Michael Jukes

I have availability for new clients currently! 

I am a qualified person-centred counsellor, and I continue to engage in ongoing training and CPD, with a developing interest in addiction and trauma work amongst other subjects.

My approach is relational, reflective, and collaborative. I place importance on really listening to what is being said, and also noticing the patterns, themes, and connections that emerge over time. Often, clients will bring different experiences or feelings that can seem disconnected at first, and part of the work is gently exploring how these threads may link together.

While I offer a supportive and accepting space, I may also gently challenge where it feels helpful. This can include highlighting contradictions, exploring incongruence, or asking more difficult questions when something feels stuck or unclear. I aim for this to feel thoughtful rather than confrontational, always guided by what feels safe and useful for the client.

Alongside this, I may offer relevant psychoeducation where it feels appropriate, helping to give language or context to experiences when that supports understanding.

Sessions are 50 minutes and usually take place weekly, though bi-weekly work can also be appropriate depending on need. Therapy may be short or long term, and we can decide together what feels most helpful.

Clients often describe me as warm, relatable, and “not what they expected from a therapist,” while still appreciating the clarity of the therapeutic relationship. I work in a way that is genuine — I’m not a blank screen, and I value being able to have a bit of craic with clients, its important for us to feel connected on a human level as well . It’s always in service of the work, and always respectful of the space. For some clients this helps create ease and safety, and for others a more reflective pace is preferred.

A key part of my work is helping clients notice and understand patterns in how they think, feel, and relate to others, and how these evolve over time in the therapeutic space.

I offer counselling for anxiety, depression, burnout, low self-esteem, relationship difficulties, and feeling stuck or overwhelmed.

Many clients come to therapy feeling that life is difficult to manage or that they are carrying things alone. Others may feel disconnected, unsure of themselves, or caught in repeating patterns they would like to understand and change.

In our work together, I offer a calm, grounded and relational space where you can speak openly and at your own pace. I aim to provide an environment where you do not need to perform, mask, or have everything figured out.

As someone who is neurodiverse myself, I bring lived experience of feeling out of step with expectations or ways of thinking and being. This often helps clients feel understood and met with genuine empathy, particularly those who experience overwhelm, anxiety, or differences in how they process and experience the world.

A key part of the work is also exploring coping strategies together — understanding what you currently rely on, what may no longer be helping, and developing approaches that actually fit *you* as an individual. Rather than imposing techniques, we look at what feels sustainable, realistic, and supportive in your everyday life.

Over time, clients often find that while difficulties may still exist, their relationship to them changes. Things may feel less overwhelming, more manageable, and less emotionally consuming. Many also notice increased self-awareness, self-worth, and confidence, alongside a stronger sense of personal agency and clearer understanding of their needs and boundaries.

Therapy is a space where we can gently explore these shifts together, at a pace that feels safe and sustainable.

Our first session is an opportunity to begin getting a sense of what brings you to therapy and what you are hoping for from the process. You are welcome to share as much or as little as feels comfortable.

There is no formal assessment, though I may ask questions to help understand your current situation, background, and what feels most present for you. Often this session begins the process of building a broader picture of your experiences, which naturally develops over time in therapy.

Confidentiality, boundaries, and the therapeutic agreement are briefly discussed early on and then outlined more clearly within the counselling contract.

The first session is also a chance for you to get a sense of how it feels to work together, and whether the space feels right for you. Therapy is a relationship, and it is important that it feels like a good fit on both sides.

Sessions are 50 minutes. I offer both in-person sessions (based off Otley Road, Leeds) and online sessions via Google Meet.