, for a deeper understanding of yourself and to begin exploring new ways to cope. We begin by agreeing what you want to gain from counselling, and then shape our sessions around what is most effective for you.
I am passionate about offering an accessible, LGBT+ safe environment that can be adapted to your situation. I offer remote counselling to anyone over the age of 18, and can offer short or long term counselling at a pace that’s right for you. If you have concerns about getting started or using online therapy, please reach out and we can explore together how to best meet your needs.
Training, qualifications & experience
I gained my BSc in Psychology from UEA in 2020, and went on to gain a Level 4 Diploma in Therapeutic Counselling from York Learning.
For over 2 years I have counselled at Phoenix Health and Wellbeing in Leeds, working with a range of clients and presenting issues.
I am a Registered Member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (MBACP) and work within their ethical framework.
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
£40.00 - £50.00
Concessions offered for
Additional information
I charge a fee of £50 per counselling session, which is due on the day of each session and paid in full by bank transfer. I offer a reduced fee of £40 per session to clients who are students, keyworkers, unemployed or claiming means-tested benefits.
When I work
| Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Early morning | |||||||
| Morning | |||||||
| Early afternoon | |||||||
| Late afternoon | |||||||
| Evening |
Further information
If you would like to get in touch, please send me an email and we can arrange a free 15 minute phone call for any questions you may have. We can arrange our first appointment after this point if you so wish, where you can decide if I am the right counsellor for you.
