Mike Glenister-Marshall

Warm, welcoming and gentle; I am someone you can trust. I have understanding of and work effectively with anxiety, depression, relationship difficulties, bereavement, identity issues, low self-esteem, trauma-related difficulties, self-harm and suicidality. You are likely to experience me as someone keenly interested in you, not as a list of symptoms, but as an individual with your own views, ideas and preferences which will inform our work together.

As an experienced and trustworthy counsellor/psychotherapist registered as a member of the British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) I can assure you are in safe hands.

People come to see me for help with various differing problems and conundrums. Perhaps you have lost touch with the ‘real you’, feel there are different parts of you at conflict or feel a searching for something missing. Perhaps the ‘real you’ has never been clear, or difficulties with identity, meaning and purpose have permeated much of your life. Perhaps you are finding it difficult to know what you want, endlessly putting others’ needs above your own or feel not in control of your life and its direction. Perhaps you’re preoccupied with the future, burdened by responsibilities, feel a sense of dread or a lack of belonging. Whatever the issue, feel reassured that you will be met with my warm and sustained presence, non-judgement and compassion.

I subscribe to the idea that different people require different things at different times in their lives. Therefore, you will experience me as being collaborative, flexible and adaptable, whilst being clear with you in what I can and can’t do. Much of how I work comes out of my own intuition and ‘felt-sense’, however I’m not naïve to the fact that I, like all therapists, will shoot wide of the mark at times. So, to help us work optimally together I will regularly invite you to reflect on how you are experiencing our sessions; what feels helpful and what doesn’t at any given time. You are the expert on you after all.

I passed my Post-Graduate Diploma in Counselling and Psychotherapy with distinction from the University of Salford in 2017. Since then I have had extensive experience in brief-therapy working for an NHS-partnered IAPT service, but I am equally happy and comfortable working with you for any duration of time; whatever feels right for you. Before qualifying as a therapist I worked for many years in the fields of mental health crisis support, addiction, and working alongside people with mutliple and complex needs.

So, now you’ve seen my picture, you’ve read about what I offer and you have perhaps formulated an impression of me as a person. I imagine you might still have doubts as to whether I am the right therapist for you though. I suppose you’d only really know once we start working together. To help you reach a decision I offer a free 30 minute consultation which could be over the telephone or via Zoom. It’s a way for us to introduce ourselves to each other, ask questions and decide upon next steps. By doing this you may get a sense if something doesn’t feel right for you and choose to seek out a different therapist you feel more suited to. It might also be that it helps you clarify what you want to do, and that might also include a realisation that therapy isn’t the right thing for you at this time. Or it might act as confirmation for you that you are in the right place, with the right person and on the right path.

I look forward to meeting you.