Michelle Freeman, BACP

Michelle Freeman is an integrative psychotherapist with 13 years of clinical experience who combines a range of therapeutic methods to meet each client’s needs. She works as a hypnotherapist and an EMDR practitioner and draws on person-centred, cognitive behavioural, psychodynamic and solution-focused approaches, alongside mindfulness practices, to support people through difficult life experiences. Michelle’s practice has a particular focus on trauma and PTSD, including responses such as flashbacks, nightmares and dissociation, and she has substantial experience working with domestic abuse and childhood trauma. She works with adults, young people and couples, tailoring the length and style of therapy to what the person needs at the time.

Clients seek Michelle’s help for a wide range of concerns including anxiety, stress, anger, eating and sleep problems, relationship and intimacy-related difficulties, low self-esteem, phobias, work-related issues and coping with life changes or chronic illness. She also offers support around attachment and abandonment issues, ADHD, body image, caregiver stress and other complex presentations. As a practitioner of hypnotherapy and EMDR, she can offer alternatives to talking therapy when appropriate, and she uses creative exploration to suit each individual’s communication style.

Michelle is a member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP), the professional body that represents counsellors and psychotherapists in the UK. Her approach emphasises a genuine, non-judgemental therapeutic relationship, working in partnership with clients to build understanding, insight and practical coping strategies. If therapy feels like the next step, she offers an initial consultation to explore goals and suitability.

Therapeutic approaches and online care

Michelle uses several well-established methods to support recovery and personal growth. EMDR is a trauma-focused approach that helps people process distressing memories and reduce the intensity of symptoms such as intrusive images and nightmares. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, or CBT, focuses on identifying and changing unhelpful thoughts and behaviours to reduce anxiety, improve mood and develop practical coping skills. Client-centred therapy emphasises a warm, non-directive relationship in which the therapist reflects and supports the client’s own capacity for insight and change; this approach is helpful for building self-esteem and working through relational issues.

Finding the right therapeutic approach is part of the clinical process. Michelle collaborates with each person to assess needs, preferences and goals, and she adapts methods over time so the work remains relevant and effective. This collaborative stance helps clients feel involved in decisions about their care.

Online therapy offers flexible ways to engage with treatment. Video calls and phone sessions provide real-time conversation similar to face-to-face work, while live chat and text-based messaging can suit people who prefer written communication or need shorter, more frequent check-ins. These options make therapy more accessible for people with busy schedules, mobility limitations or those living far from local services, while still allowing licensed professionals and therapists to deliver structured, goal-oriented care.