Michelle Chapman , NCPS

Michelle Chapman (she/her) is an integrative counsellor who owns and runs Athena Counselling (www.athenacounselling.com). She offers a caring, down-to-earth, and non-judgemental space where people can explore the what and why of their current difficulties. Michelle works with common concerns such as anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, critical self-talk, imposter syndrome, and related struggles, as well as a broad range of issues from relationship and intimacy challenges to grief, addiction, and life transitions.

Michelle trained on and off for about ten years, combining study with work in other areas before making counselling her primary focus. She brings three years of professional practice to her work and draws on an integrative framework that adapts evidence-based therapeutic techniques to each person’s needs. She also specialises in gaming and geek therapy, an approach that connects therapeutic work with clients’ interests in gaming and geek culture. Over time she has been developing geek-informed workshops to share these ideas with other counsellors, a project that remains in active development.

Michelle holds the NCPS credential, a professional counselling qualification, and provides therapy in English from the United Kingdom. She offers practical support for a wide range of emotional and life challenges and aims to work collaboratively with each person to find meaningful ways forward.

Integrative and Geek-Informed Approaches for Online Therapy

Michelle uses an integrative counselling approach that blends evidence-based techniques to suit each person's needs. This means combining practical methods to address symptoms like anxiety or depression with deeper explorations of patterns such as attachment, self-esteem, or coping with life changes. Such flexibility helps tailor sessions to what a client is trying to achieve.

She also offers gaming and geek-informed therapy, which brings a person’s interests in gaming and geek culture into the therapeutic process. This approach can make conversations more accessible and relevant, using familiar metaphors and activities to explore identity, relationships, and motivation.

Finding the right approach is a collaborative process. Michelle works with each person to identify goals, preferences, and the techniques that feel most helpful, adjusting the style of work as needed to support progress.

Online therapy with Michelle is available by video call, phone, live chat, or text-based messaging, offering flexibility for different schedules and comfort levels. These options make it easier to access regular support from licensed professionals and therapists without needing to travel, while still focusing on practical, goal-oriented work.