Melanie Michelson

I currently have availability on Friday mornings and afternoons for outdoor therapy sessions in Highgate wood. Sessions will be moved online in the event of adverse weather conditions such as storms, high winds and heavy rain. 

Do you have an affinity with being outdoors, in nature? Does the thought of a classical setting for therapy, sitting opposite your therapist feel a little restrictive? 

For the past 9 years I have been offering 1:1 outdoor therapy to clients in the lovely leafy and ancient Highgate Wood. We will meet throughout the year - only moving online if there are storms, high winds or torrential rain forecast.

I offer one hour sessions which begin and end at the same location. I know the woods well and have a few familiar routes to follow. Occasionally, I will invite you to choose a direction to wander in. There are paths if accessibility is a concern; otherwise, we can walk off the beaten track. We might choose to sit on a bench or a log, and I also pack a tarp for us to use if we wish to sit on the ground.

At times, there may be interruptions, which often have a way of enhancing the session and offering valuable material that might not otherwise have emerged in the room. For example, you might be reconnecting with a memory from your childhood when a toddler comes running past. We might notice their aliveness, free-spiritedness and playfulness, and explore how these qualities felt unavailable to you. 

There is also so much metaphor to be found in nature and the changing seasons. The plants and non-human inhabitants of the woods can be valuable guides, particularly at times when you might be struggling to put words to, or find meaning in, your experience.

I can provide some creative materials such as Plasticine, pens/pencils and paper, to combine with the natural treasures we may collect on our walk, for creative explorations and expression to that which words cannot yet capture. 

Neurodivergent clients and those who have experienced trauma have shared how helpful they find the movement and pace of walking, alongside the freedom to choose which path to take. This can support their process, allowing experiences and feelings to emerge in ways that might be harder to access when sitting in a room.

After our initial complimentary 30 minute discovery session, via Zoom/WhatsApp, I will invite you to an introductory outdoor session.

The first session is an opportunity to meet, share what has brought you to therapy, and explore whether working together feels right. I can answer further questions you may have about my way of working. 

If you decide to continue, I will send further information about my practice, via email, along with a couple of forms to complete before our next session.

There is no obligation to continue after this first meeting.

I currently have availability on Monday and Wednesday evenings for online therapy.

On Thursday's I am available for face2face sessions in my practice room located in NW5 - and can offer online sessions too. 

I have daytime availability on Friday’s for Outdoor therapy on the Heath. 

I have some availability on Saturday mornings for fortnightly sessions. 

I am a humanistic/Person-Centred counsellor and psychotherapist working in North London, around Kentish Town and the area of Hampstead Heath. My approach is grounded in building a genuine therapeutic relationship where you feel heard, accepted, and able to explore your experiences without judgement.

I am trauma-informed and have a strong interest in Attachment Theory, which explores how early relationships shape our connection to ourselves and others. I also draw on aspects of Internal Family Systems (IFS), which helps us understand and respond compassionately to different parts of ourselves.

Alongside talking therapy, I work with the body and what is often called the felt sense - subtle physical sensations that give insight into emotions and experience. Creative materials can also be offered for expression beyond words.

I offer year round, outdoor therapy sessions in Hampstead Heath or Highgate wood. These sessions can feel grounding, spacious, and rich with metaphor - which supports growth, reflection and new perspectives. The natural world can often mirror different states and provide a wonderful sense of being steady and holding, and interacting with non human life provides a wonderful level of acceptance. In my experience outdoor work can be especially helpful for neurodivergent clients and those who have a history of childhood/relational trauma.  

At times therapy can feel powerful and illuminating; at other times it may feel challenging or slow. My aim is to provide a steady, supportive presence as we navigate whatever arises together.

I believe everyone has the capacity for healing and growth when the right conditions are present. Within a therapeutic relationship grounded in empathy, acceptance, and understanding it is possible to explore past and present experiences with compassion and clarity.

I work one-to-one with adults and offer flexible options: sessions in a private therapy room, outdoors in nature, or remotely via online or telephone. 

Outdoor work offers a different rhythm, where walking and being in natural surroundings can create space for insight and reflection linked to the changing landscape and seasons. There are also interactions with the natural world which offers insight, perspective and healing that being seated in a room cannot provide. 

I recognise that choosing a therapist and reaching out for the first time can feel like a significant step. Taking time to find someone you feel comfortable with is an important part of the process which is why I offer a complimentary 15min discovery call. 

After our discovery call, I will invite you to an initial session in my practice room or online via Zoom. 

The first session is an opportunity to meet, share what has brought you to therapy, and explore whether working together feels right.

If you decide to continue, I will send further information about my practice via email along with a couple of forms to complete before our next session.

There is no obligation to continue after this first meeting.