Michael McGovern

I currently have availability for new clients.

I offer online sessions Tuesdays to Saturdays, and most evenings to accommodate busier schedules. I have some availability over the weekends. I offer long or short-term counselling.

I look forward to the possibility of meeting you.

With kindness, Mike

Hello, I’m Michael McGovern, a BACP-registered counsellor offering online counselling for people in London and across the UK.

I work mainly with autistic, ADHD, and neurodivergent adults, and I’m particularly drawn to working with people who identify as men. Many clients come to therapy feeling worn down, overstimulated, or find themselves carrying a lot without having much space to talk about it.

My approach to counselling is warm, collaborative, and grounded. I aim to create a space where you can slow things down, think out loud, and be met as a whole person, not a problem to be fixed. We work flexibly, focusing on what feels most useful and relevant for you.

I often support people who are questioning neurodivergence later in life or adjusting to a late diagnosis of autism or ADHD. This can bring clarity, relief, grief, anger, or confusion, and therapy can help make sense of it all in a supportive way.

I’m explicit about and transparent in my thoughts when we work; I don’t keep things from you.

You can read more about my background and how I work here:

https://www.keystone-counselling-edinburgh.com/#AboutMe

https://www.spacefortherapy.co.uk/?cat=7

Neurodivergence, Men, and Making Sense of Things

My online counselling practice supports autistic, ADHD, and neurodivergent adults living in London, as well as people who identify as men and want a space where they don’t have to hold everything together.

Many clients I work with experience overwhelm, burnout, anxiety, shutdown, or long-standing self-criticism. Living in a busy, demanding city can intensify this, especially for neurodivergent people.

Our work might involve:

• Reducing overwhelm and nervous system stress

• Exploring autistic or ADHD traits with compassion

• Processing a late diagnosis or self-identification

• Making sense of emotions without pressure

• Working with shame, anger, or hopelessness

• Improving boundaries and relationships

If it feels right, we may also explore shadow work: parts of you linked to anger, fear, competitiveness, or shame. Rather than pushing these parts away, we get curious about what they’ve been trying to do for you. This often helps people feel less stuck and more accepting of themselves.

For many men, therapy can be one of the few places where vulnerability feels allowed. I aim to make that space feel respectful and real.

You can read more about my background and how I work here:

https://www.keystone-counselling-edinburgh.com/#AboutMe

https://www.spacefortherapy.co.uk/?cat=7

London Online Counselling

I offer a complimentary 20-minute phone or Zoom call, allowing you to ask questions, discuss what’s bringing you to counselling, and get a sense of how it feels to speak with me. There’s no pressure to decide anything straight away.

I encourage prospective clients to speak to many counsellors to see who they ‘vibe’ with.

If we go ahead, I’ll send some simple paperwork before the first session. In that first session, my focus is on helping you feel comfortable and in control. You only share what feels okay for you.

We might talk about what you’re hoping for, what feels hardest right now, or whether you’re processing a late ADHD or autism diagnosis. If it’s useful, we can create some goals and think about how to notice change. If goal-setting doesn’t suit you, we won’t do it.

I’m clear about boundaries and take the responsibility of the counsellor role seriously. If something feels too much, you can say so. We can slow down, pause, or leave things for another time. I think trust grows through giving choice and respect.

I don’t charge a different rate for the first session.

You can read more about my background and how I work here:

https://www.keystone-counselling-edinburgh.com/#AboutMe

https://www.spacefortherapy.co.uk/?cat=7

I offer online sessions Tuesdays to Saturdays, and also most evenings, so it's possible we can meet after work. I have some availability over the weekends. 

I look forward to the possibility of meeting you.

With kindness, Mike

I’m Michael McGovern, a BACP-registered counsellor offering online counselling in Manchester and across the UK.

I work mainly with:

• Autistic adults

• Late diagnosis adults

• ADHD adults

• Neurodivergent clients

• People who identify as men

Many of my clients have felt misunderstood, judged, or told to “just cope better.” Therapy with me is collaborative, steady, and real. I bring myself as a fallible but self-aware (mainly) person with good boundaries.

I don’t follow one rigid method. We focus on what’s useful for you. You know your life. I bring structure, honesty, and clear boundaries so the space feels safe.

I support people with anxiety, low mood, trauma, overwhelm, shame, anger, relationship stress, and times when life feels stuck.

Male suicide rates in the UK remain significantly higher than female. I take men’s mental health seriously and aim to create a space where you don’t have to pretend you’re fine.

