Michelle Copley, BACP - Therapist in United Kingdom

CBT methods
DBT skills
Transactional Analysis

About Michelle

Michelle Copley is a BACP counsellor in the United Kingdom with 12 years' experience. She works with adults on issues such as stress, anxiety, relationship difficulties, trauma and abuse, grief, parenting concerns, addictions, depression and life changes. Sessions focus on clear conversation and practical steps rather than jargon.

Michelle describes her style as collaborative and engaging. She asks about what is happening, listens for patterns, and helps people make sense of their thoughts and feelings. She uses a range of therapeutic methods and selects the approaches that fit each person's situation.

In practice, Michelle combines Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) with Transactional Analysis (TA) and integrates elements from other approaches such as Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) and Emotionally-Focused Therapy. She explains therapies in everyday terms and teaches skills people can use between sessions.

She has worked with people facing trauma including PTSD, opioid and alcohol addiction, self-harm and suicidal thinking, and complex grief. Michelle also supports those dealing with parenting strain, sleep problems, anger, low self-esteem, career uncertainty and ADHD-related difficulties.

Michelle moved her practice fully online after 2020 and notes many clients value the time and money saved on travel. She uses a conversational, psycho-educational approach to help people build new habits and clearer thinking. To begin, people complete a short matching questionnaire and then schedule a first session.

How her approaches translate to online work

Michelle commonly uses Client-Centred ideas and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) in online sessions. Client-Centred work focuses on listening and understanding a person’s experience so they can reflect and choose changes for themselves. CBT looks at thoughts and behaviours, teaching practical skills to manage anxiety, low mood and unhelpful patterns.

She also draws on Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) techniques when people need skills for regulating strong emotions and improving relationships. DBT offers short, teachable strategies for distress tolerance, emotion regulation and communication that are suited to step-by-step practise between sessions.

Finding the right approach is part of the work together. The therapist will discuss needs, goals and preferences and agree which methods to try. That collaborative decision helps shape a clear plan for sessions and for practice between meetings.

Michelle now works online and highlights practical benefits such as saving travel time and costs, fitting sessions into a weekday break, and making it easier to attend when rearranging work or childcare. Confirm the exact session formats available before booking so you know how appointments are delivered and which will fit your routine.

Areas of expertise

Primary focus

Stress, AnxietyRelationship issuesTrauma and abuse GriefParenting issues

Also works with

Addictions LGBTFamily conflictsSleeping disordersAnger managementSelf esteemCareer difficultiesDepression Coping with life changesCoachingADHD

Additional focus areas

AbandonmentAdoption and foster careAging and geriatric issuesAntisocial personalityAttachment issues Blended family issues Body imageCancerCaregiver issues and stress Chronic pain, illness, and disabilityCo-morbidityCodependency Commitment issuesCommunication problemsControl issuesDissociationDivorce and separationDomestic violenceDrug and alcohol addictionEmptinessFamily of origin issuesFamily problemsFatherhood issuesFirst responder issuesForgiveness Guilt and shameHoardingHospice and end-of-life counselingImpulsivityInfidelity Isolation / loneliness JealousyLife purposeMidlife crisisVeteran and Armed Forces IssuesMoney and financial issues Mood disordersNarcissismObsessions, compulsions, and OCDPanic disorder and panic attacksParanoiaPersonality disordersPhobiasPostpartum depressionPost-traumatic stressPregnancy and childbirthPrejudice and discriminationProcess addiction (porn, exercise, gambling)Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)Self-harmSelf-loveSexual assault and abuseSexualitySmoking / vaping cessationSocial anxiety and phobiaWomen's issuesWorkplace issues Young adult issues

Therapeutic approaches

Client-Centered TherapyCognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)Emotionally-Focused Therapy (EFT)Existential TherapyEye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)Gottman MethodHypnotherapyJungian TherapyMindfulness TherapyPsychodynamic TherapySolution-Focused TherapyTrauma-Focused TherapyInternal Family Systems

Experience

12+ years

Listed in

United Kingdom

Languages

English

Frequently asked questions

What concerns does she work with?

She works with stress, anxiety, relationship problems, trauma and abuse, grief, parenting issues, addictions, depression and coping with life changes.

How does she approach feeling stuck?

Her style is collaborative and conversational; she listens, helps people notice patterns, and teaches practical skills drawn from CBT and other approaches.

How much clinical experience does she have?

She has been practising for 12 years and has worked with a wide range of concerns including substance addiction, self-harm and complex grief.

What credential does she hold and where is she based?

She is registered with the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) and practises in the United Kingdom.

Which languages are supported?

Sessions are offered in English.

Can international clients work with her?

She is not accepting international clients.

How are sessions arranged and what do they cost?

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

How do I begin working with her?

Select the See online therapy options button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule a first session.

Online talk therapy is not emergency care. If you are in danger, use the crisis numbers.