- Client-Centred focus
- Cognitive Behavioural Therapy
- Emotion-focused ideas
About Michelle
Michelle Copley is a BACP counsellor practising in the United Kingdom with 12 years of experience. She works with a broad range of concerns including stress, anxiety, relationship difficulties, trauma and abuse, grief, parenting strain, addictions, sleep problems, anger, low self-esteem, career worries, depression, ADHD and related issues such as abandonment and attachment matters.
Her style is direct and collaborative. Sessions are conversational and focused on gaining practical insight. She listens to what is happening now, and helps people understand patterns in their thoughts, feelings and relationships.
Michelle describes herself as an integrative counsellor who draws on several approaches. She combines Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and Transactional Analysis, and also uses Dialectical Behaviour Therapy and Emotionally-Focused ideas when they fit the work. The aim is to choose methods that suit each person’s situation and goals.
In sessions she mixes discussion with teaching. Clients are invited to learn about the approaches used and to practise skills they can use between meetings. That might include noticing thought patterns, testing new behaviours, or trying exercises that improve communication with others.
She has worked online and in person, and since Covid has continued with online work. Michelle asks new clients to complete a short matching questionnaire and then book an initial session so they can agree a plan together.
Therapeutic approaches used in online sessions
Michelle commonly uses Client-Centred principles and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy in her online work. Client-Centred ideas mean conversations focus on the person and their experience, helping them tell their story and clarify what matters right now. CBT looks at links between thoughts, feelings and actions and offers practical techniques to test and change unhelpful patterns.She also uses elements of Dialectical Behaviour Therapy when emotion regulation and distress tolerance skills are needed. DBT offers specific skills for managing strong emotions and reducing impulsive responses, which can help with anger, self-harm urges or overwhelm.
Finding the right mix of approaches is part of the work. The therapist will discuss options and help decide together which methods suit the person's needs, goals and preferences. This is a collaborative process rather than a fixed prescription.
Michelle has conducted both in-person and online work and continues with online sessions. The exact session formats are not listed here, so please confirm current options before booking. Online sessions can make it easier to fit therapy around school, work and travel, reduce time spent commuting, and allow shorter check-ins when that is more practical for daily life.
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Also works with
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
12+ years
Listed in
United Kingdom
Languages
English
Frequently asked questions
What kinds of issues does she help with?
She works with stress, anxiety, relationship problems, trauma and abuse, grief, parenting concerns, addictions, sleep issues, anger, low self-esteem, depression and ADHD among other related problems.
How would she approach feelings of guilt or shame?
Her work is collaborative and conversational, helping people notice thought patterns and how those thoughts affect behaviour. She draws on cognitive and emotion-focused approaches to help make sense of those feelings.
How much experience does she have?
She has practised as a counsellor since 2011, giving her 12 years of experience with a wide range of client concerns.
What credential does she hold and where is she based?
She is registered with the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) and practises in the United Kingdom.
Which languages are sessions offered in?
Sessions are offered in English.
Can international clients work with her?
She does not accept international clients at this time.
How are sessions paid for and what does it cost?
Session cost varies with location and sessions use a subscription that can be cancelled at any time.
What should I do to start working with her?
Select the See online therapy options button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule a first session.
Online talk therapy is not emergency care. If you are in danger or thinking about harming yourself, use the crisis numbers.