Michelle Dunne, BACP

Michelle Dunne offers a person-centred approach that puts the client at the heart of therapy. She is a BACP registered member and aims to create a warm, non-judgemental space where people can talk through difficult feelings. Michelle emphasises empathy, listening, and working at each person’s pace to find what helps them move forward.

Michelle has three years' experience supporting people with stress and anxiety, depression, grief and loss, and family concerns. She also helps with issues such as addiction, intimacy-related problems, eating and sleeping difficulties, parenting strain and career questions. Her additional focus includes attachment and abandonment issues, body image, caregiver stress, chronic illness, communication problems, and midlife concerns.

Her background includes work with people in crisis and with traumatic bereavement. Michelle describes grief and loss as a core interest and is comfortable offering time and space for people to grieve. She is a late-diagnosed autistic woman and is experienced working with neurodivergent people and diverse lifestyles, including same-sex relationships and step-parenting situations.

Michelle trained in counselling with a CPCAB Level 5 Diploma in Psychotherapeutic Counselling and holds a Bachelor of Education (Honours) and a Diploma in Counselling. She also has training in Motivational Interviewing and related certificates in safeguarding and suicide awareness. She carries public liability insurance and follows the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy ethical framework as a Registered Member of the BACP.

Outside work she enjoys walking, travelling and time with her three dogs. Michelle approaches therapy practically and with compassion, aiming to help people feel heard, understood and able to make changes in their lives.

Approaches that guide online counselling

Michelle works from a person-centred framework that focuses on listening, warmth and acceptance. This approach helps people notice their own thoughts and feelings, build self-understanding, and find personal ways to cope with things like anxiety, grief or relationship strain.

She also uses Motivational Interviewing, a conversational style that supports change by exploring a person's motivation and confidence. This method can be useful for tackling behaviours such as addictions, procrastination or other issues where someone wants to make a shift but feels unsure how to begin.

Finding the right approach is part of the work together. Michelle will talk with each person about their needs, goals and preferences and adapt the way she works to suit them. Decisions about pace, focus and methods are taken collaboratively so the plan feels manageable and relevant.

Online therapy offers practical flexibility. Video calls allow face-to-face connection without travel, phone sessions can be shorter check-ins or suit lower bandwidth, and live chat or text messaging lets people keep in touch between sessions or express themselves in writing. These options make it easier to fit therapy around work, caring roles or varying energy levels while still getting regular support from a registered professional.