Michael Golding

I believe we each have within us all of the resources we need to flourish. However, for many of us our experiences through childhood and beyond have created barriers which have stifled these natural abilities. For some of us learned or adapted behaviours that were needed for survival no longer serve us well. For others, flawed interactions with those around us prevented us from fully developing our own abilities to think, feel or act in the present. 

This can lead us to feel anxious or uncertain in ways that can be crippling, while others are left feeling anger or sadness that can be overwhelming. Such emotions can have a continuously negative impact on our personal and professional relationships, severely limiting the possibility of gaining any satisfaction in either arena. We all find ways to cope but in time these can become part of the barrier that prevents us fully engaging with life in the way that we wish.

I can help you unravel your past experiences to reduce their power to overwhelm. I can support you as you explore your present experiences and discover more satisfactory ways of engaging with your world and the people in it.

There are occasions when clients feel they will be better able to make a connection with a counsellor who has had some direct experience of the issues that are concerning them. For this reason I offer specialist services to people who have been affected by the experiences described below.

- Boarding School Survivors

- Military Personnel and their Families

- Clinical Professionals

I offer a customised programme for anyone wishing to explore their experiences of these particular situations and how they might be continuing to impact upon their lives. 

I am able to offer face to face sessions from my counselling room in Burnham on Crouch. Alternatively, we can meet by video or by telephone. Both face to face and online working are now regarded as being equally helpful ways of working.  Each has its own advantages and it can be helpful to take time to explore what these might be and then work out what is the best fit. 

For all new clients I offer an Introductory Session. This is an opportunity for me to explain how I work and for you to talk about what is happening for you. If you then wish to continue we can book another session. There is no charge for this. 

I regard supervision as a discipline in its own right which requires a different set of skills and competencies to therapy.

I believe in a model for supervision that is both collaborative and consultative. I recognise the autonomy of the trained professional and see my role as providing an opportunity for the supervisee to expand their understanding of their practice and the impact they have upon the people they work with.

I am committed to the person centred approach, however I feel able to support supervisees working within a range of professional disciplines as our main focus is the supervisee’s relationship with their client which exists outside of any particular modality.

I am willing to work with trainee therapists depending upon their stage of development and the requirements of their training organisation.

The primary task is to establish a relationship of trust so supervisees feel they can talk freely and safely about any aspect of their work without fear of judgement. Through a preliminary conversation we can check out whether there is the basis for establishing this form of equal relationship based upon mutual respect. This is something that would be revisited regularly throughout the supervisory contract.

I am able to offer face to face sessions from my counselling room in Burnham on Crouch. Alternatively, we can meet by video or by telephone. Both face to face and online working are now regarded as being equally helpful ways of working. Each has its own advantages and it can be helpful to take time to explore what these might be and then work out what is the best fit.