Michael Dodden , NCPS

Michael Dodden is a UK-based counsellor and coach who supports adults navigating ADHD, autism, chronic stress, relationship difficulties, burnout, and the emotional fallout of trauma and life transitions. He works with people who are late-diagnosed or still exploring neurodivergence, and those who experience overthinking, masking, people-pleasing, or a persistent sense that the world feels designed for someone else.

Many of the people he sees arrive exhausted from trying to hold everything together at work, in relationships, or in parenting. Others bring chronic pain, guilt, shame, or repetitive patterns that no longer serve them. Michael offers more than quick fixes - he creates a space where clients can unmask, breathe, and attend to their full human experience without being rushed or pathologised.

Sessions combine neurodivergent-affirming therapy and coaching with practical tools such as cognitive behavioural strategies for anxiety and executive function, approaches to manage rejection sensitivity and self-worth, and somatic or mindset techniques for nervous system regulation and chronic pain. He pays particular attention to relationship dynamics in mixed neurodiverse partnerships and to repairing trust when it has been strained.

Michael works predominantly with neurodivergent men from varied backgrounds - tradespeople, creatives, tech professionals, and entrepreneurs - while also welcoming neurodivergent women and non-binary clients who seek an honest, grounded therapeutic experience. He aims to move at a pace that honours each person’s nervous system, life circumstances, and story.

He is a registered member of the National Counselling and Psychotherapy Society (NCPS), which is a professional body for counsellors and psychotherapists in the UK. Michael brings more than five years of experience as a counsellor and over fifteen years in personal development coaching, alongside specialist continuing professional development in neurodivergence, ADHD, autism, trauma, emotional regulation, and chronic stress. Having experienced late diagnosis, repeated burnouts, and extensive personal recovery himself, he draws on both professional training and lived experience to build the kind of therapeutic space he once needed.

Therapeutic Approaches and Online Support

Michael draws on evidence-informed approaches to tailor work to each person's needs. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or CBT, focuses on identifying and shifting unhelpful thought patterns and behaviours to reduce anxiety, manage executive dysfunction, and address mood concerns. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, or ACT, helps people clarify their values and build flexible, value-driven action even when difficult thoughts or feelings are present - it is useful for stress, avoidance, and motivation struggles. Client-Centered Therapy places the person's experience at the heart of the process, offering empathic listening and a non-judgemental relationship that supports self-exploration and emotional processing.

Choosing the right approach is a collaborative part of therapy. Michael works with clients to explore what methods fit their goals, preferences, and life context, and adapts techniques over time as needs change. The aim is to find practical, sustainable ways forward together.

Online therapy offers practical flexibility for people balancing work, family, or geographical constraints. Michael provides sessions by video call, phone, live chat, or text-based messaging so clients can access consistent support in ways that suit their routines and comfort levels. This range of options makes it easier to maintain continuity of care and to integrate therapeutic work into everyday life.