Michael Purvis

• Stress and anxiety
• Relationship issues
• Goal-focused coaching

About Michael

Michael Purvis works with stress, anxiety, relationship strain, low self-esteem and low mood using counselling and coaching approaches. He combines talking therapy with goal-focused work to help people handle upsetting thoughts, repetitive behaviours and life changes. Michael is a member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) and has three years' experience in practice.

He offers a practical, person-centred way of working. Sessions usually involve talking through recent events and patterns from everyday life. He uses techniques that help people notice unhelpful thoughts, try different behaviours and set realistic targets for change.

Michael draws on a mix of therapeutic approaches, including cognitive behavioural ideas, acceptance and commitment principles and attachment-informed work. This gives him ways to address both current problems and longer-standing relationship patterns. He also uses existential and narrative approaches when exploring meaning and identity concerns.

People come to him for a wide range of issues. These include obsessive-compulsive tendencies, panic attacks, phobias, anger, burnout and the emotional impact of retirement, redundancy or long-term illness. He also supports those coping with adoption and foster care histories, attachment concerns, addiction, eating-related problems and feelings of emptiness.

Practical coaching-style work is available for goals such as career direction, wellbeing, relationships and work-life balance. Sessions aim to be straightforward and focused, helping people make changes they can sustain in daily life.

How therapeutic approaches are used in online sessions

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) focuses on noticing difficult thoughts and feelings without getting stuck in them, and then taking action that reflects your values; it can help with anxiety, stress and feeling stuck. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) looks at links between thoughts, feelings and behaviours and offers practical exercises to reduce symptoms such as panic, phobias or low mood. Attachment-Based Therapy pays attention to how early relationships affect current ways of relating and can be useful for communication problems and repeated relationship patterns.

Choosing the right approach is part of the work. The counsellor will discuss what feels most helpful and adapt methods according to your goals, preferences and the issues you bring. That decision is made together, and it may change as you progress.

Confirm the session formats available before booking as they are not specified in the biography. Online sessions can make it easier to fit counselling around work, childcare and travel commitments. They can also allow shorter check-ins that suit a busy day, or sessions without video if that reduces bandwidth or screen fatigue. Registered or accredited professionals can work effectively by focusing on clear goals, practical exercises and regular review of progress.

Topics Michael lists

• Stress and anxiety
• Relationship issues
• Self-esteem
• Depression
• Coaching
• Abandonment
• Adoption and foster care
• Aging and geriatric issues
• Attachment issues
• Autism and Asperger Syndrome
• Blended family issues
• Codependency
• Commitment issues
• Communication problems
• Control issues
• Coping with natural or human-caused disaster
• Divorce and separation
• Drug and alcohol addiction
• Eating and food-related issues
• Emptiness
• Family problems
• Fatherhood issues
• Forgiveness
• Guilt and shame
• Hoarding
• Impulsivity
• Isolation and loneliness
• Jealousy
• Life purpose
• Men's issues
• Midlife crisis
• Money and financial issues
• Mood disorders
• Narcissism
• Obsessions, compulsions, and OCD
• Panic disorder and panic attacks
• Paranoia
• Phobias
• Post-traumatic stress
• Prejudice and discrimination
• Process addictions
• Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
• Self-love
• Sex addiction
• Social anxiety and phobia
• Workplace issues

Ways of working

• Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
• Attachment-Based Therapy
• Client-Centred Therapy
• Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
• Existential Therapy
• Narrative Therapy
• Psychodynamic Therapy
• Solution-Focused Therapy
• Trauma-Focused Therapy

Questions about Michael

Does he work with anxiety?

Yes. He works with a range of anxiety-related concerns including panic attacks, phobias and obsessive-compulsive tendencies.

What kind of counselling does he offer?

He uses a person-centred style with techniques from cognitive behavioural therapy, acceptance and commitment therapy, attachment-based, existential and narrative approaches.

How much experience does he have?

He has three years' experience practising as a counsellor and coach.

What are his credentials and where does he practise?

He is a member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) and is based in the United Kingdom.

Can I have sessions in another language?

Sessions are offered in English.

Does he accept international clients?

No, he does not accept international clients at this time.

How much do sessions cost?

Cost varies with location; sessions use a subscription that can be cancelled at any time.

How do I begin working with him?

Select the Talk to a counsellor online button, complete a short matching questionnaire and schedule a first session.