You can read more about my background and how I work here:

https://www.keystone-counselling-edinburgh.com/#AboutMe

https://www.spacefortherapy.co.uk/?cat=7

________________________________________

2. Practice Description – Neurodivergence & Men

My online counselling practice supports autistic, ADHD, and neurodivergent adults in Manchester and beyond.

Many clients experience:

• Overwhelm or shutdown

• Constant self-criticism

• Burnout

• Difficulty expressing emotions

• Feeling “too much” or “not enough”

We work at a manageable pace.

We focus on:

• Nervous system regulation

• Clearer emotional language

• Boundaries and communication

• Reducing shame

• Building self-compassion

If you want, we can also explore shadow work:

anger, fear, hopelessness, competitiveness, or shame. Instead of pushing these parts away, we look at what they’re trying to protect. And how they serve you. Because they do, else they wouldn’t be there!

Understanding them often reduces their intensity and builds self-kindness.

For many men, this work can feel unfamiliar at first. Social expectations can make vulnerability difficult. Therapy offers space to drop the mask.

I usually work in blocks of six sessions, with reviews. Short- or long-term. Online. Flexible availability.

You can read more about my background and how I work here:

https://www.keystone-counselling-edinburgh.com/#AboutMe

https://www.spacefortherapy.co.uk/?cat=7

________________________________________

3. First Session Details – Manchester Online Counselling

I offer a free 20-minute Zoom or phone call. No pressure — just a chance to see if we’re a good fit.

If we go ahead, I’ll send simple paperwork before we start.

In the first session:

• You set the pace

• You share only what feels safe

• We begin to understand what’s going on for you

If it helps, we can set goals and consider how to measure progress. If goal-setting doesn’t suit you, we won’t do it.

I explain in a practical way what I do and why. If something feels uncomfortable, you can say so. We slow down. We pause.

Or we approach it later when you feel safer.

Trust is built through choice and empowerment.

I don’t charge a different rate for the first session.

You can read more about my background and how I work here:

https://www.keystone-counselling-edinburgh.com/#AboutMe

https://www.spacefortherapy.co.uk/?cat=7

I currently have availability for new clients.

I offer online sessions Tuesdays to Saturdays, and most evenings to accommodate busier schedules. I have some availability over the weekends. I offer long or short-term counselling.

I look forward to the possibility of meeting you.

With kindness, Mike

Hello, I’m Michael McGovern, a BACP-registered counsellor offering online counselling for people in Bristol and across the UK.

I mainly work with autistic, ADHD, and neurodivergent adults, and I’m particularly drawn to working with people who identify as men. Many of my clients come to therapy feeling misunderstood, overwhelmed, or wondering whether a late diagnosis of ADHD or autism might help explain their life experience.

I aim to offer a counselling space that feels warm, respectful, and human — somewhere you don’t have to mask or perform. I work collaboratively and flexibly, focusing on what feels most useful for you rather than following a rigid model.

I regularly support clients who have received a late autism or ADHD diagnosis, as well as those who are questioning whether they might be neurodivergent. Making sense of this later in life can bring relief, grief, anger, or confusion — often all at once. Therapy can be a space to process that safely.

You can read more about my background and how I work here:

https://www.keystone-counselling-edinburgh.com/#AboutMe

https://www.spacefortherapy.co.uk/?cat=7

 Neurodivergence, Men, and Late Diagnosis

My online counselling practice supports autistic, ADHD, and neurodivergent adults in Bristol and beyond, including many who have received a late diagnosis.

A late diagnosis of autism or ADHD can be life-changing. For some, it brings clarity and validation. For others, it can open up questions about identity, missed support, burnout, relationships, or years of self-criticism.

We might work on:

• Processing a late ADHD or autism diagnosis

• Exploring traits and life patterns with compassion

• Reducing overwhelm and burnout

• Nervous system regulation

• Boundaries and communication

• Softening shame and harsh self-talk

If it feels helpful, we can also explore shadow work, looking at parts linked to anger, shame, fear, hopelessness, or competitiveness. Rather than seeing these parts as problems, we get curious about how they developed and what they’ve been trying to protect. We don’t try to get rid of these parts; we want to see what they are offering. This often builds self-understanding and self-kindness.

For many men, especially those diagnosed later in life, there can also be added layers of isolation or pressure to “just cope”. Therapy offers space to unpack that without judgment.

You can read more about my background and how I work here:

https://www.keystone-counselling-edinburgh.com/#AboutMe

https://www.spacefortherapy.co.uk/?cat=7

I offer a free 20-minute phone or Zoom call so you can ask questions, talk about what’s bringing you to counselling, and see how it feels to speak together. There’s no pressure, just a space to get to know each other a little bit.

