Maria Michael

I am currently able to offer you appointments online and over the 鈥榩hone on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday afternoons and early evenings.

I work with individual adults from anywhere in the UK and the EU.  

Each session costs 拢65.

I offer a reduced rate of 拢55 per session for students and counselling or psychotherapy trainees. 

Welcome to my page. 

It鈥檚 important that you can build a relationship with your counsellor where you are able to speak freely. I invite you to see if I鈥檓 that person for you. 

As a Person-Centred therapist I believe you have within you the capacity for personal change and growth, even in challenging conditions. It is when we experience being seen and accepted for how we are, that we become open to looking at what we may find difficult about ourselves, how we are with other people, and at opportunities for change. For that reason, the quality of our counselling relationship is at the core of my work.

I provide a welcoming, non-judgmental and confidential space so that you can speak plainly. I will come alongside you to listen and understand what you are going through. My hope is that you feel safe to be open and bring every aspect of yourself.

Over the past 8 years, the people I have worked with in counselling services and in my own practice have brought a range of matters to talk through, some of which are listed below. In addition to my private work, I volunteer with a charity offering bereavement counselling. In my work as a therapist (and in roles working with young people), I have supported individuals from a range of ages and backgrounds.

I offer a free 20 minute discussion online or over the 鈥榩hone. This initial conversation is to allow us to get a sense of each other, what brings you to therapy, and if I am well placed to assist you. 

What we talk about in sessions is led by you. I will follow your lead on what you believe needs the most attention and how deeply you choose to go into it. I will make your needs central, and tailor how I work based on you as an individual.

I may ask clarifying questions or observe what I am noticing in the moment, such as bodily responses or recurring ideas. In addition, I may also offer some of how I experience you and the matters you choose to share. These can offer us greater understanding of what you are experiencing, and help open possibilities of how you can move forward. In my experience, you are more likely to commit to decisions and changes when they come from you rather than 鈥渆xperts鈥�.

We can work together either for a set number of sessions or in an open-ended manner depending on your need. We will review our work regularly to ensure how we鈥檙e working is helpful to you. 

We will in our first session go through our contract. I will then ask you a few questions so that I can get an idea of the wider picture of how things are for you at this time. We will also look at what you want to get out of our work.

This is a conversation and an opportunity for you to tell me anything you want me to know about you and your circumstances from the outset. It will help lay some groundwork for our relationship going forward.