Michael Wilkes-Spellman, NCPS

Michael Wilkes-Spellman is a counsellor with 13 years' experience who supports people facing midlife concerns and other significant life changes. He is an accredited member of the National Counselling Society (NCPS) and offers weekday evening appointments to fit around busy schedules. Michael works part time and tailors his approach to each person's situation. He draws mainly on person-centred methods and cognitive behavioural ideas. That means he listens closely to each person's experience, helps them make sense of distress, and looks at unhelpful thinking or behaviour patterns that can be changed. He also uses mindfulness and motivational interviewing techniques when these suit a person's goals. Sessions are grounded and conversational. People can expect clear practical steps alongside space to talk about feelings and relationships. Michael pays attention to how past experiences affect present choices, and he helps people set manageable goals for change. He has supported adults through stress, anxiety, grief, career uncertainty, relationship and intimacy issues, and the challenges that come with ageing. His work includes helping people cope with trauma, caregiver strain, and complex personal histories such as adoption and abandonment. Michael works with clients in the United Kingdom and provides therapy in English. He combines short-term tools with longer-term reflection so people can build skills and notice real shifts over time.

How Michael's approach adapts to online work

Michael combines person-centred counselling with cognitive behavioural techniques and mindfulness practices. Person-centred counselling focuses on listening closely to a person's experience and helping them find their own answers, which can be helpful for feelings around midlife change and relationship strains. Cognitive behavioural techniques look at thinking and behaviour patterns and introduce practical strategies to reduce anxiety or low mood. Mindfulness teaches simple attention skills to reduce stress and improve emotional regulation. Choosing the right approach is a collaborative process. Michael will talk with a person about their needs, goals and preferences and together decide which methods to try first. He reviews progress as therapy continues and adapts the mix of approaches to what is proving useful. The practical benefits of online therapy include easier fitting of sessions into a busy week and less travel time, which can make attending evening appointments simpler. Online work can also allow for shorter check-ins when schedules are tight or options without video when bandwidth is limited; please confirm which session types the therapist currently offers before booking. Registered or accredited professionals can use these methods effectively at a distance, and the focus remains on helping people make steady, manageable changes in everyday life.