If we continue, I’ll send simple paperwork before the first session. In that first session, the focus is on helping you feel comfortable and in control. You only share what feels safe.

We might explore what you’d like support with, whether you’re processing a late ADHD or autism diagnosis, or whether you’re still questioning. If it feels useful, we can create goals and think about ways of measuring progress. If that doesn’t work for you, we won’t do it.

I’m clear about boundaries and take the responsibility of this role seriously.  If something feels too much, you can say so. We slow down. Or we pause, put a pin in something, and we come back to it later if you choose.

I don’t charge a different rate for the first session.

You can read more about my background and how I work here:

https://www.keystone-counselling-edinburgh.com/#AboutMe

https://www.spacefortherapy.co.uk/?cat=7

I offer sessions Tuesdays to Saturdays, and most evenings, to accommodate busier schedules.  I offer long or short-term counselling.

I look forward to meeting you.

Mike 

Hello, I’m Michael McGovern, a BACP-registered counsellor offering online counselling from Edinburgh to autistic, ADHD, and neurodivergent adults across the UK.

I am particularly drawn to working with neurodivergent clients, including people who identify as autistic or ADHD, as well as trauma survivors and men. I recognise that many neurodivergent adults and men have had difficult or invalidating experiences of mental health support, and I aim to provide a counselling space that feels warm, confidential, inclusive, and respectful.

I work as a pluralistic counsellor, which means our therapy is collaborative and flexible rather than based on one fixed model. We draw on different psychological approaches depending on your needs, preferences, and goals. I see you as the expert in your own life, and my role is to support you with empathy, honesty, and accountability.

I have experience supporting clients with anxiety, depression, trauma, dissociation, grief and bereavement, stress, relationship difficulties, men’s mental health, anger, shame, meaninglessness, and suicidal ideation. I also have a particular interest in self-awareness, emotional regulation, and what is often described as “shadow” work, especially in the context of men’s issues.

Men and neurodivergent individuals are statistically at higher risk of suicidal ideation. A central part of my work is helping people feel safe enough to speak openly, without fear of judgment or minimisation.

________________________________________

My online counselling practice is based in Edinburgh and works with clients throughout the UK. I focus on supporting autistic, ADHD, and neurodivergent adults, as well as men and trauma survivors, in a way that respects individual differences and lived experience.

Many clients come to therapy feeling overwhelmed, anxious, shut down, or unsure how to describe what is happening internally. Neurodivergent clients often experience cognitive overload, nervous system dysregulation, and long-standing patterns of self-criticism or shame.

A key part of my work involves supporting nervous system regulation. This may include working with hyperarousal, such as anxiety, agitation, or racing thoughts, or hypoarousal, such as low mood, numbness, or shutdown. Together, we co-create practical and realistic strategies that help soothe the nervous system and increase a sense of safety and stability.

Common themes explored by autistic and ADHD clients include relationship boundaries, self-soothing, managing critical self-talk, developing a language for internal experience, recognising needs, cultivating self-compassion, and learning how to be more authentically themselves in social or relational settings.

I usually work in blocks of six sessions. At the end of each block, we review how the work has been and decide together whether to continue. I offer both short-term and long-term online counselling, with availability on weekdays, some evenings, and weekends.

I offer a free 20-minute introductory phone or Zoom call. This allows you to ask questions, talk about what is bringing you to online counselling, and get a sense of how I work as a counsellor. It also allows us to explore whether working together feels like a good fit.

If we decide to proceed, I will send you the necessary paperwork to complete before the first counselling session, including information about confidentiality, consent, and practical arrangements.

In the first full session, I place a strong emphasis on helping clients feel empowered in the counselling space. While I am a trained and experienced professional, this space is ultimately yours, and we shape it together in a way that feels most beneficial to you.

This is particularly important when working with autistic, ADHD, and neurodivergent clients. I am often quite explicit in inviting you to reflect on what you would like from therapy and what might make your life feel more manageable or meaningful. Sometimes clients are clear about this, and sometimes they are not, and not knowing is a valid and important part of the therapeutic process.

I hold a loose scaffolding for the first session. This usually includes beginning to develop some initial aims, getting to know you a little, and learning about relevant personal history, current supports, and challenges. The session is also a chance for you to get to know me, experience how I work, and begin to settle into the counselling space.

I do not charge a different rate for the first session. My priority is your emotional safety and ensuring that you feel informed, respected, and able to make a grounded decision about whether to continue with further online counselling.

