Michael Board

I am  available  for appointments between the hours of 9am and 8pm generally speaking. I work in a building used by other therapists that is operated by a mental health charity. This means there is sometimes competition for spaces at popular times. However once a routine is established it is possible to prebook well in advance and there are plenty of rooms so generally, all preferred times can be accommodated.

Holidays can be managed in this manner also. If I am away it is sometimes possible to work online if clients wish to continue.

I have qualifications in Person Centred Counselling (Diploma) and Existential/Phenomenological Psychotherapy. (Masters degree)

I have a great deal of experience over the years working in both. the private and the voluntary sector. I have worked with clients ranging from 18 to 80 years old. The minimum age I work with is 18.

I have worked with, and continue to work with, clients from different backgrounds, presenting with issues like depression, anxiety, anger, relationship problems, family or parenting difficulties, sexual issues, work stresses , self esteem issues and so on. 

The Person Centred approach to counselling acknowledges each person as an individual. A client can expect to be treated with the utmost care and respect for their unique experience in a safe , non judgemental and confidential environment. 

The existential approach is in sympathy with this while also acknowledging the broader philosophical aspects of living. For example, negotiating significant changes in life such as relationship breakdown or losing ones job, are often by their nature, accompanied by emotional turmoil.

I start by trying to get a sense of what is going on in a person's life in a broader context. What is bringing them to seek help from counselling at this point in their lives. The presenting symptom is often a symptom of something else that's going on in a person's life as a whole.

My aim is to help clients find their voice via therapy, build self confidence and resilience, develop coping skills, and rediscover their equilibrium.

I will usually have spoken to a prospective new client over the telephone before the first session and begun to make an  assessment. I will have an idea of what they are looking for help with from therapy and a few basic facts about their life. This information represents the beginning of telling their story in therapy, which will be elaborated at greater depth via therapy.

Our first face to face meeting will be the opportunity for a new client to speak openly about themselves.  Opening up in this way, might be a novel experience for some. As things progress however, they will begin to get a sense of how the process works and become more comfortable with it. Being listened to and feeling heard an understood, can be a powerful and revealing tool for greater self understanding and awareness.

I will provide a copy of my basic therapeutic contract to  the client at the outset, for information around protocols of therapy, such as attendance, payment, confidential boundaries, data protection and so on. This helps to create an environment of openness, trust and transparency.

Much research points to the therapeutic relationship as an important factor in promoting a positive outcome from therapy. It is therefore important to work with a therapist you feel comfortable with.