Find your therapeutic path one step at a time

Welcome, I am Michelle Courtney, an integrative psychotherapist, and founder of Feel Safe Therapy.

I work with anxious and depressed adults, and young people, providing a bespoke service, face to face at my private practice in Wilmslow, Cheshire, or online Zoom and telephone therapy. If you are new to therapy, or returning to examine issues from a different ‘lens’.

Integrative Psychotherapy for Adults

I have experience in helping clients with stress and anxiety, depression, relationship issues, trauma, anger issues, and abuse. With a specialism in neuropsychology, I offer a personalised approach to integrating a variety of therapeutic modalities, as no one therapy fits all, and you are unique (Polyvagal, somatic, and trauma-informed therapy, ACT, and Mindfulness).

Let me assure you that there is a therapeutic path that enables you to feel good in the skin you are in. The Polyvagal lens and the ACT (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy) matrix we work with are evidence-based models we will use to help you with unprocessed past experiences, which may present in what I call your 'stuck loops' which when unresolved create an overwhelming sense of anxious thoughts, triggered by various stressors, or shutdown due to depressed thoughts and feelings. Using the polyvagal and ACT lens we explore the issues you bring to each session, for you to gain insight into therapeutically processing these, and techniques that provide a healing ability to move forward with purpose.

This work is essential for the process of being in connection in your relationships, as when your nervous system is sending you signals that life is so dangerous, your body shuts off emotionally and your body goes into conservation of life energy, so you are unable to feel truly safe enough to provide co-regulation in relationships and the wider world.

To find purpose and meaning in your life we will work through techniques and there are resources available for you to set achievable goals so that you see your progress weekly. The skills you learn in our sessions can be practiced in your daily life and will empower your self-esteem and confidence building.

I believe that you are the expert on your mind and body and that you have many strengths that will assist you during your therapeutic journey. To heal from life's challenges and adverse experiences, it takes courage to seek out a therapeutic path with a therapist who can guide you on this journey. I have the commitment, expertise, and most importantly a non-judgemental and accepting manner, to ensure you and I can work effectively together.

In our journey, we bring with us our childhood experiences and enter adulthood seeking therapeutic insight into processing childhood/adult trauma, relationship issues, and finding direction and purpose in life. Through our journey, we adapt to the stresses of life as well as the joys, but at times it can be overwhelming with the transition into family life, children, marriage, and divorce contexts. Fast forward and how did we get here so quickly, life-changing transitions, and our journey with aging, health issues, loss, and crossroad decisions. Whatever you bring to our sessions, I provide a non-judgmental and accepting lens and a toolkit of new insights into self, your relationships, and your place in the world. Together we equip your mind and body, with skills and techniques that move you forward in your daily life with clarity, a calm mind, and an energised body to live a more fulfilling life.

I recommend an integrative therapeutic approach if your well-being is suffering due to; chronic anxiety, depression, and unresolved trauma issues. Every client is unique and with childhood and attachment trauma, a more flexible approach with an integrative psychotherapy process for body/mind healing is recommended.

Integrative Psychotherapy for Young Persons (14-18+)

I recommend ACT Matrix for young people. It is a powerful tool for you to learn ‘psychological flexibility’, in managing stress, communication, and social relationships. I integrate polyvagal ‘experiential’ activities that are engaging and empower you to explore your ‘stuck loops’. Together, we explore your understanding of your neurobiological states. You are provided with a toolkit of techniques that empower you to effectively work out when you are tuning into, or out of, engaging with yourself, in relationships, and connecting in safety with your friends, family, and external environment.

(FST)) is a culmination of my lived experiences and over 30 years of working in senior roles in corporate, educational, and therapeutic settings, in the UK and internationally ( Isle of Wight, Germany, Malaysia, Singapore, Hong Kong, Taiwan, UAE, South Africa).

My interest in Buddhist psychology and Mindfulness practices deepened during my time working in the Far East, and I believe supported my healing from breast cancer in 2016. I am passionate about sharing the benefits of scientific evidence-based Mindfulness therapies, Neuropsychological techniques, and trauma-informed polyvagal therapy.

As an integrative psychotherapist, I founded (FST) to provide you with a step-by-step integrative approach to Feel Safe Therapy. You have access to a personalised and bespoke therapeutic path of self-exploration and profound healing methods.

Because no one therapy fits all and you are unique.