Michelle Mitchell

Currently full. Looking to create more availability soon!

There is no formula for a person. We are shaped by what has happened to us, the relationships we have had, what we have learnt about ourselves and the ways we have found to cope along the way. Therapy, in my view, needs to make room for all of that. It needs to fit the person, rather than expecting the person to fit the therapy.

I’m a qualified Integrative Counsellor and registered member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP), with around seven years’ experience.

People often come to therapy knowing that something needs to change, but not necessarily knowing what that change is. Maybe you understand exactly why you feel the way you do, yet knowing hasn't actually changed how you feel. Maybe you overthink conversations long after they've happened, question yourself constantly, find it hard to say no, or notice yourself falling into the same patterns despite promising yourself you wouldn't again.

Sometimes the ways we learnt to cope worked very well once. We just don't always notice when they stop working for us.

This is the part of therapy that really interests me – getting underneath what is happening rather than only dealing with what can be seen on the surface. Why does this affect you so much? Where did that belief about yourself come from? Why does the same pattern keep showing up? And, importantly, what might help things feel different?

My approach is warm, down-to-earth and collaborative. I’m not a therapist who will sit silently and leave you wondering what I’m thinking. I’ll listen, but I’ll also ask questions, share what I notice and help you make connections that might not have been obvious before. Where it feels useful, I can bring in psychoeducation and practical strategies too.

As an integrative therapist, I’m able to draw on different therapeutic approaches depending on the person I’m working with. My work is also informed by an understanding of the connection between mind and body, and how our emotional experiences can influence the way we respond both psychologically and physically. Some sessions may involve looking more closely at past experiences and how they are showing up in your life now. Others may be much more focused on what is happening today.

I believe the relationship between therapist and client is the foundation on which good therapy is built. Therapeutic knowledge, theory and the way we work together are all important, but for that work to be meaningful, there also needs to be a relationship in which you feel understood, respected and able to trust the person sitting opposite you. Without that connection, even the right approach may not feel right for you.

I place enormous value on building that relationship. I want you to feel able to be yourself with me, not a polished version of yourself, or the version you think you should present in therapy. You don't need the right words or to know where to start. You certainly don't need to have yourself figured out before you walk through the door.

We can start with what is there.

I offer individual counselling from my private practice in Rainham, Kent.

The first session is really about beginning to get to know each other.

We’ll start by going through the counselling contract together, including confidentiality and some of the practical aspects of how we’ll work. I’ll also ask some questions to help me understand a little about you, what has brought you to therapy and what might be happening in your life at the moment.

But I don’t see a first session as an interview or an assessment you need to prepare for.

You don’t need to arrive with your life story neatly organised, know exactly what’s “wrong”, or have a clear list of things you’d like to change. Some people arrive knowing exactly what they want to talk about. Others sit down and suddenly have no idea where to begin. Both are completely fine.

We can take the first session at a pace that feels manageable. I can ask questions and guide the conversation when you need me to, or simply give you space to talk if the words are already there.

There’s also no expectation that you tell me everything in the first session. Trust takes time, and you’re always in control of what you choose to share.

Just as importantly, the first session gives you an opportunity to get a sense of me. The therapeutic relationship matters enormously to the way I work, so you’re welcome to ask questions, get a feel for how I work and notice how it feels to talk with me.

You don’t have to decide there and then whether you’d like to continue. Finding the right therapist matters, and it’s completely fine to take some time to think about it.

By the end of our first session, we may have a clearer idea of what you’d like from therapy, or we may simply have found a place to start.

Either is enough.