Directory entry

Michelle Preston, BACP

Credentials: BACP
Experience: 5 years
Practising in: United Kingdom
Languages: English
Sessions: Online only
Client ages: Adults, 18 and over

Works with Stress, Anxiety Grief Self esteem Depression Coping with life changes

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Michelle Preston uses an open, person-focused approach to help people manage stress and anxiety. She is Michelle Preston, BACP, and she aims to create a calm space where thoughts and feelings can be talked through. Sessions are straightforward and aimed at practical progress rather than clinical jargon.

She works with people dealing with grief, low self-esteem, depression and the ups and downs of life change. Michelle also offers support around relationship and family concerns and more specific issues such as abandonment, attachment difficulties and codependency.

Background and approach

She helps with obsessive or compulsive behaviours, social anxiety, trichotillomania and workplace stress. Her methods draw on cognitive behavioural ideas to spot thought patterns and on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy to help people act in line with their values. She also uses attachment-based and client-centred ways of working to focus on building understanding and empathy in the room.

Dialectical Behaviour Therapy skills are used when emotional regulation and distress tolerance are needed. Michelle has five years of professional experience in the United Kingdom and is registered with the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy, BACP. That registration is noted as BACP in her details.

In sessions she listens, reflects and offers exercises you can try between meetings. The aim is to help people develop clearer thinking, steadier mood and more usable coping skills. She supports each person at their own pace and works collaboratively on goals.

People can expect direct, down-to-earth language and practical steps. Michelle keeps sessions focused on what matters most to the person who is asking for help.

Approaches that translate well to online sessions

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, or ACT, helps people notice unhelpful thoughts and focus on actions that matter to them. It can be useful for anxiety, depression and for coping with life transitions by linking choices to personal values.

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, CBT, looks at how thoughts, feelings and behaviours connect and teaches practical exercises to change unhelpful patterns. It is often helpful for anxiety, low mood and obsessive or compulsive behaviours.

Attachment-Based Therapy concentrates on patterns that began in relationships and how they affect current connections and emotional responses. This approach can help with abandonment concerns, relationship difficulties and attachment-related anxiety.

Deciding on the right approach is part of the work together. The therapist will discuss goals, personal preferences and how symptoms present, then pick or adapt methods that fit. This collaborative process means approaches can be blended and adjusted as progress is made.

Online therapy offers flexibility through video calls, phone sessions, live chat or text-based messaging. Video lets people use visual cues for deeper conversation, phone sessions work well when bandwidth is limited, and messaging suits short check-ins or ongoing reflection. These options make it easier to fit sessions around work, childcare or travel while keeping the focus on practical skills and steady progress.

What concerns does Michelle address?

She helps with stress, anxiety, grief, low self-esteem, depression and coping with life changes. Additional focus areas include attachment issues, codependency, OCD related concerns, social anxiety and workplace problems.

What is her therapeutic style like?

Her style is person-centred and practical, combining talking with skill-building. She uses techniques from CBT, ACT and DBT alongside attachment-focused work.

How much experience does she have?

Michelle has five years of professional experience working in the United Kingdom. That experience informs a straightforward, practical approach.

What credentials and location are listed?

She is listed with the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy, BACP, and practices in the United Kingdom.

Which languages are offered for sessions?

Sessions are offered in English.

What session formats are available?

Sessions can take place via video calls, phone sessions, live chat or text-based messaging to suit different needs and schedules.

How are fees and payments handled?

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

How do I begin therapy with her?

Start by selecting the Start Therapy button and completing a short matching questionnaire. Schedule sessions according to the therapist's availability.

Areas of focus

What this therapist works with

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Therapeutic approaches

Experience: 5 years
Registered with: BACP
Languages: English

Contacting Michelle

Michelle takes enquiries through BetterHelp. You answer a few questions about what you are looking for, then arrange sessions if it seems like a fit. Browsing costs nothing and you are not committing to anything by reading this page.

Michelle Preston, BACP

Background and approach

Approaches that translate well to online sessions

Areas of focus

What this therapist works with

Others working with stress, anxiety