I look forward to possibly working with you,

Mike

I offer online sessions Tuesdays to Saturdays, and most evenings to accommodate busier schedules. I have some availability over the weekends. I offer long or short-term counselling.

I look forward to the possibility of meeting you.

With kindness, Mike

Hello, I’m Michael McGovern, a BACP-registered counsellor offering online counselling for people in Glasgow and across the UK. I work mainly with autistic, ADHD, and neurodivergent adults, and I’m also particularly drawn to working with people who identify as men.

Many of the people I work with have felt misunderstood, oversimplified, or silently judged in previous support settings. I aim to offer a counselling space that feels warm, confidential, and genuinely respectful of who you are, rather than who you’re supposed to be.

I work in a pluralistic way, which means we’re not locked into one method. We work collaboratively, drawing on different psychological approaches depending on what feels useful for you. You are the expert on your own life; my role is to walk alongside you with curiosity, honesty, and clear boundaries.

I support clients with anxiety, depression, trauma, dissociation, stress, grief, relationship difficulties, anger, shame, meaninglessness, and suicidal thoughts. I’m particularly interested in self-awareness and emotional regulation, and in helping people understand their inner world without judging it.

Men and neurodivergent people are statistically at much higher risk of suicide in the UK. I take this seriously, and I aim to create a space where difficult things can be spoken about openly, without minimising, fixing, or rushing.

You can read more about my background and how I work here:

https://www.keystone-counselling-edinburgh.com/#AboutMe

Neurodivergence, Men, and Emotional Honesty

My online counselling practice supports autistic, ADHD, and neurodivergent adults in Glasgow and beyond. I also work a lot with men who have learned, often very early on, that talking about what’s going on inside can feel risky or “not allowed”.

I’m interested in how nervous systems respond to pressure, overwhelm, shame, and expectation. Many clients experience anxiety, shutdown, emotional numbness, or long-standing self-criticism. Together, we look at ways to increase safety, stability, and choice gently.

Some of the ways we might work include:

• Going at a pace that feels manageable, not overwhelming

• Making space for pauses, uncertainty, and thinking things through

• Supporting nervous system regulation (anxiety, agitation, shutdown)

• Working with cognitive overload and energy limits

• Developing a clearer language for internal experience

• Exploring boundaries and relationships

• Softening critical self-talk and building self-compassion

If it feels right, we may also explore shadow work. This can include parts of you connected to anger, shame, fear, hopelessness, or competitiveness. Rather than trying to remove these parts, we look at what they may have been trying to do for you, how they developed, and whether they still need to work so hard. This process can be empowering and often helps generate greater ‘user-friendly’ self-kindness.

For many men, this kind of work can feel unfamiliar at first. Social expectations around masculinity can make vulnerability feel unsafe, which can lead to isolation and shame. Therapy offers a space to question those assumptions and explore other ways of relating to yourself.

You can read more about my background and how I work here:

https://www.keystone-counselling-edinburgh.com/#AboutMe

 Glasgow Online Counselling

I offer a free 20-minute phone or Zoom call so you can ask questions, tell me a bit about what’s bringing you to counselling, and get a sense of how I work. It’s also a chance for both of us to see whether working together feels right.

If we go ahead, I’ll send you some simple paperwork to complete before the first session, covering confidentiality and practical details.

In the first session, I place a strong emphasis on empowerment. While I’m a trained professional, this space is yours. You don’t have to perform, explain everything perfectly, or go anywhere you’re not ready to go. Sometimes, how the mind processes is not rational or logical. In my opinion, we are sometimes irrational beings.

And this is fine!

With many autistic and ADHD clients, I’m quite explicit about choice. We might begin by exploring what you’d like from counselling, what would make life feel more manageable, or what feels most pressing right now. If it feels helpful, we can also create goals together and think about ways of noticing progress. If goal-setting doesn’t work for you, we won’t do it.

I hold a loose structure for the first session: getting to know you, your current situation, your supports, and what’s been difficult, while also giving you space to get to know me and see how the counselling relationship feels.

I’m clear about boundaries and the power that comes with the counsellor role, and I take that responsibility seriously. If I ask something that feels too uncomfortable, you’re always free to say you’d rather not talk about it. We can pause, put a pin in it, and leave it for you to raise later, or not at all. That’s how trust develops.

I don’t charge a different rate for the first session. My priority is that you feel safe, respected, and able to decide whether you want to continue.

You can read more about my background and how I work here:

https://www.keystone-counselling-edinburgh.com/#AboutMe