Michelle Chapman, NCPS

Michelle Chapman (she/her) is the owner and lead counsellor at Athena Counselling. She works as an integrative counsellor who brings together a range of evidence-based techniques to suit each person's needs, and she has developed a particular specialism in gaming and geek therapy. Michelle offers a down-to-earth, non-judgemental space where people can explore the whats and whys of their current difficulties.

She supports people experiencing anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, critical self-talk, imposter syndrome and related concerns. Her practice also addresses stress, trauma and abuse, relationship and intimacy issues, addictions, grief, eating concerns, anger, coping with life changes, and a variety of attachment and identity-related matters. Michelle works with women's issues, social anxiety, body image and caregiver stress among other focus areas.

Michelle trained on and off for about ten years, taking breaks between courses to work in other areas before making counselling her main focus. During her studies she combined a desire to help people with an interest in gaming and geek culture, and she continues to develop her approach to geek therapy while creating workshops to share those ideas with other counsellors. She holds the NCPS credential, a recognised counselling qualification.

Evidence-based approaches and flexible online support

Michelle uses a range of evidence-based therapeutic techniques tailored to each person's situation. One common strand focuses on identifying unhelpful patterns of thinking and behaviour and then introducing practical strategies to reduce anxiety and improve mood. Another approach centres on exploring past experiences and relationship patterns to understand how they affect current feelings and reactions, which can be helpful for trauma, attachment and relationship concerns. She also integrates coaching-style work when clients want clear goals and step-by-step plans to build self-esteem and make life changes.

Finding the right approach is part of the therapeutic process. Michelle works collaboratively with clients to choose and adjust methods based on their needs, goals and preferences, so the work evolves as the client gains more clarity and progress is made.

Online therapy options include video calls, phone sessions, live chat and text-based messaging, offering flexibility for different schedules and communication styles. These formats make it easier to maintain regular sessions, fit therapy around daily life, and access support from wherever the client is located within the therapist's region.