Michelle Russell

Michelle Russell is approaching completion of her level 5 diploma in Integrative Counselling. She is a registered student with the BACP and adheres to the ethical framework and professional standards. Michelle is working within The Awareness Centres low cost counselling service in Clapham. 

Michelle believes that the therapeutic relationship is key in creating a conducive environment for allowing the client to move forward and grow. Michelle offers an accepting, warm, empathic, non-judgemental and supportive place for clients to explore their thoughts and feelings where they can feel safe and comfortable to be vulnerable to talk openly and confidentially in the therapeutic space. Michelle believes this is achieved when the client feels seen, heard, valued and understood. She employs an Integrative approach which combines different modalities that can be tailored to the individual clients needs and circumstances, which includes psychodynamic, which looks at how past experiences and events influence your present life, as well as examining any unhelpful patterns which you may be repeating in your life, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) which looks at how the way you think affects your emotions and behaviour and can offer you coping strategies to move forward in your life and person-centred where working together collaboratively by supporting the client in developing self-awareness, resilience and personal growth by employing their own agency.

Michelle’s background as a qualified nurse has provided her with invaluable experience in working with individuals facing both physical and emotional challenges and life changes. In nursing Michelle was taught that pain is “what the client says it is, and exists whenever the client says it does.”

Michelle has previously worked with clients experiencing depression, anxiety, anger issues, low self-worth, low self-esteem, insecurity, relationship issues, life transitions, bereavement, spirituality, unresolved childhood trauma.