Shift Happens Counselling & Psychotherapy

02/11/2025

From psychoanalysis to existential therapy, there’s a bewildering variety of approaches – with one thing in common

30/10/2025

Extremely proud to have won the award for Best Emerging Therapy Practice at the Northern Enterprise Awards 2025.

A testament to the hard work put into practice, but would be nothing with the clients that trust me to be their therapist.

🤩❤️

10/10/2025

Today is World Mental Health Day.

I’ve experienced anxiety intermittently since my teens. I make no secret of it. I don’t shout about it, but deal with it with some solitude and reflection, identifying my emotions and allowing them in.

For me, it’s like an unwelcome acquaintance who turns up unannounced, and you tolerate until it leaves.

It happens sometimes with or without rhyme or reason; it defies intelligence and logic. It takes patience and understanding with yourself and the same from others.

Be mindful that anyone you know could literally be keeping head above water and drowning in plain sight.

Keep tabs and be attuned to your loved ones. Notice the subtleties of any change in them. Drop the Britishness and ask not only “are you ok?”; there’s a reason for that. It’s because we’re already conditioned to say “yeah fine”. Don’t let there be an elephant in the room, trust your intuition if you need to ask again and be honest about your worry for them. It could literally make the difference between life and death.

We can all find ourselves in a situation, for whatever reason, where you feel like you’re in a black hole and there’s no way out.

The more we’re open with our emotions with each other, the easier it will be to have these conversations with each other and the less we feel a pressure to bottle it.

Let’s all be honest that we’re all winging it, doing the best we can to put one front in front of the other and that life is anything but a straight road. It makes moments of despair normal, realise they’re not insurmountable and that everything in life is temporary, both the light and shade.

There is help whether this is in a friend, family member or professional. No one likes to admit they’re sinking, but you know, more people would if it was seen as the sign of strength that it is, rather than the weakness it isn’t.

08/05/2025

Collateral beauty is best experienced rather than defined.

It is an affirmation of wonder — inviting us to cherish moments of our lives that can be precious and life affirming even when we are in the depths of loss and sorrow.

14/04/2025

The power of should…. a blog post! Link below!

https://www.shifthappens.org.uk/post/the-power-of-should

04/04/2025

Hello, it’s me.

I’m Michael. I’m a qualified, insured and registered psychotherapist. It’s good to meet you and I’m glad you came.

I’ve worked with children, young people and adults experiencing difficult times for over 20 years, leading me into a career in social work and then into counselling and psychotherapy.

I am here, ready to listen, ready to sit in the s**t, ready to help you see the woods, for the trees, celebrate your wins and everything in between.

Get in touch.

Link in my bio.

13/01/2025

So you’ve decided you want therapy? What next? A blog post.

03/01/2025

www.shifthappens.org.uk

Shift Happens Counselling & Psychotherapy is a private therapy for adults, with access to face to face based in South Liverpool, as well as accepting clients for online therapy suited to your individual preference and needs. Contact me via the website to request a free consultation.

14/12/2024

New year, REAL you.

31/10/2024

25/10/2024

www.shifthappens.org.uk

17/09/2024