Michelle Courtney

Online therapy available via secure video (zoom/Teams) with telephone sessions where preferred. Flexible appointments available. 

I am an integrative psychotherapist with over 30 years experience supporting adults and young people, through anxiety, stress, trauma, emotional overwhelm, relationship difficulties, life transitions, and the lasting impact of traumatic experiences.

My approach is warm, collaborative, and grounded in both extensive clinical practice and current neuro-psychology science. Alongside my psychotherapy training, I hold postgraduate training in Psychology and Neuroscience for Mental Health (Kings College London) which informs my understanding of trauma, nervous system responses, emotional regulation, and neurodiversity. 

I work integratively, meaning therapy is tailored to you, rather than applying a single model, or one-size-fits-all approach. Many of the people I work with are managing high levels of responsibility while privately feeling  anxious, stuck, depleted, disconnected and emotionally exhausted. Others come because earlier experiences continue to shape how they relate to themselves, others, or the world around them. 

Alongside reflective talking therapy, I incorporate practical approaches that help you better understand patterns in your thoughts, emotions, nervous system responses and relationships.Where appropriate this may include trauma-informed, somatic, mindfulness-based, and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) informed approaches.

I have worked internationally across therapeutic, educational, and organisational settings, supporting people from a wide range of cultural and professional backgrounds.

Whether you are seeking focused short-term support around a specific challenge or longer-term psychotherapy for deeper change, therapy can offer a space to make sense of what's happening, understand your patterns, and develop greater clarity, steadiness, and self-understanding.

Many people seek therapy when life starts to feel harder to manage than it appears from the outside. You may be feeling anxious, emotionally overwhelmed, stuck in repeated patterns, navigating relationship difficulties, workplace stress, loss, burnout, trauma, or managing the lasting impact of childhood experiences earlier in life. 

My work combines relfective psychotherapy with practical support to help you better understand what is happening internally and develop healthier ways of responding to the pressures and challenges in your life.

As an integrative pscychotherapist with postgraduate training in psychology and neuroscience for mental health, I work with both emotional experience and the nervous system responses that can shape how you think, feel, and relate to others.

Online therapy offers flexibility, accessibility, and continuity, allowing you to engage in therapeutic work from the privacy of your own space. Sessions are collaborative and personalised to your needs, whether you are looking for focused short-term support or longer-term psychotherapy.

Alongside talking therapy, I may draw on trauma-informed, somatic, mindfulness-based and ACT-informed approaches where appropriate, always adapting the work to your circumstances and goals.

My aim is to help you build greater self-understanding and practical capacity to navigate life with greater clarity, confidence, and emotional steadiness. 

Qualifications:

PG Dip Psychology & Neuroscience for Mental Health, Kings College, London

Diploma in Counselling & Psychotherapy

M.Sc. Social Science Research Methods

MBA (Distinction) 

PGCE 

 BA (Hons)  

Clinical Psychotherapy Supervision Certificate

Memberships:

BACP Registered Member│Applied Neuroscience Association (ANA)│Polyvagal Institute

The first session is an opportunity for us to understand what has brought you to therapy, what you would like support with, and whether working together feels like the right fit.

Some clients arrive with a very clear focus, while others simply know that something feels difficult, hard to manage, or overwhelming. Depending on your circumstance and whether  short-term focused support or long-term psychotherapy feels more appropriate,  I may invite you to complete a brief wellbeing or background questionnaire before we meet. This is not a diagnostic assessment, but a helpful way of understanding relevant history, current pressures, and the areas you would like support with. It is voluntary and not a requirement to work with me. 

During our first session, we will begin exploring your current concenrs, relavant life experiences, patterns you may be noticing, and a brief overview of what you would hope to gain from therapy. I will also explain how I work and answer any questions you may have. 

Some people seek focused short-term support around a specific issue, while others want to look deeper into longer held issues. Together, we can consider what would be most helpful for your cirucmstances.

My approach to our first session, is thoughtful, and designed to help you feel at ease. Where appropriate, we will also discuss practical aspects of working together, including how sessions are structured, confidentiality and what feels like the most helpful next step for your circumstances.