Michelle Chapman, NCPS

Michelle describes her work as integrative, which means she draws on different evidence-based techniques to suit a person’s needs. One common approach is mood-focused work that helps identify unhelpful patterns of thinking and develop simple strategies to manage low mood and depression. This often involves short, practical exercises and planning small steps to feel steadier.

Another strand uses interest-based methods, sometimes called geek therapy, which brings a person’s hobbies or gaming interests into the conversation. That helps make topics easier to talk about and can be useful for building motivation, exploring identity and addressing social anxiety or isolation.

Finding the right approach is a collaborative process. The therapist will talk through goals, try different ways of working and adjust methods based on what helps most. Clients and the therapist agree on steps and review progress together to make sure sessions remain useful.

Online therapy offers flexibility and practical benefits. Video calls let people read facial cues and have fuller conversations. Phone sessions work well when bandwidth is limited or a shorter check-in is needed. Live chat and text-based messaging suit people who prefer typing, want to reflect on thoughts as they write, or need more frequent brief contact between calls.