Michael Hackney

I currently have availability and aim to be flexible in order to meet your needs. I offer morning, afternoon and weekend appointments. All sessions are delivered online.

At the heart of my approach is the belief that the relationship between counsellor and client is fundamental to meaningful therapeutic work. I aim to provide a compassionate, authentic and non-judgemental environment where you feel able to speak openly and explore what matters to you.

As an integrative counsellor, I work from a person-centred foundation while drawing upon psychodynamic, attachment, cognitive behavioural, compassion-focused and systemic perspectives. Rather than applying a fixed approach, I adapt my work to your individual circumstances, needs and preferences.

An important part of my work involves exploring how earlier experiences and relationships may influence present-day thoughts, emotions and behaviours. Beliefs formed in childhood or through significant relationships can continue to shape our sense of identity, expectations of others and ways of coping. Exploring these connections can help us recognise patterns that were previously hard to understand.

I also recognise that distress does not exist independently of our circumstances: family, social expectations, finances and life events all influence our wellbeing.

I do not see counselling as simply applying techniques or finding solutions. Feeling genuinely heard, understood and accepted provides the foundation for change. Our work will be collaborative and guided by your readiness: sometimes exploring difficult emotions or challenging longstanding beliefs, at other times reflecting, processing an experience or expressing something previously left unspoken.

My decision to become a counsellor has been shaped by professional interests and my own lived experience. I recognise, though, that my experiences are not yours, and I approach each person with curiosity, humility and a willingness to understand their world from their own perspective.

Life rarely unfolds exactly as we imagine it will. Sometimes the difficulties we face are obvious: the loss of someone important, the breakdown of a relationship, financial pressures or a significant change in circumstances. At other times our struggles are less visible. We may appear to be managing everyday life while privately experiencing anxiety, self-doubt, loneliness or a growing sense that something is not quite right.

We are rarely given the chance to deal with one difficulty before another arrives, and we keep going without considering the emotional impact of everything we are carrying. Over time this can shape how we see ourselves, how we relate to others and what we believe about our own worth. Ways of coping that once helped us can later leave us feeling restricted, disconnected or misunderstood.

Counselling offers a space in which you do not have to have everything figured out, explain away your feelings or pretend that life is easier than it is.

Before my clinical training I gained professional experience supporting people affected by homelessness, mental health difficulties and substance use. This shaped my understanding of psychological distress and the importance of recognising each person's wider circumstances. I went on to complete a BSc with First Class Honours in Psychology and Counselling and a Postgraduate Diploma in Psychotherapeutic Counselling. I am a member of the BACP and my practice is guided by its Ethical Framework for the Counselling Professions. Alongside my private practice, I volunteer as a counsellor with Aura, a counselling charity in Congleton.

Whatever brings you here, we can begin by exploring what matters to you and what you hope to gain. My intention is not to tell you who you should become, but to support you in developing greater self-awareness, self-compassion and a way of living that feels more authentic and meaningful to you.